Modern Typography: An Essay in Critical History

Book Description
Modern Typography, 2nd Edition is a completely updated and revised edition of Robin Kinross's classic survey of European and North American typography since 1700, first published in 1992. In addition to numerous new illustrations and revised text, Modern Typography has been re-scaled to a new, convenient pocket format. Kinross's overview breaks ground by focusing on the history of typography as an intricate web of social, technical, and material processes, rather than a parade of typeface styles. Eye magazine calls Modern Typography the book that tells "how modern typography got to be the way it is." Together, Kinross's clear, concise writing combined with his extensive knowledge of the history of typography create a gold standard for how design history ought to be written.


About the Author
Robin Kinross is Publisher of Hyphen Press and author of Unjustified Texts. He lives in London.


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In a survey of developments since 1700, this book proposes a new understanding of modern typography: as something larger and more deeply rooted than a modernism of style. Rather, 'modern' is taken to imply an articulate consciousness of action. The book's treatment lays stress on debates over principle and explanations of practice. But full weight is given to the social, technical and material bases of the activity; and the argument is illustrated by freshly made photographs of items not often reproduced before. Sources of information are discussed and extensively listed. The book thus contributes on several levels: as a brisk narrative of historical development, as a springboard for further investigation, as a delineation of modern typography. Published first in 1992, Modern typography is now issued in a revised and updated second edition.


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