In Leipzig, Germany, upon this day in 1902, was born Jan Tschichold, one of the fine typographers of our times. Just eighteen years later he was teaching calligraphy at the Graphic Arts Academy of Leipzig. In 1923, after attending the Weimar Bauhaus exhibition, he was carried away by the strong protest against the established values made by the Bauhaus architects and artists.

Throwing off his own traditionalism, Tschichold immediately became a leading exponent of the tense, asymetrical balances called for by the movement. These rigid and geometrical patterns with their strong architectural inclination attracted worldwide attention during the Twenties. As a spokesman for the new trend, Tschichold produced its first important text, Die Neue Typographic, published in Berlin in 1928. As an expression of the times The New Typography jolted the world of print into controversial re-examination of the existing mores of typographic design.

Naturally enough the greatest effect of the new school was upon advertising and promotional printing. Here the visual aspect of the work of the avante-garde typographers reached its most efficient expression. Functional types were needed—and quickly produced. Simplicity demanded that these types be sans serif, but the form of these 19th century letters, called grotesque, required a change which would make them acceptable to the new school of typography. This was done by forming the letters along geometrical principles. The Futura types which have had so much influence upon typography during the past forty years, were the result of the Bauhaus experiments.

By 1933, however, Tschichold was beginning to regret his espousal of experiment and reform. He returned to his traditional birthright. As a designer with a strong historical apprenticeship, he realized that the innovations of the new typography had attracted a host of imitators who lacked fundamental training and who had therefore nothing to contribute to its further development. The new typographers had, in fact, so abused the original concepts of the Bauhaus idea that they had, he felt, destroyed its usefulness.

At about the same time, Tschichold was visited with the disfavor of the Hitler regime. He left Germany for Switzerland, settling in Basil where he remained until 1947. At this time he accepted a request to go to London to restyle completely the Penguin paperback series of books. The success of this venture is well-known. The new Penguins established standards of excellence for mass produced paperback books which have never been surpassed. Their quality proves beyond question that books need not be expensive to be well-planned. By now Tschichold had completely lost his dependence upon the asymetrical form. He was most concerned with the content of print, insuring that nothing interfere with the basic function of being readable.

By this return to traditionalism Tschichold has lost the esteem of many of the younger designers who seek to be innovators but who have little concern for principles. This fall from grace worries him not at all. As a teacher and writer he continues to be a most logical person who remains open-minded to new ideas. His contributions to what is best in present-day typography were recognized by the American Institute of Graphic Arts when it presented him with its coveted medal in 1954.

“There is much boastful talk,” Tschichold recently wrote, “about the allegedly high state of typographic design in our time. One can, however, only deplore it.”