wiedler.ch

book (design) story #477

werner haller:
vögel aus wald und flur

büchergilde gutenberg, zürich, 1946
printer: ringier & co., zofingen
size: 24 x 17 cm
designer: richard paul lohse

yet another book design by richard paul lohse (1902-1988) for the büchergilde gutenberg in zürich, a specialised book on bird wildlife by werner haller (no further data about him). while the jacket sports garamond style lettering drawn by hand, with a bracket-style silhouette of a bird, ...

... the striking, almost "abstract" drawing on the cover shows flying birds created by a combination of identical curved line elements. lohse obviously was facinated by birds – see books 348 and 446 – and actually also lohse's early abstract paintings are inspired by bird forms.

the garamond typeface is used in the asymmetric title page ...

... and inner pages, too.

what is remarkable is lohse's photo placement, based on a standard grid of squares – an early example of what became a trademark of swiss typography.