The concrete poem “Uri Tsvi farn tseylem, INRI” (“אורי צבֿי פֿאַרן צלם„; “Uri-Zvi Before the Cross”), written by Uri-Zvi Greenberg (1896–1981), was featured in the second issue of the short-lived Yiddish literary journal Albatros (1922–1923), which was dedicated to expressionist and avant-garde aesthetics. The journal published its first two issues in Warsaw, eventually publishing the final third in Berlin due to censorship from Polish authorities. The text, shaped like Jesus’ crucifix and labeled with the Latin “INRI” (“Iēsūs Nāzarēnus Rēx Iūdaeōrum;” “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”), was deemed anti-Christian due to its content, which situated Jesus as a selfish martyr and a traitor to the Jews.

Both the title in Yiddish and the poem’s text are set in Frank-Rühl (פרנק-ריהל), the first modern Hebrew typeface, designed by Rafael Frank (1867–1920) and originally issued between 1908 and 1910 by the type foundry C.F. Rühl in Leipzig. The Latin capitals used for “INRI” are unidentified.

The Acathist Hymn to the Name of Jesus by archbishop Joseph Raya (1916–2005), published by Alleluia Press in 1982. From Madonna House Publications:

The Acathist Hymn Office of Praise to the Name of Jesus, prayed standing, was first composed in the ninth century. In this presentation in English by Archbishop Raya, he seeks to “calm the inner motions of [the] body and free [the] soul to rise and soar and find what [the] heart sighs for.” This prayer can be recited in a parish, or individually by those who “seek a most intimate relation with the Lord Jesus.” The Archbishop introduces the prayer with instructions for how to pray it.

The photographs below concern a 1989 publication of the hymn by Alleluia Press. It is a second printing of the original edition, limited to 3,000 copies, and set in 14 pt De Roos (1948), by Sjoerd Hendrik de Roos (1877–1962). The title page is set in all caps Bodoni – possibly Bodoni-Antiqua. The pamphlet was edited and designed by José M. de Vinck (1912–?).

The title page, featuring Bodoni Antiqua Demibold (1924) by Edmund Thiele (1872–1953) for the title, and De Roos Roman (Allelluia Press) and Italic (JOSEPH RAYA).

Cover art, flyers, and merchandise for As puras do funk, a playlist with Brazilian funk music made for Acerca.cc. This independent creative project produces printed matter, fanzines, costumes, accessories, and animated content.

Madrid’s Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is the popular celebration of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ in the capital of Spain. For advertising this year’s event, Tres Tipos Gráficos used bb-book Contrasted and bb-book B by Benoît Bodhuin:

The campaign works with images around the figure of Jesús de Medinaceli, the Christ of Madrid: his singular crown of thorns, the cord of his robe and the censer of the Basilica of Jesús de Medinaceli. Throughout the campaign, the purple hoods of the Nazarenes, the Paschal Candle and the image of flowers, so representative in offerings and decorations, are also used.

The procession of the Christ of Medinaceli, on Good Friday, is the most popular in the city and runs through the streets of the center every year. This year Holy Week will be held under strong restrictions and each brotherhood will exhibit their image within their canonical seats.

Photos: Geray Mena

Equally as controversial as Kanye West’s latest album, the work done by A$AP Mob’s creative collective AWGE for Jesus is King’s merchandise is bold and brash. The album and movie poster use GT Super Display (Grilli Type) and convey the royal simplicity of their title.

There is a stern difference between the two styles of design – that which is purely Jesus is King is much cleaner and presentable, whereas the rest of the merchandise really goes its own way typographically.

Much of AWGE’s type work breaks professional design standards, stretched type, pixelated images, and un-centered text plague the merchandise line in an attempt to be “so bad it’s good”.

Track list. GT Super’s kerning has been deactivated, see “We” or “Water”.

Cassette

Album release announcement

Movie poster

T-shirt with bible quotes in Cooper Black Italic, by Kanye West x Cactus Plant Flea Market

Kanye West x Cactus Plant Flea Market

Arial Black, stretched and outlined.

Longsleeve featuring a crossword in all-caps Brush Script.

Polskie Kolędy: Polish Christmas Carols, recorded by the “Chór Parafialny Kościoła Matki Boskiej Pocieszenia” (Parish Chorus of the Church of Our Lady of Consolation) from Williamsburg, Brookly, New York, released by Stella Records (New Jersey, USA). Undated.

The cover is signed “di Lello”—this is probably Richard DiLello who is credited with other artwork for Stella Records. The big blackletter is Engravers Old English, with the alternate y available in ATF’s version. The ogonek is likely a custom addition. The slab serif caps stem from Ludlow’s Karnak, which can easily be confused with Memphis. The informal upright script is yet unidentified—it’s a bit similar to Brody or Filmotype faces like Hamlet or Jupiter.

The typography of this lottery ad from 1898 features two typefaces that were quite new then: Thalia and Bradley, both issued in 1894. The latter originated in the United States, but made its way over the pond very quickly. The small type is in (a) Breite Kanzlei, which emerged around 1830 and had become a standard face by the 1890s. Together, the triple provides a good sample of German type preferences at the end of the century: There’s traditional blackletter (Kanzlei), “fairytale blackletter” (DJR on Bradley) with simpler letterforms much closer to roman type (see e.g the Z in “Ziehung” or the w in “Mittwoch”), and a roman display face with only a few blackletter-infused caps (Thalia, see its M, T or W). Three degrees of blackletter, if you will.

The lottery was organized in favor of the Christus-Kirche in Nuremberg-Steinbühl. The foundation stone of this church was laid in 1891, and built by David Röhm in the style of Burgundian Early Gothic until 1894. The depiction of Jesus Christ with an angel holding a model of the church is signed by “F. Gelbert (18)97 Bogenhauserstr. 33” (the artist) and “J. Hamböck” (= Graphische Kunstanstalt Johann Hamböck, Munich; in backslanted angular letters).

Cover for the 1973 album by American undertaker, organist and gospel singer Merrill Womach (1927–2014), featuring Lydian Cursive in all caps — ouch. The artist’s name is set in lowercase letters from (Neue) Aurora Condensed or Inserat-Grotesk, with an upside-down ‘m’ used for ‘w’ — a signature introduced with the 1969 release A Time For Us.

“Christ Jesus our hope” — 1 Timothy 1:1. Hummelsbütteler Landstraße, Hamburg

Date unknown. Likely 1970–85.

[More info on Discogs]

Sur les traces de Jésus de Nazareth and Images en résidence are two photography booklets that both have titles set in Bloo [edit: renamed in 2022 to CX80]. Design by Bureau 205.

“A Black hit man poses as a Baptist preacher in a ghetto church. He decides to take over the local rackets.” — IMDB

The preacher is played by Roger E. Mosley who is most famous for his later role: TC on Magnum, P.I.

From Montague Project’s Flickr stream.