wiedler.ch

book (design) story #62

willy rotzler:
der mensch und das licht

adolf feller ag, horgen, 1960
printer: art. institut orell füssli ag, zürich
size: 25 x 13 cm
designer: carlo vivarelli

feller ag, a swiss manufacturer of electrical sockets and light switches, published this book at the occasion of their 50th anniversary in 1959.

from the 1930s, the emerging modern swiss graphic design style was often embraced by companies from the tech sector. big manufacturers such as sulzer, escher wyss and geigy, but also smaller companies like feller identified with the values expressed by this style: precision, functionality, clarity, longevity and a certain sobriety – in short: "swiss quality".

this book was designed by carlo vivarelli (1919-1986). in earlier years, two of vivarellis's colleagues in the "neue grafik" editorial team – hans neuburg and richard paul lohse – had also worked for feller to design their ads, brochures etc. the book is an example of purest swiss "new new typography": asymmetric page layout, grid-based placement of photos, and sans-serif in one single size and weight.

some of the pictures are by well-known swiss photographers such as heiniger, wolgensinger and herdeg. the total solar eclipse on the laminated cover was photographed by max waldmeier (1912-2000), professor for astronomy in zürich and a leading solar physicists. the main essay "der mensch und das licht" (man and light) is a short history of artificial lighting, written by willy rotzler (1917-1994), an art historian who also published many texts about (swiss) constructive art.

the book was printed in a german and a french edition, both numbered. this copy of "l'homme et la lumière" came in its original slipcase ...

... with the number "24" stamped both on the last page and on the case.