Jan Tschichold

Biography

(pronounced chick-old)

‘He (Tschichold) not only changed his first name but also the spelling of his second. He was originally Johannes Tzschichhold, but for a while used Iwan; finally it was Jan, and he dropped two letters from his surname. Eight consonants would still seem to have been more than enough for only two vowels!’ (Hans Schmoller, Two Titans, New York, The Typophiles, 1990)

Typography, calligraphy, writer, collector, typographic historian. German, later Swiss citizen. Born Johannes Tzschichhold 2 April 1902 in Leipzig, his father a sign painter and lettering artist. 1916-19: attended Teacher Training College at Grimma, near Leipzig. He intended to become a teacher of drawing but became attracted to type design. He had been much impressed, two years earlier, by beautiful books shown at the 1914 International Exhibition of the Graphic Arts (‘Bugra’), particularly work by Rudolf Koch. At Grimma he was influenced by the works of Edward Johnston and Rudolf von Larisch, the leading letterers of the day. 1919-21: studied at the Leipzig Akademie für graphische Künste und Buchgewerbe [Academy of Art and Book Production]: a teacher was Hermann Delitsch who introduced him to the works of the Italian Renaissance writing masters. Tschichold later studied with Heinrich Wieynck at the Dresden School of Arts and Crafts. 1920-24: appointed by Walter Tiemann, director of the Leipzig Academy, Tschichold was assistant to Delitsch in lettering classes, and was a master student of Tiemann. 1921-5: lettered advertisements, commissions from Erich Gruner, for the numerous Leipzig trade fairs, and for the book printer Fischer & Wittig.

The exhibition of the Bauhaus, August 1923, particularly the work of Moholy-Nagy and the Soviet constructivism of El Lissitzky, led him to a new and original approach to typographic design: the use of sans-serif type, alignments, organisation of material. Above all, clarity and order. His resulting manifesto, elementare typographie (The principles of typography), published October 1925 in the journal Typographische Mitteilungen, caused a sensation and brought him to the attention of printing and typographic circles and furthered the principles of the ‘modern movement’ in typography.

He was freelancing in Berlin at the end of 1925. 1926: married Edith Kramer (son Peter born 1929). Summer 1926: invited by Paul Renner to teach at the Munich Meisterschule für Deutschlands Buchdrucker [Munich Master Printers’ School/advanced-level college for German printers]; Tschichold taught typography and calligraphy there until 1933. 1927: co-founder with Kurt Schwitters of the ring ‘neue Werbegestalter’ (circle of modern advertising designers). Feb. 1933: appointed by Georg Trump to a post at the Höhere Graphische Fachschule, Berlin, but he did not take it up.

His first book, Die neue Typographie, published in 1928, developed his earlier manifesto into a systematic handbook. ‘It was…epoch-making for it was the first publication in any language to attempt to lay down principles of typographic design which could be applied to the whole printing trade, embracing jobbing, advertising and journals, as well as books.’ (McLean, p. 33) In 1931 three of his type designs were issued: Transito (Lettergieterij Amsterdam), Saskia (Schelter & Giesecke) and Zeus (Schriftguss AG). 1932: typographic design of Kurt Schwitter’s sound-poem Ursonate in Merz 24, pp. 153-86.

But in early 1933 the Nazis saw the ‘modern movement’ as yet another expression of ‘decadence’, and Tschichold as one of the leaders of the movement. For his alleged political radicalism – as a ‘cultural Bolshevist’, the Tschicholds were arrested and detained, his wife Edith for a few days, Jan for almost six weeks (including a period in a concentration camp); he was informed he was no longer allowed to teach. (On the arrest of JT, see ‘An interview with Edith Tschichold’ in Paul Barnes, ed., Jan Tschichold, 1995, below. The text first appeared in Die Zwanziger Jahre des Deutschen Werkbunds, Darmstadt and Berlin: Deutscher Werkbund, 1982.)

With the help of Hermann Kienzle, Director of the Basel (Switzerland) School of Arts and Crafts, the Tschicholds with their young son emigrated in August and lived in Switzerland for the remainder of their lives. The first years in Basel (before he became a Swiss citizen), with at first only part-time positions in the Kunstgewerbeschule and as art director with the printer/publisher Bruno Schwabe were difficult. He had to augment his income and, between the years 1933-42, Tschichold wrote 7 books and 40 articles. During these years he designed many books and jackets, mainly for the three publishers, Bruno Schwabe, Birkhäuser and Holbein.

1933-5: designed the typefaces for the Uhertype photo-composition machine. Typographische Gestaltung (Typographic Design), published by Benno Schwabe in 1935 is one of Tschichold’s most influential books, a ‘bible’ to the exponents of the ‘modern movement’ in asymmetric typography and the most ‘detailed and perceptive account of the principles and practice of typography’. But he had also had to come to terms with the conservative design ‘climate’ of Basel and, in the same year, accepted the need for centred typography, publishing ‘Vom richtigen Satz auf Mittelachse’ in Typographische Monatsblätter, no. 4. But each way he was the Master; Tschichold’s design solutions – using either approach – remain memorable and astonishing.

In the same year, an exhibition of his work was shown at Lund, Humphries in London. In 1937 he returned to London to speak to members of the Double Crown Club (‘A New Approach to Typography’), and the following year restyled Lund, Humphries’ annual publication to the print trade The Penrose Annual.

In 1940 he published Early Chinese Colour Printing, the first of many titles about the subject which had come to interest him and Edith. In 1942 he became a Swiss citizen. During the early 1940s Tschichold published several distinguished books, for example Treasury of Calligraphy (Schatzkammer der Schreibkunst; Birkhäuser, 1945) which added to his already immense typographic authority. 1944: redesigned the Insel Verlag logo.

A year after the war ended, he was invited by Allen Lane, head of Penguin Books in London (on the recommendation of Oliver Simon of the Curwen Press), to become the book-production manager of the company; Tschichold started in March 1947 and in the 29 months he was with the company unified and revolutionized the typographic and design style of the firm and, in time, influenced the work of almost every book printer in Britain. Initially he formulated the 4-page Penguin Composition Rules (1947) which, now enlarged, remain the basis of good text composition for compositors and designers. He then brought order and beauty to the design of the books themselves, earning Penguin an eminent reputation that remains today. His fine work at Penguin Books was carried on by Hans Schmoller.

In Switzerland once again, he became typographer to the Basel pharmaceutical firm Hoffmann-La Roche (1955-74), continued to create fine typographic designs, wrote numerous articles and books, and designed a very useful book typeface, Sabon (a modern adaptation of Garamond; completed 1967), and continued to add to his varied collections; many honours and awards deservedly came his way: Honorary Member, Double Crown Club, London, 1949-74; Gold Medal of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, 1954 (the first European to be awarded this medal); Honorary member of the Société Typographique de France, 1960; Leipzig Gutenberg Prize (1965); Honorary Royal Designer for Industry (London, 1965); Corresponding Member, German Academy of Arts (Berlin, 1966); Gold Medal, International Book Art Exhibition, Leipzig (1964 and 1971). In 1965 he had been a designer-contributor to Ideeller Wettbewerb für Buchgestalter zu Werken von William Shakespeare, part of Leipzig’s International Book Arts exhibition. His Treasury of Alphabets and Lettering (1966) ‘did for type [what] his Schatzkammer der Schreibkunst had already done for calligraphy.’² From 1967 he lived with his family in Berzona, in the Onsernone Valley, Tessin. Jan Tschichold died 11 August 1974 in Locarno.

