wiedler.ch

book (design) story #482

carl gustav jung:
die frau in europa

verlag der neuen schweizer rundschau, zürich, 1929
size: 23 x 16 cm
designer: ernst keller

influential swiss psychologist carl gustav jung (1875-1961) published this essay on the woman in europe in 1929. here jung analyses the phenomenon of modern women leaving their traditional, "medieval" role behind. the book was published in zurich by max rychner's who was publisher of the periodical "neue schweizer rundschau".

the jacket design is by ernst keller (1891-1968). keller is considered the "father" of modern swiss graphic design since he influenced a whole generation of students at the kunstgwerbeschule zürich where he taught from 1918-1956. although the composition is not asymmetric, it is modern in employing a narrow sans-serif type and a "constructive" design of framing rules.

keller is not credited in the book, however in this seminal documentation – but there it is reproduced in red, probably to make it stand out on the white page.

interestingly, the slab-serif initial is constructed with rules, not a letter.