The Sources of Jan Tschichold’s The New Typography

“The Sources of Jan Tschichold’s The New Typography” aimed primarily to reconstruct and contextualize the bibliographic sources cited by Jan Tschichold in his influential 1928 essay, Die neue Typographie, regarded as a cornerstone of modernist typography.

Although the work is widely recognized as a turning point in the history of graphic design, the sources that inspired it have largely remained unexplored, often due to their challenging identification. The project addressed this gap by identifying and collecting approximately 120 works—including books, journals, and ephemeral materials—from Tschichold’s personal library. These materials were analyzed to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and intellectual context in which the “New Typography” emerged.

The Sources of Jan Tschichold’s The New Typography offers a new perspective on Tschichold’s work, moving beyond the canonical view and revealing the complexity of the cultural and theoretical influences that shaped it. The project represents a significant contribution to the history of graphic design, promoting a deeper and more contextualized understanding of the “New Typography.”