back to index

book (design) story #572

ileana holmboe:
urwald-abenteuer

holbein-verlag, basel, 1946
printer: offsetdruck ag, basel
size: 19 x 24 cm
designer: jan tschichold

Book image

when ileana holmboe (*1936) was a 7-year-old girl living in denmark, she won a contest for the best children's book written and illustrated by a child.

Book image

her "urskov-æventyr" (jungle adventure) was published in 1944 in kopenhagen. a short research in the net suggests that ileana's father was danish composer vagn gylding holmboe.

Book image

the basel-based holbein-verlag must have been impressed by the book, and so they published a german edition in 1946.

Book image

while the danish original reproduced ileana's handwriting, ...

Book image

... the german edition was set in big sansserif type – easy for kids to read.

Book image

the layout is symmetric, however the text is set unjustified – ...

Book image

... maybe to emulate the hand-lettering of children?

Book image

sure the designer of the typography knew what he was doing, since according to the impressum ...

Book image

... he was non lesser than the master himself: ...

Book image

... jan tschichold (1902-1974)!

Book image


--------------------------------------
book (design) stories home
index of published book (design) stories