Octavo 87.4, International Journal of Typography [Wolfgang Weingart: How Can One Make Swiss Typography]

Octavo 87.4, International Journal of Typography edited by Simon Johnston, Mark Holt, Michael Burke and Hamish Muir, 1987. Eight Five Zero Publishing (8vo), London, UK. 11.75 x 8.25, 16 pp. with English text. Printed in London.

Designed, published and self-financed in an edition of 3,000 copies as an eight issue series between 1986 and 1992. This fourth issue features Wolfgang Weingart’s seminal 1972 illustrated lecture manuscript ‘How Can One Make Swiss Typography?’

With a new Introduction by Weingart and text including: What is Swiss Typography?; Technical Work and Elementary Typography; The Syntactic Dimension in Typography; The Semantic Dimension in Typography; The Formation of Signs as a Syntactic Process; Pure Design – Typography as Painting; How Does Basle Differ from Other Schools?; and In Conclusion: What Should the Correct Typography Education Contain? Illustrated with (114) black and white images.

Distinct and influential, “Octavo arose from a genuine desire to develop a forum for matters related to typographic design, both historical and contemporary. And it was an opportunity to be openly critical of the complete absence of any European sensibility in British typography.” — 8vo: On the Outside, Lars Müller, 2005.

Nearly fine with light handling and foxing, mostly to the front white cover. In a very good vellum printed wrapper with some foxing along the folds and waviness throughout. Uncommon Weingart issue; highly recommended!