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book (design) story #59

josef luitpold:
die neue stadt

büchergilde gutenberg, berlin, 1927
printer: buchdruckwerkstätte g.m.b.h., berlin
size: 43 x 32 cm
designer: otto rudolf schatz

this is certainly one of the most extraordinary books published by the büchergilde gutenberg, berlin – at least in size: it stands 17 inches tall. like book number 58, it is a collaboration of josef luitpold stern (1886-1966) and otto rudolf schatz (1900-1961): again a block book with woodcut text and illustrations printed on heavy, hand-made paper. the title page repeats the cover design, in even bigger letters.

despite its rather neo-medieval design approach, this book is about modern architecture and how "the new town" will improve the quality of life for the working classes. it is a socialist "psalm" (according to the impressum) in an expressionist calligraphic style with matching illustrations:

it means their sunday to lay the foundation stone to new homes.

man in the new town –

he does not know the horror of breathing without daylight.

every window an eye of prudence. plan and order will be preached all over the globe.

pathos and design style are quite close to early (weimar) bauhaus, before the design school developed into "new typography" with its machine-age aesthetics and lowercase "functionality".

or to open the gates of rising houses to amazed grateful dwellers.

the büchergilde berlin published books in very different design styles – from neo-medieval to ultra-modernist. either way, workmanship was always high-quality, since the book club was founded by the printers' trade union.