  • Tschichold’s bibliographical references (even those compiled by himself) are abundant and rarely agree. Tschichold usually revised text and/or illustrations for second (or English) publications of his work. To follow every change in his texts would require a book in itself.
  • Leben und Werk des Typographen Jan Tschichold, Dresden: Verlag der Kunst, 1977, appears to be very comprehensive (see below).
  • A comprehensive reference (in German or English: original language of publication) to, seemingly, all of Tschichold’s major writings (including first source of publication) is G. Bose and E. Brinkmann, Jan Tschichold: Schriften 1925-74, Berlin: Brinkmann & Bose, 1991/2 (2 vols), and C. Burke.
  • A complete list of writings (to 1972) by and about Tschichold is in the special number of Typografische Monatsblätter, April 1972, pp. 288-322 (‘Jan Tschichold: Praeceptor typographiae’ - written by Tschichold), published on the occasion of Tschichold’s 70th birthday. Some of these items may be duplicated below.
  • Another fairly comprehensive list of writings (to 1975) is JT’s Ausgewählte Aufsätze über Fragen der Gestalt des Buches und der Typographie, Basel/Stuttgart: Birkhäuser, 1975. There is a brief autobiography, pp. 7-8.
  • The following essays by Tschichold appear as appendices in Ruari McLean, Jan Tschichold: Typographer, 1975 (see below): ‘The placing of type in a given space’ (originally ‘Die Anordnung des Schriftsatzes in Flächenraum’, TM, no. 7, 1934), pp. 123-6
  • ‘The design of centred typography’ (originally ‘Vom richtigen Satz auf Mittelachse’, TM, no. 4, 1935), pp. 126-31
  • ‘Belief and Reality’ (Tschichold’s reply to Max Bill
  • originally ‘Glaube und Wirklichkeit’, TM/SGM, June 1946), pp. 131-9
  • ‘On mass-producing the classics’ (originally in Signature, March 1947), pp. 140-44
  • ‘My reform of Penguin Books’ (originally ‘Meine Reform der Penguin Books’, TM/SGM, no. 6, 1950), pp. 144-7. In addition: ‘Quousque Tandem…’ (pp. 155-8), a talk given at the ‘Typography – USA’ seminar, New York, on 18 April 1959, subsequently printed in Print, Jan./Feb. 1964.
  • The Jan Tschichold (exh. cat.), Zurich: Kunstgewerbemuseum, 1976, and the Edinburgh exh. cat. of 1982 are very comprehensive. See p. 78 of the former for details of Tschichold’s typefaces.

