Type. A Visual History of Typefaces & Graphic Styles. 1901–1938

Know your type

A visual history of fonts and graphic styles: volume 2


This book offers a connoisseur's overview of typeface design, exploring the most elegant fonts from the history of publishing. Taken from a distinguished Dutch collection, this exuberant two-volume edition traces the evolution of the printed letter via exquisitely designed catalogs, showing type specimens in roman, italic, bold, semi-bold, narrow, and broad fonts. Borders, ornaments, initial letters and decorations are also included, along with lithographic examples, letters by signwriters, inscription carvers, and calligraphers.

Featuring works by type designers including: William Caslon, Fritz Helmuth Ehmcke, Peter Behrens, Rudolf Koch, Eric Gill, Jan van Krimpen, Paul Renner, Jan Tschichold, A. M. Cassandre, Aldo Novarese, and Adrian Frutiger.

In order to accommodate a vast amount of material, we have divided this text into two volumes. This, the second volume, covers the period from 1900 to the mid-20th century, and contains a historical outline by Alston W. Purvis.

Includes exclusive access with TASCHEN keycard to online image library: over 1400 high-resolution scans of type specimens downloadable for unrestricted use:

va type specimen vol2 keycard

The editors and authors:
Cees W. de Jong is a designer and publisher based in Laren, the Netherlands. He has published numerous books on design, architecture and art, and is now working as a design/publishing consultant and author. He has also published many books on graphic design.

Alston W. Purvis is professor of the visual arts division of the School of Arts at Boston University, USA. He is also the author on many books on graphic design.

The late Jan Tholenaar was a collector of the printed letter in all its various incarnations, but especially exquisite design catalogs and specimen books. He lived in Amsterdam, where he passed away in 2009.

Type. A Visual History of Typefaces & Graphic Styles. 1901–1938
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to online image library: over 1400 high-resolution scans of type specimens downloadable.
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Type. A Visual History of Typefaces & Graphic Styles. 1901–1938

Cees W. de Jong, Alston W. Purvis, Jan Tholenaar
Hardcover + Image database, 9.8 x 12.5 in., 360 pages, $ 59.99
ISBN 978-3-8365-1514-6
Multilingual Edition: English, French, German
Availability: 02/2012
  • Reviews
"Can TASCHEN do no wrong? As a card-carrying typeface hobbyist, I get off on this stuff, but lordy lord don't put this book in my lap I might just leap right in and never come back. Are you ready eyeballs? Start dancing." ArtsJournal.com, Boston, United States
  • See also
Bodoni. Manual of Typography – Manuale tipografico (1818)
Bodoni. Manual of Typography – Manuale tipografico (1818)
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The birth of the legendary typeface. The complete reproduction of Bodoni's rare masterwork
Letter Fountain
Letter Fountain
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The anatomy of letters. Everything you could ever want to know about printing letters and numbers
FUSE 1–20
Coming soon FUSE 1–20
Flexicover, 10 posters, box, online font library, 6.7 x 8.6 in., 416 pages, $ 59.99

Ideas that change design: a complete retrospective of the influential, experimental typeface publication FUSE