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book (design) story #220

(unknown) :
il giornale radio

rai – radio italiana, 1948
printer: società editrice torinese, torino
size: 21 x 15 cm
designer: max huber

this small brochure was published by rai, the italian radio company, in 1948. the full title says: the radio journal – a practicle guide for those who talk on the radio and for those who listen.

this great cover design by max huber (1919-1992) is not credited in the impressum, however it is listed in the recent book on huber (isbn 0714845477).

the pictorial montage with slanted titles, black and red colour scheme, and sans-serif type is influenced by modernist graphic designs of the 1920's. interestingly, the red microphone seems to double as an antenna emitting "radio waves" cut out from newspapers in different languages and printed in different directions - a striking idea. newspaper-based designs were not uncommon among modernists (see book story 35).