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book (design) story #63

peter merin:
spanien zwischen tod und geburt

jean christophe-verlag, zürich, 1937
printer: genossenschaftsdruckerei zürich
size: 21 x 13 cm
designer: richard paul lohse

peter merin is a pesudonym for oto bihalji-merin (1904-1993), a yugoslavian art historian. his book "spanien zwischen tod und geburt" was first published in german, an english translation (spain between death and birth) followed a year later in new york.

in the 1930s, bihalji-merin was one of the émigrés richard paul lohse (1902-1988) met in the zetthaus in zürich. two of lohse's earliest book designs are for works by bihalji-merin – this one and my next story. lohse is credited for the design of the cover and dustjacket (which is also signed lower right).

while lohse usually preferred asymmetric titles, this early example is axial, probably relating to the conventional title page (not designed by lohse) – but he used a modern, narrow sans-serif. lohse also used this typeface and a raw linen cloth on other covers for the jean christophe-verlag (see stories 21, 22).

the book is about spain in the civil war that started in 1936. the text is a mix of reportage and (art) history. current photos from spain are compared to spanish art from the past: e.g. goya's famous painting "el tres de mayo" and scenes from the spanish civil war. all very anti-franco, of course.

below two heroic portraits of republicans: a "dinamitero" lighting the fuse of his bomb, and a female political functionary speaking.