At the start of the twentieth century, a time when the rapid pace of technological innovation also brought a search for a suitably matching style, it was not only politics and society that underwent drastic change but also the lives and ideologies of individuals. Typography was no exception. It was in this context that the new typography movement was born―an effort to aim for an efficient typography suited for conveying dynamic information in the machine age. Jan Tschichold (1902–1974) advanced the theory and practice of this “New Typography” throughout the 1920s as the movement’s standard-bearer. Eventually he came to reject its tenets and to espouse instead the value of traditional typography.

Tschichold moved to England after the war and took on the enormous task of improving the typography and design of Penguin Books. The changes made under his direction raised the overall level of book design in England and showed the entire world how important typography was in books.

One of the giants of twentieth-century typography, Jan Tschichold not only left behind outstanding designs but also authored many books. Surveying the accomplishments of a man who had such enormous influence on his contemporaries is sure to offer great insights for those of us here in Tokyo during a time of change that, while different in character from the early twentieth century, is being reshaped at an unprecedented speed.