‘About Alphabets’

About Alphabets – Some Marginal Notes on type design by Hermann Zapf

The M.I.T. Press, Cambridge/Mass. And London, England

The humble size and unassuming cover of this book reflect the character of the author, Hermann Zapf, in that he is not one to shout about the work he has done, even though his accomplishments in the field of type design and calligraphy are unparalleled. The book is a simple autobiography of one of the greatest graphic and type designers of our time.

Written in the first person, the book is an interesting account of his early beginnings, and his development. Being trained in the old school of type design – when letters were drawn by hand and then manually cut out of metal blocks – he provides interesting insights and observations that would rarely occur to modern day typographers and graphic designers. For example, the kind of metal used to engrave out the letters was of prime importance, and it was a relief when lead was introduced, as it lent itself to re-soldering, and new bits and pieces could be fused into the original block of the letter if too much had been cut off.

Looking at the Art of Looking Sideways

‘What use is a book…without pictures or conversations?’ asked Alice.

The very first page of the book questions its own existence with this question. Every time you open it you experience a different part of it, and the experience is never the same. You can dip into this mighty book at any time for inspiration, recreation, learning or relaxation.

It’s a design book without being a design book, because it’s about everything except design. There are innumerable tidbits of information, covering history, science, the human body and the animal kingdom. There are also sayings from ancient philosophers and modernists, jokes, anecdotes and visual puns.

The book has successfully broken out of the structure of a typical ‘book’ both in its content and its visual presentation, without causing total anarchy. All these varied bits of knowledge are not compartmentalized into rigid sections, but rub shoulders with each other which make browsing through this volume an enriching experience.