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book (design) story #577

nikolaus basseches:
die unbekannte armee

europa verlag, zürich / new york, 1942
printer: druckereigenossenschaft aarau
size: 21 x 15 cm
designer: robert s. gessner (jacket)

in the 1930s-40 emil oprecht (1895-1952) was an important publisher for antifascist books and exiled authors. he was involved in the zürich-based publishing companies oprecht & helbling and europa-verlag.

although the books' typography is mostly conventional, oprecht had the dustjackets often designed by modernist graphic designers.

many of them were designed by robert s. gessner (1908-1982), a swiss artist who exhibited with the "allianz" group.

this book about "the unknown army"" of russia by nikolaus basseches (1895-1961), an engineer and author who had lived in the soviet union for many years, was formerly in the library of the "polish institute and sikorski museum", london