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book (design) story #69

albert klaus:
die hungernden

verlag der bücherkreis g.m.b.h., berlin, 1932
printer: vorwärts buchdruckerei, berlin
size: 19 x 13 cm
designer: jan tschichold

jan tschichold's (1902-1974) bücherkreis dustjackets often serve as a little poster for the book. here we read that albert klaus' "die hungernden" (the hungry) is the first true novel about the unemployed.

tschichold liked trump's city typeface. the lowercase title reminds of book 47 – but unlike the bauhaus (among others), the bücherkreis didn't go for an exclusive use of lowercase.

the inner pages show how tschichold refined the rather crude contrasts and asymmetry of his earlier works.