26 Letters / Lettern / Lettres, March 1989: Wilke Antiqua
In 1988, Eckehart SchumacherGebler edited and designed the first edition of 26 Letters / Lettern / Lettres, an “Annual and Calendar of 26 Letters of the Roman Alphabet”, made as “an international cooperation of typedesigners and typemanufacturers, printers and typographers”.
168 pages will inform about typefaces we are using daily, often without noticing the richness of their forms. More than a calendar, this typographically interesting compendium will serve at the end of the year as a lasting reference book about letter forms, their designers, function and history.
According to Oak Knoll, the typographical compendium —
serves as a reference book about letter forms, their designers, function and history. Most illustrations were supplied by the contributors and the typeface designers. Sponsored by the German Printers Federation, the Bundesverband Druck. Each pair of facing pages feature a distinct letter form with discussion in French, German and English. Printed with a wide range of colors throughout. With contributions by John Lane.
Shown here is an excerpt from the spiral-bound annual, with the pages for March 13–26, highlighting Wilke, a (then) recent release by the Linotype AG.
The annual was typeset by Fotosatz Hoffmann, Messel, Germany (Linotronic 300, Phototype) and published by Typostudio SchumacherGebler, Munich.
A second edition of 26 Letters / Lettern / Lettres followed in 1992, edited by SchumacherGebler together with Colin Banks. The foreword mentioned that the 1989 edition was received with much acclaim:
Concept, layout and print quality have brought the publication a series of awards: The Most Beautiful Books of Germany, Frankfurt 1989; a silver medal from the International Book Art Exhibition, Leipzig 1989; Typography Germany 90; Creative Award for Print on Uncoated Paper and prize of the Premio Felice Feliciano, 1991.
