Schriften-Verzeichnis
Hamburg: Adolf Selig, ca. 1930. First edition. Softcover. Octavo. Unpaginated, 106pp. Original light purple wraps with title vignette and black lettering on cover. Catalog of typefaces and book decorations containing some fifty different typefaces plus numbers, arithmetical signs as well as borders and decorative symbols. The typefaces, signs and decorations are presented in 388 examples in varying sizes, including two appendices.
The typefaces include modern (Steinschrift, Titania) as well as old German designs (Wagner Fraktur, Schwabacher, Gothic). Selig uses the same sentence in a number of variants to present the different typefaces: "Die moderne Buchkunst basiert auf denselben Kunstgesetzen, die sich die moderne deutsche Kunst zum Prinzip erkoren hat: sie will dekorativ wirken (Modern book art is based on the same laws of art, that were chosen by modern German art: it aims to be decorative). He includes a particular typeface that lends itself for printing and writing on wood. On one page, printed in regular typewriter font, he addresses his audience dierctly explaining that typewritten documents are paid more attention to than regular printing fonts.
No records of this Jewish publishing company's catalog in public libraries worldwide. Text in German. Light wear along edges of wraps, small chips and lightly rubbed. Very light foxing along edges with some age toning of title page. Wraps in overall good, interior in very good condition. g to vg. Item #43481
Adolf Selig (1864–1939) was the owner of a printing press in Hamburg, Alter Steinweg 61. His wife Rosalia and his daughter Hertha were deported to the concentration camp Thersienstadt.
Price: $575.00