wiedler.ch

book (design) story #680

franz roh, jan tschichold:
foto-auge / oeil et photo / photo-eye

akademischer verlag dr. fritz wedekind, stuttgart, 1929
printer: heinrich fink, stuttgart
size: 30 x 21 cm
photographer: el lissitzky (cover)
designer: jan tschichold

"foto-auge / oeil et photo / photo-eye" is one of the most important anthologies of early 20th century modern photography, and a masterpiece of "new typography" book design, ...

... with text in three languages by franz roh (1890-1965), and designed by jan tschichold (1902-1974).

the cover features el lissitzky's (1890-1941) famous self-portrait "the constructor", and blind-stamped/embossed titles.

note the asymmetric page layout with all-lowercase sansserif type.

the "french fold" pages are printed on the outer side only, joined at the front edge.

just a few examples of reproduced works: ...

... photo by hans finsler and montage by laszlo moholy-nagy, ...

... montage by friedrich vordemberge-gildewart and poster by jan tschichold, ...

... anonymous aerial photograph and portrait by edward weston.

this copy of the usually $$$$ book isn't in perfect condition which made it more affordable. however, a surprise was the laid-in printed matter, among them two flyers for publisher fritz wedekind, ...

... one of them dedicated to books by tschichold (who obviously also designed this flyer): promoting "foto-auge", plus the books shown in stories 129, 457, 164, and a revised re-edition of 29 which was never published.