Writings by

  • 1925-9: ‘elementare typographie’(Principles of Typography), special number of typographische mitteilungen, Oct. 1925 (repr. Mainz: H. Schmidt, 1986)
  • ‘Zeitgemässe Buchgestaltung’, Die Form, 1927, v. 4, pp. 116-23
  • ‘Fotografie und Typografie’, Die Form, 1928, v. 5, pp. 140-50
  • Die neue Typographie (The new typography
  • see The New Typography, 1995, 2009), Berlin, 1928 (see facsimile ed., Berlin, 1987)
  • ‘The principles of the new typography’ (1928), in Ruari McLean, ed., Typographers on Type (pp. 52-4), London: Lund Humphries, 1995
  • foto-auge (photo-eye), with Franz Roh, Stuttgart, 1929 (facsimile edition: London: Thames and Hudson, 1974)
  • 1930-34: Eine Stunde Druckgestaltung (print design), Stuttgart: Wedekind, 1930
  • ‘Qu’est-ce que la Nouvelle Typographie et que veut-elle?’, Arts et Métiers graphiques, 1930, no. 19, pp. 46-52
  • ‘Noch eine neue Schrift’, typographische mitteilungen, March 1930
  • ‘New life in print’, Commercial Art, July 1930, IX, pp. 1-20 (‘The New Typography’ explained)
  • ‘The composite photograph and its place in advertising’, Commercial Art, Dec. 1930, IX, pp. 236-49 (includes ‘A quick and easy method of lettering for composite photographs, etc.’, p. 249)
  • Schriftschreiben für Setzer (Lettering for compositors), Frankfurt a.M.: Klimsch, 1931
  • ‘Exhibition rooms designed by El Lissitzky’, Commercial Art, 1931, X, pp. 21-6
  • Advertising the German Store’ (Brann of Zurich), Commercial Art, 1931, X, pp. 168-70
  • ‘New paths in poster work’, Commercial Art, June 1931, X, pp. 242-7
  • ‘Statistics in pictures’, Commercial Art, 1931, XI, pp. 113-17
  • ‘the “constructivist” el lissitzky’, Commercial Art, 1931, XI, pp. 148-50
  • ‘Neuere Typografie in Frankreich’, Die Form, 1931, v. 10, pp. 382-4
  • Typographische Entwurfstechnik (see How to Draw Layouts, 1991), Stuttgart: Wedekind, 1932
  • ‘Einiges über Buchgestaltung’ (shows several of his c1931 book designs), Klimschs Jahrbuch, 1932, pp. 61-8
  • ‘über el lissitzky’, Imprimatur, 1932, pp. 97-112
  • 1935-7: comments on typography in Typographical Work of Jan Tschichold, a pamphlet to co-incide with JT’s exh, 27 Nov.-14 Dec. 1935, at Lund, Humphries, London
  • Typographische Gestaltung (Typographic Design
  • see Asymmetric Typography, 1967), Basel: Schwabe, 1935 (the Danish edition, Funktionel Typografi, published the same year, København: Berlingske Bogtrykkeri)
  • Robert Harling, ‘What is this “functional” typography? The work of Jan Tschichold’, Printing, 4 Jan. 1936
  • ‘Abstract painting and the New Typography’, Industrial Arts, Summer 1936
  • Typografisk gestaltning, Stockholm, 1937
  • ‘Type Mixtures’, Typography 3, Summer 1937, pp. 2-7
  • ‘New typography’, Circle (International Survey of Constructive Art), London: Faber & Faber, 1937, pp. 249-55 (repr. 1971)
  • 1938-42: Typografische vormgeving, Amsterdam, 1938
  • Der frühe chinesische Farbendruck, Basel: Holbein, 1940 (Early Chinese Colour Printing, London and New York, 1940) (repr. 1951)
  • introduction in Li Liu-Fang, Chinesische Farbendrucke aus dem Lehrbuch der Malerei des Senfkorngartens, Basel: Holbein, 1941 (repr. 1951)
  • Geschichte der Schrift in Bildern, Basel: Holbein, 1941 (see also 1947)
  • Gute Schriftformen, Basel: Lehrmittelverlag des Erziehungsdepartements Basel-Stadt, 1941/2, 1943/4, 1945/6
  • Schriftkunde, Schreibübungen und Skizzieren für Setzer, Basel: Schwabe, 1942
  • 1943-5: Der Holzschneider und Bilddrucker Hu Chêng-yen, Basel, 1943 (repr. 1951)
  • Chinesische Farbendrucke der Gegenwart, Basel: Holbein, 1944 (English ed.: Chinese Color Prints of Today, Basel: Holbein, 1946, Eudo C. Mason, tr.)
  • Schatzkammer der Schreibkunst (Treasury of Calligraphy), Basel: Birkhäuser, 1945
  • 1946-8: An Illustrated History of Writing and Lettering (originally Geschichte der Schrift in Bildern of 1940
  • E.C. Mason, tr.), London: Zwemmer, 1946 (new ed.: Hamburg: Hauswedell, 1962)
  • ‘Spanish calligraphic models of the 16th century’, Graphis 13, 1946, pp. 79-86
  • ‘Alfred Fairbank. An English calligrapher and writing master’, Graphis 16, 1946, pp. 462-7, 525 (English, German, French)
  • Schriftkunde, Schreibübungen und Skizzieren, Basel: Benno Schwabe, 1946
  • ‘Einzüge’, SGM 2, 1946
  • ‘Die Massverhältnisse der Buchseite, des Schriftfeldes und der Ränder’, SGM, Aug. 1946, pp. 294-305
  • Chinesisches Gedichtpapier vom Meister der Zehnbambushalle, Basel: Holbein, 1947
  • ‘On mass-producing the classics’ (tr. R. McLean), Signature, March 1947, pp. 27-32
  • ‘Über die Herstellung von Klasikern in grossen Auflagen’, SGM, June 1947, pp. 226-8
  • ‘Wirken sich gesellschaftliche und politische Umstände in der Typographie aus?’, SGM, June 1948, pp. 247-9
  • Handschriften des spätern Mittelalters und der Renaissance, Basel, 1948 (3rd ed.)
  • Letterkennis, Mijdrecht, 1948
  • 1949-50: Was jedermann vom Buchdruck wissen sollte, Basel: Birkhäuser, 1949
  • ‘Ton in des Töpfers Hand’, SGM, Feb. 1949, pp. 78-9
  • JT’s business card, SGM, April 1949, p. 157
  • ‘Clay in the Potter’s Hand…’, Penrose Annual, 1949, pp. 21-2 (see also 1968, and Marginalien, 2002/3)
  • ‘Einige Arbeiten aus der Praxis’ (supplement
  • recent work), SGM, Aug. 1949, pp. 340-48
  • ‘Bildreproduktionen im Buch und an der Wand’, SGM, Sept. 1949, pp. 378-9
  • Brief paragraph how he became Honorary Member of Double Crown Club, London, SGM, Jan. 1950, p. 37
  • ‘Das Buchmuseum im Hause’ (How he keeps his type specimens at home), SGM, March 1950, pp. 105-6 (brief Eng. summary, p. 88)
  • ‘Meine Reform der Penguin Books’, SGM, June 1950, pp. 264-70 (English summary p. 260)
  • ‘Kann Typographie von der bildenden Kunst oder von gesellschaftlichen Umständen beeinflusst werden?’ (The influence of fine art and politics on typography?), SGM, Aug. 1950, pp. 347-8
  • ‘Wie Probeseiten aussehen sollen’ (The preparation of specimen pages), SGM, Oct. 1950, p. 442 (English summary p. 426)
  • ‘Warum Absatzanfänge eingezogen werden sollte’ (Why paragraphs should be indented), SGM, Nov. 1950, pp. 483-5 (English summary p. 461)
  • 1951-2: Schriftkunde, Berlin: Ullstein, 1951
  • Papiergötter aus Peking, Basel: Basler Druck- und Verlagsanstalt, 1951 (privately printed)
  • Designing Books, New York: Wittenborn, Schultz, 1951, and Copenhagen: Forening for Boghaandvaerk, 1951
  • ‘Studie über die “beste” Satzbreite’, SGM, Feb. 1951, pp. 73-6
  • ‘Weisses oder getöntes Werkdruckpapier?’ (White or toned book papers?), SGM, March 1951, pp. 101-2 (brief Eng. summary p. 99)
