Since it was first published in 1969, it has served as the standard guide to the impact of twentieth century avant-garde movements on graphic design and typography.

A revised edition of the standard guide to the avant-garde origins of modern graphic design and typography, illustrated with many iconic examples.

Since its first publication in 1969, Pioneers of Modern Typography has been the standard guide to the avant-garde origins of modern graphic design and typography. In this essential reference, Herbert Spencer shows how new concepts in graphic design in the early decades of the twentieth century had their roots in the artistic movements of the time in painting, poetry, and architecture. Spencer examines the "heroic" period of modern design and typography, the beginning of which he traces to the publication in Le Figaro of the Italian artist Manetti's Futurist manifesto. He discusses the work of such "pioneers" as El Lissitzky, Alexander Rodchenko, and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. He examines the artistic background of the new concepts in graphic design, and traces the influences of futurism, Dadaism, de Stijl, suprematism, constructivism, and the Bauhaus. His text is profusely illustrated with examples of the new typography, shown in genres that range from posters and magazine covers to Apollinaire's "figurative poetry."This revised edition, which follows the revised and redesigned edition of 1983, includes a foreword by design critic Rick Poyner that discusses the important contributions to the history of graphic design made by Herbert Spencer.

New design experiment - Bauhaus - Art Deco - Studio Boggeri - Hendrik Werkman - Pop subversion and alternatives - Late modern and postmodernism - Design in the digital era.

"Probably the most important work on typography and graphic design in the twentieth century."--Carl Zahn, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

In the early 1900s, good typefaces were scarce, books poorly crafted and tasteless, type design a dead end, formal handwriting disconnected from origins of broad-edged pens and brushes, tools that shaped Roman letterforms for 2000 years. But then, four modern pioneers of design and typography created new modern typefaces, fresh interest in letterforms, beginnings of modernism. This book traces the reach of design modernism within Europe, especially Switzerland, and eventually the United States.

"This book for the first time tells the fascinating story of German graphic design in all its detail, from the late monarchy to the 'Wirtschaftswunder' after World War II. The author explores the interrelationship between the groundbreaking early inventions of Germany's graphic design pioneers and the nation?s explosive politics, shedding light not only on the development of the profession but on its international influence."--