wiedler.ch

book (design) story #158

henri dubreuil:
arbeiter in usa

bibliographisches institut ag, leipzig, 1930
size: 19 x 13 cm
designer: jan tschichold

in 1929, french author henri dubreuil published the book "standards – le travail américain vu par un ouvrier français", a report about the american industrial production à la ford and taylor. this german translation was published a year later.

the design of the title page is in the kind of traditional style jan tschichold (1902-1974) fought against at that time: with its blackletter typeface (mixed with roman in one line!), axial arrangement, and swelled rules ...

... it could easily have served the author of "die neue typographie" (story 29) as an example of how not to design a book anymore!

now look at the cover of this same paperback – what a difference: an impressive photomontage on a flashy red background, slanted sans-serif type – new typography epitomized. the designer's name you find ...

... printed on the bottom right corner.