  • ‘Über Kalligraphie, Typographie, Ausschluss und Sperren’, SGM, April 1951, pp. 153-5 (About Calligraphy, Typography and Letterspacing, Southampton: Southern College of Art, 1951)
  • ‘Typographie einer Liebhaberausgabe von sehr kleinen Format’, SGM, June 1951, pp. 231-4
  • ‘Im dienste des buches’ (In the service of [Penguin] books), SGM, June 1951, pp. 243-6 (adv. for JT’s forthcoming book of this name
  • publ.: SGM-Bücherei)
  • ‘Printing in China’ (part 1), Printing Review, Autumn 1951, pp. 17-20
  • ‘“Hurenkinder” und Anfangszeilen am Fuss von Buchseiten’, SGM, Nov. 1951, p. 453
  • Typographie einer Liebhaberausgabe von sehr kleinem Format, St Gallen: Schweiz. Graph. Mitt., 1951
  • Im dienste des buches, St Gallen: SGM-Bücherei, 1951 (includes ‘Buchherstellung als kunst’, repr. in Richard von Sichowsky and Hermann Tiemann (eds.), Typographie und Bibliophilie, Hamburg: Maximilian-Gesellschaft, 1971, pp. 212-20)
  • ‘Printing in China’ (part 2), Printing Review, Winter 1951-2, pp. 22-5
  • Meisterbuch der Schrift (Treasury of alphabets and lettering), Ravensburg: Maier, 1952, 1965 (see also 1966, 1992)
  • ‘Über Typographie’, TM/SGM, Jan. 1952, pp. 21-3
  • ‘Alte Fehler, aufgewärmt’, TM/SGM, Oct. 1952, pp. 479-80
  • ‘Gerader Rücken, Kastenband?’, TM/SGM, Oct. 1952, p. 482
  • 1953-5: ‘Wie der chinesische Holzschnittdrucker die Farben einpasst’, Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel, 14 July 1953, pp. 341-2 (also in Form und Technik, Aug. 1953, pp. 301-2)
  • Chinese Colour Printing of the present day, London and New York, 1953
  • ‘Color Registering in Chinese Woodblock Prints’, Printing & Graphic Arts, Feb. 1954, pp. 1-4
  • Formenwandlungen der &-Zeichen (Changing forms of the &-sign [ampersand]), Frankfurt a.M.: Stempel, 1954 (see also 1957, 1983)
  • ‘Ordentliche Bücher und Zeitschriften mit eckigem Rücken…’, TM/SGM, Feb. 1954, p. 126
  • Ts’ai Lun, der Erfinder des Papiers, Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel, 1954, no. 76
  • ‘Neues über die Technik des chinesischen Farbendruckes’, Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel, 1954, no. 102
  • ‘Die Proportionen des Buches’, Der Druckspiegel, Jan.-March 1955, pp. 8-18, 87-96, 145-50
  • ‘Von der Schreibbinse zur Goldfüllfeder’ (pens and nibs), Form und Technik, 1955, pp. 258-60
  • 1956-7: ‘Die Herstellung eines mehrfarbigen Holztafeldruckes in China’, TM/SGM, April 1956, pp. 233-4
  • ‘Gedruckte und handgemachte Wünsche in Deutscher Sprache aus alter Zeit’, Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel, 1956, no. 32
  • ‘Schrift als Kunst’, Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel, 1956, no. 48
  • ‘Die Proportionen des Buches’, Der Druckspiegel, 10, v. 1-3, 1956
  • ‘Gedruckte und handgemachte Wünsche aus alter Zeit’, Der Druckspiegel, Nov. 1956
  • ‘Gedankenstriche’ (dash/em rule), TM/SGM, Dec. 1956, p. 703
  • ‘Ordentliche Bücher und Zeitschriften mit eckigem Rücken müssen einen Rückentitel tragen’ (about spine titles), Der Druckspiegel, Jan. 1957, p. 22
  • ‘Bildreproduktionen im Buch und an der Wand’, Der Druckspiegel, Feb. 1957, pp. 61-3
  • ‘Alte Fehler, aufgewärmt’, Der Druckspiegel, May 1957, pp. 261-2
  • ‘Eine Satzart von Abbildungslegenden’ (composing captions), Der Druckspiegel, June 1957, p. 312
  • ‘Auslassungspunkte’ (ellipsis), TM/SGM, Oct. 1957, p. 614
  • ‘Die Namen der Schriftgrade’ (names for type sizes), TM/SGM, Nov. 1957, p. 696
  • The Ampersand – its origin and development (Frederick Plaat, tr.), London: Woudhuysen, 1957 (Formenwandlungen der Et-Zeichen, originally 1953)
  • Schönste, liebe mich (German love poetry, Baroque to Rococo), Heidelberg: Schneider, 1957
  • 1958-9: ‘Geschichte des chinesischen Brief- und Gedichtpapiers’, Philobiblon, Feb. 1958, pp. 31-56
  • ‘Fingerabdruck und Stempel, chinesische Ahnen des Hochdrucks’, Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel, 1958, no. 38 (see also 1959)
  • ‘Das traditionelle Titelblatt, typographisch’, Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel, 21 Oct. 1958, no. 84, pp. 1378-82
  • ‘Zur Typographie der Gegenwart’, Der Druckspiegel, no. 11, 1958
  • ‘Die Herstellung eines mehrfarbigen Holztafeldruckes in Japan’, Form und Technik, March 1959, pp. 115-17 (also in Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel, 1959, no. 10)
  • ‘Die Herstellung eines mehrfarbigen Holztafeldruckes in Japan’, TM/SGM, Oct. 1959, pp. 493-5
  • ‘Fingerabdruck und Stempel, chinesische Ahnen des Hochdrucks’, TM/SGM, Nov. 1959, pp. 557-8
  • Der chinesische und der japanische mehrfarbige Holztafeldruck technisch, Basel, 1959 (privately printed)
  • 1960-61: Shaping Typography, Toronto: Cooper & Beatty, 1960
  • Erfreuliche Drucksachen durch gute Typographie, Ravensburg: Maier, 1960
  • ‘Chinesische Steinabreibungen’, Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel, 1960, no. 61 (also in Form und Technik, Dec. 1960, pp. 557-8)
  • ‘Über Spitzenbildchen des achtzehnten Jahrhunderts’, Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel, 1960, no. 98
  • Zur Typographie der Gegenwart, Bern: Monotype, 1960 (privately printed)
  • Contemporary Typography, Pittsburgh: The New Laboratory Press, 1961
  • La plus ancienne gravure sur bois, 868 après J.C. (commentary on the wood engraving in a copy of the Pajñāpāramitā in the British Library), Basel, 1961
  • Ein frühes Wunderwerk der Stahlgravur (1832), Aachen: Aug. Heinrigs, c. 1961
  • 1962-3: Willkürfreie Massverhältnisse der Buchseite und des Satzspiegels, Basel: Bucherer, Kurrus, 1962
  • ‘Chinesische Steinabreibungen’, TM/SGM, March 1963, pp. 194-5
  • ‘Non-arbitrary proportions of page and type area’, Print in Britain, Aug. 1963 (supplement, pp. 2-8)
  • ‘Kapitalband, Schnittfarbe, Vorsatzpapier, Lesebändchen’, Der Druckspiegel, Nov. 1963, pp. 700-702
  • translator of T.J. Cobden Sanderson, Das Ideale Buch oder Schöne Buch, Basel: Bucherer, Kurrus, 1963
  • Der Goldene Schnitt, Basel/Lausanne:Bucherer, Kurrus, c. 1963
  • 1964-5: ‘Willkürfreie Massverhältnisse der Buchseite und das Satzspiegels’, TM/SGM, Feb. 1964, pp. 92-7 (in French: TM/SGM, April 1964, pp. 297-303)
  • ‘Die Unesco-Ausstellung “Die Kunst der Schrift”’ (critique of the travelling exhibition which opened in Baden-Baden, Jan. 1964), TM/SGM, March 1964, pp. 201-2
  • ‘Kursiv, Kapitälchen und Anführungszeichen im Textsatz des Buches und in wissenschaftlichen Zeitschriften’, Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel 20, 1964, pp. 1213-18
  • ‘Quousque Tandem…’ (why his approach to typography changed), Print, Jan./Feb. 1964 (Typography – USA’ seminar)
