Active Literature: Jan Tschichold and New Typography [Hardcover]

Christopher Burke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Jan Tschichold (1902-1974) is considered by many to be the most influential typographer of the twentieth century. A leading voice of the modernist movement, Tschichold oversaw the redesign of the Penguin and Pelican paperbacks in the late 1940s and devised for them a standardized set of typographic rules. The classical type designs of his late career qualify him as perhaps the first typographic postmodernist. Active Literature, an in-depth study of Jan Tschichold's modernist period, is based on extensive archival research that uncovered a wealth of new photographs of his design work. Author Christopher Burke presents a full portrait of the designer's career and puts into context Tschichold's own account of his life and work.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Christopher Burke is a type designer, typographer, and the author of Paul Renner: The Art of Typography.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Hyphen Press (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0907259324
• ISBN-13: 978-0907259329
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 1.2 x 10.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,789,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars in the crucible of modernism March 29, 2009

By Ł+

Format:Hardcover

Honestly I did not expect a book about Jan Tschichold to be fascinating--but I was wrong! Burke fills in the details that connect the man, the work, and the history: just how his name change played into his imprisonment as a "cultural bolshevik;" who Tschichold saw as his audience; how his correspondence with exponents of the "new typography" made him influential; how the terms of his residency in Switzerland apparently affected his rhetoric about design; and far more. Full of wisdom for designers today, plus many previously-unseen works by Tschichold and his peers. I have a much better grasp of the whole modern movement, thanks to this readable and insightful history.