wiedler.ch

book (design) story #184

arnold fanck:
der kampf mit dem berge

reimar hobbing, berlin, 1930
printer: w. büxenstein, berlin
size: 19 x 13 cm
designer: paul stadlinger

arnold fanck (1889-1974) was a german pioneer of mountain films. his book the fight with the mountain is a report about the making of fanck's successful 1926 film "der heilige berg" (the holy/sacred mountain).

this book was published as part of a series of photo books. the halfcloth photographic covers and new typography design remind of the "schaubücher" series (see stories 95, 96, 173).

both photos and text are gravure-printed in a sepia-toned ink.

below the woman who became a star in fanck's films – leni riefenstahl. both riefenstahl and fanck later cooperated with the nazi government for propaganda films. the book designer is again paul stadlinger (see story 183) whose career seems to have proved compatible with the new regime, too – with books like "nürnberg 1933" about the "reichsparteitag" (nuremberg rally).

however, some of the photos are spectatular!