  • ‘Der chinesische und der japanische mehrfarbige Holztafeldruck, technisch’, Polygraph Jahrbuch, 1965, pp. 286-95
  • ‘Kursiv, Kapitälchen und Anführungszeichen in Textsatz des Buches und in wissenschaftlichen Zeitschriften’, TM/SGM, Aug./Sept 1965, pp. 578-81
  • ‘Über Buchformate und ihre Proportionen’, Typografie (Leipzig), Sept. 1965
  • ‘Non-arbitrary proportions of page and type area’, contribution in A.S. Osley (ed.), Calligraphy and Palaeography, London: Faber & Faber, 1965, pp. 179-91
  • The oldest printed poster made for an established tradesman: Paris, circa 1560 (Pierre Bandeau), Basel/Zurich: Clichés Schwitter, 1965
  • 1966-9: John Seddon: The Penman’s Paradise, Stuttgart: Cantz, 1966
  • Treasury of Alphabets and Lettering (Meisterbuch der Schrift, 1952), New York: Reinhold, 1966
  • Asymmetric Typography (Typographische Gestaltung, 1935), (tr. R. McLean), Toronto: Cooper & Beatty, 1967
  • Leben und Bedeutung des Schriftschneiders Jakob Sabon, Frankfurt a.M.: Stempel, 1967 (also published in Philobiblon, Nov. 1967, pp. 291-302)
  • in conversation with Horst Erich Wolter, ‘Typografie im Gespräch’, Typografie, 1966, 10
  • Asymmetric Typography, London: Faber, 1967 (originally: Typographische Gestaltung, Basel, 1935)
  • ‘Clay in the Potter’s Hand’ (broadside) in Frederick B. Adams, Jr. and others, Homage to the Book, New York: Westvaco, 1968
  • comments on the subject ‘Gutenbergs Werk und die Wissenschaftlich-technische Revolution’ (with other designers), Papier und Druck, 1968, 1
  • ‘Vorzüge und Mängel alterer und heutiger Typographie’, Marginalien, 1969, v. 31, pp. 1-14
  • 1970-71: Eine noch erhaltene gotische Holztype aus Christoph Plantins Offizin, Antwerpen, um 1570, Basel/Lausanne: Bucherer, Kurrus, ?1970 (privately printed)
  • Die Bildersammlung der Zehnbambushalle, Zurich/Stuttgart: Rentsch, 1970 (English ed., London: Lund Humphries, 1970)
  • ‘Vorzüge und Mängel älterer und heutiger Typographie’, Der Druckspiegel, Feb. 1970
  • Von dem Möglichkeiten und den Notwendigkeiten künftiger Buchgestaltung (JT as participant in a symposium with Henri Friedlaender and others), Sichowsky/Christians, Hamburg, 1970
  • introduction in Werke und Aufsätze von El Lissitzky (1890-1940), Berlin: Gerhardt, 1971, 1988
  • Vorzüge und Mängel älterer und heutiger Typographie, Cologne/Berlin: Heymanns, 1971
  • ‘Flöhe ins Ohr’, TM/SGM, 1971, Oct., pp. 677-80
  • ‘New typography’, Circle (International Survey of Constructive Art), London: Faber & Faber, 1971, pp. 249-55 (originally 1937)
  • 1972-5: Chinese Colour Prints from the Ten Bamboo Studio, London and New York, 1972
  • ‘Eine schöne Handschrift aus der Glanzzeit der böhmischen Buchkunst’, TM/SGM, April 1972, pp. 320-21
  • ‘Fourniers Geschäftskarte, 1752’, TM/SGM, April 1972, p. 322
  • ‘Illustration und Typographie’ (introduction), Die Buchillustration in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz seit 1945, III, (Wolfgang Tiessen, ed.), Neu-Isenburg: Verlag der Buchhandlung Wolfgang Tiessen, 1972, pp. 1-9
  • ‘Die Druchtechnik des japanischen Farbenholzschnittes ist nicht chinesischen Ursprungs’, Aus dem Antiquariat, 1972, pp. A145-8
  • ‘Die Druchtechnik des japanischen Farbenholzschnittes ist nicht chinesischen Ursprungs’, Graphische Kunst, 2/1973-4, pp. 59-61
  • ‘Ein wahrer Erstdruck eines mehrfarbigen Holztafeldruckes aus der Bildersammlung der Zehnbambushalle, Nanking, 1627’, Graphische Kunst, v. 3, 1973/74, pp. 97-8
  • ‘Typographie ist eine Kunst für sich’, TM/SGM, April 1973, pp. 281-4
  • ‘Das alphabet des Damianus Moyllus, Parma um 1483’, TM/SGM, Feb. 1974, pp. 110-13
  • Ausgewählte Aufsätze über Fragen der Gestalt des Buches und der Typographie, Basel/Stuttgart: Birkhäuser, 1975 (see also The Form of the Book…, 1991)
  • Das Schreibbuch des Vespasiano Amphiare Vinegia MDLIIII, (ed.), Stuttgart-Bad Canstatt: Cantz’sche Druckerei, 1975
  • 1976-86: Leben und Bedeutung des Schriftschneiders Jakob Sabon, Frankfurt a.M.: Stempel, 1976
  • ‘Meister und Mittler’, GKS, 1976, pp. 114-20
  • note on Ruari McLean, Jan Tschichold: Typographer, in Graphis 183, 1976, p. 92
  • ‘Zwei Vorworte zu Faksimile-Ausgaben von Schreibbüchern’ (short texts on Vespasiano Amphiareo and Pierre le Bé), Philobiblon, April 1977, pp. 49-52
  • Leben und Werk des Typographen Jan Tschichold, Dresden: Verlag der Kunst, 1977, intro. by Werner Klemke
  • Vespasiano Amphiareo’s Writing Book, Vinegia 1554 (ed.), Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt: Cantz’sche, 1978 (repr.?)
  • A book of letter forms by Pierre le Bé, Paris 1601 (ed.), Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt: Cantz’sche, 1978
  • Formwandlungen der Et-Zeichen, Dresden: Verlag der Kunst, 1983 (originally 1953)
  • 1987: Die Neue Typographie, Berlin: Brinkmann & Bose, 1987 (facsimile of the 1928 edition with additional booklet containing the following items: Werner Doede, ‘Jan Tschichold’, pp. 5-17
  • Jan Tschichold, ‘Glaube und Wirklichkeit’, pp. 18-32
  • Gerd Fleischmann, ‘“Können Sie sich einen Flieger mit Vollbart vorstellen?”’, pp. 33-45 (see also 1995)
  • 1988-present: Robert Bringhurst, ed., The Form of the Book: Essays on the morality of good design (23 essays 1937-75), (tr. Hajo Hadeler), Pt. Roberts, Washington, and Vancouver, B.C.: Hartley & Marks, and London: Lund Humphries, 1991 (originally Ausgewählte Aufsätze …, Basel, Birkhäuser, 1975)
  • How to Draw Layouts (Typografische Entwurfstechnik, 1932), (R. McLean, tr.), Napier University, Edinburgh: Merchiston Publishing, 1991
  • Schriften 1925-74, Berlin: Brinkmann & Bose, 1991/2 (2 vols.)
  • Treasury of Alphabets and Lettering (Wolf von Eckardt, tr.), New York: Design Press, 1992 (see also 1952)
  • The Art of Typography, Zurich: Die Handpresse, 1993
  • Willkürfreie Massverhältnisse der Buchseite und des Satzspiegels, Basel: Basler Papiermünte
  • The New Typography (Die neue Typographie, 1928), (R. McLean, tr.), Berlin: Brinkmann & Bose, and Berkeley/Los Angeles/London: University of CA, 1995 (includes R. McLean, ‘Translator’s Foreword’, and Robin Kinross, ‘Introduction to the English-language edition’) (p/b, 1998)
  • ‘Bonne et mauvaise typographie’ (1946), TM/SGM, 1997, 2/3, Sommaire pp. 1-5
  • ‘Ton in des Töpfers Hand’ (written end of 1948), 8-p. supplement in Marginalien, 2002/3, between pp. 16/17
  • introduction in Werke und Aufsätze von El Lissitzky (1890-1940), Berlin: Gerhardt, 1971, 1988
  • ‘The new typography’ (1928) in Helen Armstrong, ed., Graphic Design Theory, Princeton Architectural Press, New York, NY, 2009, pp. 35-9.

