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book (design) story #76

aline valangin:
tessiner novellen

verlag dr. h. girsberger, zürich, 1939
size: 19 x 11 cm
designer: max bill

in the 1930s, the zürich home of aline valangin (1889-1986) and her husband wladimir rosenbaum was a meeting-place for artists, writers and political refugees. the couple was known for their modern lifestyle which included an "open marriage": ignazio silone, kurt tucholsky and many others were among their friends (and lovers). rosenbaum, a renowned lawyer, lost his licence after conservative (and antisemitic) circles accused him of illegally supporting the republican forces in the spanish civil war. after that, the couple moved to the ticino area in southern switzerland.

valangin, a granddaughter of nobel peace prize 1902 winner elie ducommun, was a trained pianist but became a writer. this is her second book with short stories about the onsernone valley where she settled. the book was published by hans girsberger, an important endorser of the cultural avant-garde, especially modern architecture. max bill (1908-1994) was the designer (and author) of several girsberger books.

the photographic dustjacket, showing the loggias of a traditional ticinese house, features a striking arrangement of white "bubbles" around each word. max bill obviously liked circles in his book designs – see stories 19 or 51.

the design of the cover and inner pages is simple and laid-back. again max bill's trademark bodoni typeface, chapter titles flush to the outer margins (with rules), and no indents.