Raffaello Bertieri (1875-1941), a diligent and passionate protagonist of the vicissitudes of Italian typography, published one of his most important books in 1933 – the crucial year of the modernist graphic turn: 20 alfabeti brevemente illustrati (20 Alphabets Briefly Illustrated), printed in 275 copies and now almost impossible to find. A text addressed to “bibliophiles, the curious, connoisseurs of the Art of Printing…”, and written in a style as simple and clear as the illustrated typefaces of its pages.
Bertieri bears witness to a typographic taste firmly anchored in tradition, but also tempted by modernism, as is emblematically shown by the review in this book, which includes typefaces characterised by Art Nouveau traits together with alphabets functional to the new graphics that was being imposed.
This extremely rare work by Bertieri is now finally re-published, with an introductory essay by Alessandro Corubolo on Bertieri and typefaces (also accompanied by an English translation). The scans of the images and the printing are carried out by Trifolio of Verona; the letterpress cover, in two colours, is printed with a hand press. The book, like the first edition, was printed in 275 numbered copies.
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Published by Ronzani Editore
Preface by Alessandro Corubolo (translated into English)
16.3 × 24 cm
96 pages
Paperback
Italian
Isbn 978-88-94911-37-4