Writings about

  • A particularly fine reference of JT’s life and work (especially up to about 1945): Christopher Burke, Active literature / Jan Tschichold and New Typography, London: Hyphen Press, 2007. The Foreword is an excellent summation of recently printed works by Tschichold.
  • 1922-30: AfB, Jan./Feb. 1922, p. 22 (card)
  • AfB, July/Aug. 1922, p. 174 (poster/ad for Leipziger Messe)
  • AfB, Sept./Oct. 1922 (written pages in supplement)
  • Julius Zeitler, ‘Über Künstlersignete’, Die Reklame, Feb. 1925, pp141-3, 145
  • Hans Thaddäus Hoyer, ‘Schrift und Gebrauchsgraphik’, Gg, (2nd year: 1926?), Heft 1, pp. 38-41
  • H.K. Frenzel, ‘German posters of 1927’, Gg, 1928, v. 2, pp. 31-59
  • Heinrich Wieynck, ‘Die Wandlungen des Johannes’ (review of JT’s Die neue Typographie), Gg, 1928, v. 12, pp. 77-9
  • ‘Die neue Umschlag unserer Zeitschrift’, Die Form, 1928, v. 13, pp. 368-72
  • Heinrich Jost, ‘Zweifel’ (comments on new type designs: Bayer, Schwitters, Tschichold), Klimschs Jahrbuch, 1928, pp. 6-15
  • review of Die Neue Typographie, Deutscher Drucker, Aug. 1929, p. 842
  • R. Hausmann, ‘Visual reading the aim of future book typography’ (new designs for type), Gg, June 1930, pp. 50-55
  • Heinz and Bodo Rasch, Gefesselter Blick, Stuttgart: Zaugg, 1930, pp. 102-3 (repr. Baden, Switzerland: Müller, 1996)
  • 1931-40: review of JT’s Eine Stunde Druckgestaltung, in Gg, May 1931, p. 80
  • ‘Kleiner Typographiestreit’ (on JT’s article ‘Neuere Typografie in Frankreich’, Die Form, v. 10, 1931), AfB, April 1932, pp. 190, 192
  • AfB, Feb. 1933, p. 75 (note on typeface Saskia)
  • Emil Wetzig, review of JT’s Typographische Entwurfstechnik in AfB, Feb. 1933, pp. 79-80
  • ‘Höhere Graphische Fachschule der Stadt Berlin’ (appointment to teaching staff), AfB, Feb. 1933, p. 81
  • review of Typographische Gestaltung in Zeitschrift für Buchdruck…, Bern: Schweizerisches Gutenbergmuseum, 1936, p. 52
  • review of Typographische Gestaltung in Signature, July 1936, pp. 51-2
  • Frederick A. Horn, ‘Gutenberg on his metal’, Commercial Art and Industry, 1936, XX, pp. 72-3
  • review of Typographische Gestaltung, in Deutscher Drucker, Jan. 1937, p. 154
  • Bertram Evans, ‘Modern typography on the Continent’ (Cantor Lectures), London: Royal Society of Arts, delivered 23 May 1938
  • 1941-50: note on JT’s Typographische Gestaltung and Schriftkunde…, in Graphis 1/2, 1944, pp. 106-7
  • Fritz Adolf Hünich, ‘Fünfzig Jahre Insel-Verlag’, [???]
  • review of JT - Chinese Books [title?] in American Oriental Society, v. 66, no. 2, April-June 1946, pp. 188-90
  • announcement of JT’s move to Penguin Books, Graphis 16, 1946, p. 526
  • Alfred Fairbank, review of JT’s Schatzkammer der Schreibkunst, in Signature, Nov. 1946, pp. 48-9
  • G.V., note on JT’s Schatzkammer der Schreibkunst, in Graphis 13, 1946, p. 124
  • Basil Gray, review of Chinesisches Gadichtpapier vom Meister der Zehnbambushalle, in Signature, March 1947, pp. 52-3
  • note on JT’s Chinesisches Gedichtpapier…, in Graphis 18, 1947, p. 161
  • Penguins Progress 5 (1947) includes ‘Design for Penguins’ (Penguin welcome to JT), p. 6, and Oliver Simon, ‘Mass production and the art of the book’ (JT’s involvement), pp. 18-20
  • ‘Jan Tschichold’ (appointed book-production manager of Penguin Books), Art and Industry, 1948, v. 44, p. 156
  • ‘Brave Words’ (on the introduction of Penguin Composition Rules), Alphabet and Image 7, May 1948, pp. 70, 72
  • note on Penguin Books, SGM, May 1949, p. 230
  • New Year’s card, SGM, Jan.1950, p. 22
  • New Year’s card, SGM, Dec. 1950, p. 536
  • 1951-55: Eberhard Hölscher, comment on Schriftkunde, Schreibübungen und Skizzieren, in Gg, June 1952, p. 61
  • Desmond Flower, review of Designing Books, Signature 15, 1952, pp. 55-6
  • E. Hölscher, comments on Meisterbuch der Schrift, in Gg, Dec. 1952, pp. 58-9
  • Max Caflisch, review of Meisterbuch der Schrift, in TM/SGM, June/July 1953, pp. 281-8
  • Berthold Wolpe, review of Meisterbuch der Schrift, Signature 18, 1953, pp. 62-3review of Meiserbuch der Schrift, in Printing & Graphic Arts, Feb. 1954, p. 15
  • Bertold Hack, ‘Funf Bücher über Schrift’ (review of Meisterbuch der Schrift), Imprimatur, 1954/55, pp. 173-80
  • ‘Jan Tschichold geht nicht nach München’, Druck und Papier, June 1955, p. 93
  • ‘Reinholdt’, review of JT’s Formenwandlung des &-Zeichens, in Form und Technik, 1955, p. 212
  • G.K. Schauer, ‘Jan Tschichold. Versuch einer Zwischenbilanz’ (appraisal), Der Druckspiegel, 1955, 10, pp. 1-7
  • 1956-60: Erik Ellegaard Frederiksen, The Typography of Penguin Books, 1956, see Penguin Collectors’ Society, 2004
  • Mildred Constantine, The Typography of Jan Tschichold (Modern Graphic Design series), Louisville, KY: J.W. Ford Co., 1957
  • note on The Penguin Story, in Gg, June 1957, pp. 63-4
  • Hans Schmoller, ‘Production and progress of Penguin Books’, Printing World, 6 May 1959, pp. 553, 555
  • Karl Gerstner, ‘Integrale Typographie’, Typographische Monatsblätter, June/July 1959, esp. pp. 340, 341 (Schwitter’s Ursonate)
  • note about the JT exhibition in Cincinnati, March 1960, and brief biography, in TM/SGM, Jan. 1960, p. 3
  • 1961-5: M. Caflisch (tr. Colin Bloy), ‘Jan Tschichold’, Book Design and Production, v. 5, no. 2, 1962, pp. 110-12, 113
  • note on JT’s Geschichte der Schrift in Bildern, in AfDuP, 1962, p. 38
  • note on JT’s Geschichte der Schrift in Bildern, in Gg, Feb. 1962, p. 64
  • Max Caflisch, ‘Jan Tschichold zum 60. Geburtstag’, TM/SGM, March 1962, pp. 166-8
  • ‘Jan Tschichold sechzig Jahre alt’, Form und Technik, 1962, 6, p. 403
  • GKS, 1963, pp. 30, 241-5
  • Kurt Weidemann, ‘Jan Tschichold – bevor er vom Saulus zum Paulus wurde’, Der Druckspiegel, May 1963, pp. 217-27
  • K. Weidemann, ‘Jan Tschichold’, Print in Britain, Aug. 1963, pp. 24-9
  • K. Weidemann, ‘Schriftkunst – Schriftguss – Schriftsatz’, Der Druckspiegel, Jan. 1964, pp. 1-8 (part 2: Feb. 1964, pp. 81-90
  • part 3: March 1964, pp. 173-8)
  • ‘Zwei Klassische Filmplakate’, Graphik, 1964, 5, p. 22
  • ‘Jan Tschichold ausgezeichnet’ (JT elected Hon.RDI), Form und Technik, 1965, 7, p. 435
  • 1966-70: Paul Standard, ‘Jan Tschichold’ (adaptation of a lecture at Gallery 303, New York, 7 Dec. 1966), Monotype Newsletter, May 1967, pp. 11-14
  • ‘Sabon-Antiqua’, Form und Technik, 1967, p. 417
  • ‘Die “Sabon-Antiqua”, ein Novum in der Geschichte der Druckschrift’, Form und Technik, 1967, p. 589
