Typographica (Hardcover)

~ Rick Poyner (Author) "Typographica is one of the most distinctive visual arts publications of the post-war period..." (more)
Key Phrases: watching words move, new typography, typographical experiments, Lund Humphries, Herbert Spencer, Edward Wright (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The magazine Typographica--brainchild of founder, editor, designer, and renowned typographer Herbert Spencer--had a brief life, a total of 32 issues published over nineteen years. But its influence stretched--and stretches--far beyond its modest distribution and print runs of the time. Indeed, for many graphic designers, Typographica is something of an obsession, to be collected if and when found, savored, and poured over for designs and techniques not seen since. Remarkably, Spencer never intended to turn a profit, so no expenses were spared in the making of the magazine. Different papers, letterpress, tip-ins, and more were all employed in the presentation of an eclectic range of subject matter: Braille, locomotive lettering, sex and typography, typewriter faces, street lettering, matches, and avant-garde poetry all found their way into the magazine.

Rick Poynor, founding editor of Eye, recreates the excitement of Typographica in this carefully researched, accessibly written, and beautifully illustrated book that pays tribute to the man and the magazine that changed the course of graphic design.

About the Author

Rick Poynor is founding editor of Eye, and writes frequently on design. He lives in London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1st Edition. edition (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568982984
• ISBN-13: 978-1568982984
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,195,881 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important book, May 16, 2003

By	Jose Nieto... (Chestnut Hill, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This important volume works both as a rich and detailed history and as a visual feast. Though the subject may seem esoteric (a British typography magazine that ceased publication in 1967), Rick Poynor makes a convincing case for Herbert Spencer's crucial role in the history of British graphic design as a champion of the modernist aesthetic. The book is cleanly designed by Stephen Coates, with superb reproductions from the magazine.

1 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars an archieve of old Typographica Magazine, March 31, 2003

By	Cem Gül (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The name "Typographica" sounds great but may be misleading! It's not an index book or source about nowadays modern typographic design but a memory of Typographica Magazine which has been published over between 1949-1967. Includes collected sample pages and scripts from the old magazine. It's just history...