Penguin – The Beauty Of The Book
A few days ago a big news has come up in book publishing. Two major publishers, Penguin and Random House, are merging to form one of the biggest contemporary publishing houses. Besides the economical and market outcomes (they might control one fifth of the UK book market), the operation might have an implication even on design.
Penguin Books has made its name in timid history of design for its subversive book covers. Guided by the illuminated impresario Allen Lane, the founder of Penguin, the first book covers designed for Agatha Christie’s novels have immediately become a classic. Following the idea that “Good design is no more expensive than bad”, Mr. Lane has created not only a publishing empire, but even a design one.
While it all began with Mr. Lane, the person who gave unity to Penguin’s visual expression was Jan Tschichold, a Swiss designer born in Germany. Tschichold is widely known for his revolutionary manifesto-book “The New Typography” published in 1927, which anticipated Swiss modern design by nearly two decades with its idea of ‘universal’ typography, rigid grid structure and almost no decorative elements. After the second World War, Mr. Tschichold retreated himself in the UK, where he turned back to his origins as traditional typographer and set the iconic corporate image for Penguin. As well as the impeccable composition guidelines.
Besides Tschichold, a long series of world class designers has offered their services and wit in designing one of the most beautiful and intriguing book covers ever. Among them you can find Alan Fletcher, Colin Forbes, Derek Birdsall and Germano Facetti, all notorious design figures. As the last accords between Penguin and Random House are being signed, we all hope the new publishing house might treasure their and our design history.