  • John Dreyfus, ‘Sabon: the first “harmonized” type’, Penrose Annual, 1968, pp. 63-76 (repr. in JD’s Into Print, London: British Library, 1994, pp. 190-97)
  • H. Schaefer and H.-M. Plesske, Die Gutenberg-Preisträger der Stadt Leipzig, Leipzig: Deutsche Bücherei, 1968, pp. 38-9
  • ‘Sabon-Antiqua’, Form und Technik, 1969, p. 52
  • Herbert Spencer, Pioneers of modern typography, London: Lund Humphries, 1982, pp. 150-58
  • Ruari McLean, ‘Jan Tschichold’, Penrose Annual, 1970, pp. 88-105
  • 1971-5: Richard von Sichowsky and Hermann Tiemann (eds.), Typographie und Bibliophilie, Hamburg: Maximilian-Gesellschaft, 1971, pp. 268-9
  • review of Die Bildersammlung der Zehnbambushalle, TM/SGM, Dec. 1971, pp. 910-11
  • ‘Jan Tschichold siebzig Jahre’, Form und Technik, 1972, p. 215
  • note on JT’s 70th birthday, Aus dem Antiquariat, no. 4, 1972, p. A170
  • Hans Peter Willberg, ‘Dieser Mann macht uns zu schaffen’ (JT’s 70th birthday), Der Druckspiegel, March, 1972
  • Bertold Hack, ‘Grandseigneurs der Buchkunst’, Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel, 30 March 1972
  • G.K. Schauer, ‘Meister und Mittler’ (on JT’s 70th birthday), Philobiblon, June 1972, pp. 79-91 (repr. in GKS, Von den Herbergen des Geistes, Krefeld: Scherpe, 1976)
  • Sebastian Carter, First principles of typography in the nineteen-seventies (includes JT’s Asymmetric Typography [Typographische Gestaltung], R. McLean, tr.), London: Bowater United Kingdom Paper Co., 1973
  • note on JT’s Die Bildersammlung der Zehnbambushalle, in Graphis 167, 1973, p. 294
  • Erich Pfeiffer-Belli, ‘Jan Tschichold gestorben’, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Aug. 1974 (obituary)
  • Georg Ramseger, National-Zeitung Basel, 19 August 1974 (obituary)
  • G. Ramseger, St Galler Tagblatt, 22 August 1974 (obituary)
  • Werner Doede, ‘Jan Tschichold zum Gedächtnis’, Philobiblon, Sept. 1974, pp. 163-5
  • obituary, TM/SGM, Oct. 1974, pp. 671-4
  • obituary, Graphis 173, 1974, pp. 262, 265
  • R. McLean, Jan Tschichold: Typographer, London: Lund Humphries, and Boston: David R. Godine, 1975 (includes essays and a list of books and articles by Tschichold (see also McLean, 1997)
  • R. McLean, ‘Book design’s debt to Tschichold’ (obituary), Penrose Annual, 1975, pp. 181-4
  • R. McLean, ‘Jan Tschichold – Typographer’, British Printer, June 1975, pp. 45-7
  • exh. cat., London: St Bride Printing Library, 1975
  • Karl J. Steinorth, ‘“Film und Foto”, Stuttgart 1929’, novum, Oct. 1975, pp. 30-36, 41-5
  • 1976-80: Philipp Luidl (ed.
  • includes Edith Tschichold, Hans Schmoller and others), Johannes Tzschichhold[,] Iwan Tschichold[,] Jan Tschichold, Munich: Typographische Gesellschaft, 1976
  • Jan Tschichold, Typograph und Schriftentwerfer, 1902-74, Das Lebenswerk (exh. cat.), Zurich: Kunstgewerbemuseum, 1976
  • G. Ramseger, ‘Meister der Typographie’, National-Zeitung Basel, 16 Oct. 1976
  • G. Ramseger, ‘Das Unvergängliche bleibt ein Ereignis – Zur Jan Tschichold-Ausstellung in Zurich’, Aus dem Antiquariat, no. 11, 1976, pp. A387-91
  • G. Ramseger, ‘Zum Thema Jan Tschichold’, Aus dem Antiquariat, no. 1, 1977, p. 30
  • Werner Klemke (introduction), Leben und Werk des Typographen Jan Tschichold, Dresden: VEB Verlag der Kunst, 1977 (see also 1988)
  • Jan Tschichold: Schrift, Plakat, Buchkunst (exh. cat.), Berlin: Akademie der Künste der DDR, 1977
  • Wolfgang Jean Stock, ‘Praeceptor typographiae’, Graphik, 1977, 3, pp. 44-5
  • Jost Hochuli, review of Leben und Werk des Typographen, in TM/SGM, Jan. 1978, pp. 34-5
  • G.W. Ovink, ‘Jan Tschichold 1902-74: ‘Versuch zu einer Bilanz seines Schaffens’, Quaerendo, Summer 1978, pp. 187-220
  • GKS, 1978
  • Jan Tschichold Buchkunst Schriftkunst Typographie Plakat (exh. leaflet), Mainz: Gutenberg Museum, 1978
  • G.K. Schauer, ‘Jan Tschichold. Anmerkungen zu einer tragischen Existenz’, Aus dem Antiquariat, 1978, 11, pp. A421-3
  • Kurt Weidemann, ‘Jan Tschichold. Anmerkungen zu einer tragischen Existenz’ (comments on G.K. Schauer’s 1978 article), Aus dem Antiquariat, 1979, 3, pp. A14-15
  • G.K. Schauer, ‘Wer war Jan Tschichold’, Aus dem Antiquariat, 1979, 5, pp. A189-90
  • review of Meisterbuch der Schrift, TM/SGM, Nov./Dec 1979, p. 347
  • Philipp Luidl, ‘Type in book design’, novum, Dec. 1980, pp. 44-7
  • Herbert Lechner, ‘Von der Steglitzer Werkstatt zum Kathodenstrahl’, Graphik, 1980, 5, pp. 39-45
  • 1981-5: R. McLean, ‘The Penguins planned by Tschichold’, Antiquarian Book Monthly Review, Aug. 1981, pp. 292-3, 295
  • Jan Tschichold, typographer and type designer 1902-74 (exh. cat.), Edinburgh: National Library of Scotland, 1982
  • TM/SGM, 1982, pp. 13, 15 (posters)
  • IBD, 1983
  • Lissitzky, Schwitters, Tschichold, Werkman, Zwart (sale cat.), New York: Ex Libris, 1985
  • 1986-90: KimE, 1986
  • G. Ramseger, ‘Iwan Tschichold: Der wilde Kerl des Jahres 1925’, Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel, 8, 1987
  • SC, 1987
  • review of Die Neue Typographie, TM/SGM, 1988, 5, p. 29
  • Leben und Werk des Typographen Jan Tschichold, Munich/New York: Saur, 1988 (originally 1977)
  • Walter Tracy, The typographic scene, London: Gordon Fraser, 1988, pp. 52-7
  • ‘Typographic communications today’, Upper & lower case, 1, 1989
  • Charles Antin, ‘Jan Tschichold and Chinese Woodblock Printing’, Matrix 9, Winter 1989, pp. 172-9 (bibliography includes details of the 6 books that JT wrote of Chinese prints, 1948-72)
  • Dietrich Helms and others, Typographie kann unter Umständen Kunst sein, Kurt Schwitters Typographie und Werbegestaltung (exh. cat.
  • on cover: Kurt Schwitters, Typographie und Werbegestaltung), Wiesbaden: Landesmuseum, 1990, esp. pp. 260-61
  • Volker Rattemeyer, Dietrich Helms and others, Ring ‘neue werbegestalter’. Amsterdamer Ausstellung von 1931 (additional on title page: ‘“Typographie kann unter Umständen Kunst sein”’) (exh. cat.), Wiesbaden: Museum Wiesbaden, 1990
  • Paul Rainford, ‘Penguin Paperbacks’, Design, Nov. 1990, p. 107
  • 1991-5: Günter Bose and Erich Brinkmann, eds., Schriften, 1925-74. Jan Tschichold, Berlin: Brinkmann & Bose, c1991
  • Max Caflisch, Die Schriften von Renner, Tschichold und Trump, Munich: Typographische Gesellschaft, 1991
  • Alastair Johnston, reviews of The Form of the Book and Treasury of Alphabets and Lettering, Bookways, Oct. 1992, pp. 50-51
  • David Chambers, ‘The Form of the Book. Jan Tschichold on Typographic Design’ (review of The Form of the Book, 1991), Pinner: The Private Library, Autumn 1993
  • François Rappo, ‘Confrontation entre Max Bill et Jan Tschichold’, TM, 1, 1995, Sommaire pp. 1(-16: includes biography of MB, Bill’s ‘sur la typographie’, biography of JT, Tschichold’s ‘Foi et réalité’ (Glaube und Wirklichkeit), first published in TM/SGM, 1946, 6)
  • Roger Chatelain, ‘Comment Jan Tschichold voyait la “Nouvelle Typographie” en 1930’, TM, 1995, 3, Sommaire pp. 1-7 (reprint of JT’s article ‘Qu’est-ce que la Nouvelle Typographie et que veut-elle?’ which originally appeared in Arts et Métiers graphiques, 1930, no. 19, pp. 46-52)
  • Paul Barnes (ed.), Jan Tschichold, Reflections and reappraisals, New York: Typoscope, 1995 (contributions by Edith Tschichold, Max Caflisch, Gerd Fleischmann, Jerry Kelly, Paul Rand and others
  • the JT-Max Bill controversy, pp. 32-5, 47-51. The text of ‘An interview with Edith Tschichold’ appeared originally in Die Zwanziger Jahre des Deutschen Werkbunds, Darmstadt and Berlin: Deutscher Werkbund, 1982).
  • 1996-2000: Emily King, review of The New Typography, in Eye, Spring 1996, pp. 82-3
  • Ruari McLean, ‘The new typography’, The Penguin Collector, 47, Dec. 1996, pp. 20-23
  • R. McLean, Jan Tschichold: A Life in Typography, Princeton Architectural Press, and London: Lund Humphries, 1997 (pb)
  • R. McLean, ‘Jan Tschichold, an Afterword’, Matrix 17, Winter 1998, pp. 11-12 (with inset)
  • ²Hans Schmoller, Two Titans: Mardersteig & Tschichold, New York: The Typophiles, 1990
  • Meggs, 1998
  • Gerhard Schaub, Kurt Schwitters und die ‘andere’ Schweiz, Berlin: Fannei & Walz, 1998 (Kurt Schwitters’ letters to/from Swiss friends including Jan and Edith Tschichold)
  • R. McLean, True to Type, New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, and London: Werner Shaw, 2000
  • JA, 2000, esp. pp. 169-72
  • Hans Peter Willberg, ‘Schrift und Typographie im 20. Jahrhundert’, Gutenberg Jahrbuch, 2000, pp. 257-87
  • Friedrich Friedl, ‘Zwischen Tradition und Experiment’, Gutenberg Jahrbuch, 2000, pp. 288-301
  • 2001-2005: Carol Peaker, ‘The new Penguin typography’, The Penguin Modern Painters. A history, Penguin Collectors’ Society, 2001, pp. 86-8
  • Friedrich Friedl, ‘La trajecture de Jan Tschichold’, TM/RSI, 2001, 4, pp. 1-13 (written 1986)
  • Kirsten Schneider, ‘Jan Tschichold’s work for the Bücherkreis’ (1930-33), baseline, 37, 2002, pp. 5-12 (Karen LaMacchia, tr.)
  • Linotype Sabon Next, Linotype Library, Bad Homburg, 2002 (includes ‘Jan Tschichold & Sabon’ by Christopher Burke, and ‘On the shoulders of the Giants’ by Jean François Porchez, designer of Sabon Next)
  • brief note on centenary of birth, Illustration 63, Aug. 2002, p. 60
  • Axel Bertram, ‘Jan Tschichold – was bleibt’ (100th anniv. of JT’s birth), Marginalien, 2002/3, pp. 3-16
  • note of JT’s Leipzig exh., Marginalien, 2002/3, pp. 99-100
  • BiE, 2003, pp. 18, 22, 58, 59, 81, 88, and biog. pp. 204-6
  • Tim Graham (compiler), Penguins in Print. A Bibliography, Penguin Collectors’ Society, 2003
  • Erik Ellegaard Frederiksen, The Typography of Penguin Books, tr. K.B. Almlund, Penguin Collectors’ Society, 2004 (originally ‘Penguin-bøgerne og deres typografi’ in Bogvennen, Aarbog for bogkunst og boghistorie, Copenhagen: Nordisk Forlag, 1956, pp. 9-32)
  • RK, 2004
  • Jeremy Lewis, Penguin Special. The life and times of Allen Lane, London: Viking, 2005
  • Ruari McLean, ‘Early days at Penguin’, Matrix 25, 2005, pp. 141-5 (esp. 144)
  • Phil Baines, Penguin by Design, London: Allen Lane, 2005
  • Richard B. Doubleday, ‘bird in hand’ (JT at Penguin), Print (European Design Annual), May/June 2005, pp. 68-75
  • 2006-8: Richard Hollis, Swiss Graphic Design, London: King, 2006
  • J. Lewis, Penguin Special, London: Penguin, 2006 (p/b)
  • Martijn F.L. Coultre and Alison W. Purvis, Jan Tschichold: Posters of the Avantgarde, Basel: Birkhuser, 2006
  • Steve Hare, ‘Reading the Classics’, Creative Review, Nov. 2006, pp. 54-8
  • P. Baines (reviews of R.B. Doubleday, Jan Tschichold at Penguin Books), in Eye 62, Winter 2006, pp. 84-5, and The Penguin Collector, Dec. 2006, pp. 33-5
  • Paul Shaw, ‘endangered penguins’ (review of Doubleday), in Print, May/June 2007, pp. 168, 170
  • Christopher Burke, Active literature: Jan Tschichold and New Typography, London: Hyphen Press, 2007
  • Sebastian Carter, ‘Lower cased’ (review of C. Burke’s Active literature), Times Literary Supplement, 1 February 2008
  • Gareth Colgan (review of C. Burke’s Active literature), Forum (Journal of Letter Exchange, London), March 2008, p. 24
  • Eric Kindel, (review of C. Burke’s Active literature), baseline, May 2008
  • Gerald Cinamon (review of Doubleday’s Jan Tschichold at Penguin Books), Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Sept. 2008, pp. 394-6
  • Cees W. de Jong, Alston W Purvis and others, Jan Tschichold[:] Master Typographer: His Life, Work & Legacy, New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2008
  • Richard Hollis, ‘Jan Tschichold: a titan of typography‘, Guardian (London), 5 December 2008
  • M.F. Le Coultre, and others, Jan Tschichold, Meister der Typografie, Cologne, 2008 (includes CD-ROM).
  • 2009-present: Sebastian Carter, edited review of Christopher Burke, Active literature: Jan Tschichold and New Typography, in Parenthesis 16, February 2009, p. 61
  • Cinamon, review of C. Burke, Active literature: Jan Tschichold and New Typography, in Matrix 28, Summer 2009, pp. 170-71
  • Tanya Schmoller, ‘Tschichold Arrives at Victoria, 17.6.47’ (with additional note by Jerry Cinamon), Matrix 29 (Summer 2010), pp. 71-3.

Collections

  • Getty Research Center, Los Angeles, CA.
  • Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, Leipzig. Jan Tschichold’s ephemera collection was gifted by Philip Johnson to the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Exhibitions

  • Lund, Humphries, London, 1935
  • JT’s collection of Chinese woodcuts: Geffrye Museum, London (and other cities), 1950
  • Cincinnati Art Museum, 1960
  • St Bride Printing Library, London, 1975
  • Kunstgewerbemuseum, Zurich, 1976
  • Berlin, 1977
  • Gutenberg Museum, Mainz, 1978
  • National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1982
  • Landesmuseum, Wiesbaden, 1990 (ring ‘neue Werbegestalter’
  • then to Sprengel Museum, Hannover, Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich)
  • Basler Papiermühle, Basel, 2002
  • Hochschule für Technik, Wirtschaft und Kultur, Leipzig, 2002
  • Penguin exh., Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2005
  • St Bride Library, London, 2007.