A4: Letterheads of the 1920s and 1930s
For Jan Tschichold, the leading theorist of The New Typography, letterheads constituted a distinct typology: a small-scale, two-dimensional graphic field in which logo, brand identity, and fixed data frame a blank space lying in wait for typed or handwritten communication, the particulars of which—like people inhabiting a new building—would complete it. In his influential 1928 book Das Neue Typographie (The New Typography), Tschichold dedicated a chapter to Der Geschäftsbrief (the business letter) in which he argued for a set of rules governing the organization of text, margins, and spacing of effective letterheads (fig. 1). Tschichold’s impulse to articulate and codify rational trends within the language of typography, together with his embrace of economy, standardization, and mechanization, were firmly planted within modernism’s technological optimism and its promise of widespread democratization.
In 1922, the Deutscher Normenausschuss (German Standards Committee) established DIN 476 (series A), a set of paper norms based on rational, relative proportions (fig. 2). Already by 1924/1925, designers such as Herbert Bayer and Max Burchartz employed the DIN A4 format (21 x 29.7 cm; DIN 676) for their letterheads and declared doing so in mini “colophons” (synopses of publishing/printing information) printed on the sheets themselves (fig. 3). In addition, Bayer included a printed note on one Bauhaus letterhead that enthusiastically praised the theories of Walter Porstmann, one of the architects of the DIN system and a major influence on Bauhaus typography. For Bayer, Burchartz, Tschichold, and members of the Ring “Neue Werbegestalter” (Circle of New Advertising Designers; 1928–1931), DIN norms rendered the range of inconsistent, existing “folio” and “quarto” letter paper formats anachronistic and introduced a material support consistent with the rationalized objectives of The New Typography—in both theory and practice.
Within metric-use Europe, the DIN A4 format was quicker to be adopted in countries with compatible existing standard formats: Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Holland, Hungary, and Switzerland. But even in countries where it was not in use, technological optimism manifested itself in design choices, from typefaces to iconography, and in material form, such as Aleksandr Rodchenko’s Dobrolet stationery printed on a commercial pad with a perforated top edge (fig. 4). Whether A4 or not, the papers on which these early twentieth century letterheads were printed tended to carry a mark that functioned neither as a design element nor as a self-conscious declaration of purpose, but as an implicit subtext of modernity. This mark is the subtle, almost invisible manufacturer’s watermark found on numerous papers of this period, which identifies them as readymade, industrially produced, commercial products. Among the letterheads included below, watermarks for commercial brands such as “Feldmühle” or “Manila Schreibmaschinen” (in Germany) and “Amstel – Bank” or “Hollandsch normal” (in Holland) are seen again and again. While it is unlikely that designers would take particular notice of such prosaic watermarks (most likely the offering of the printshop), it is tempting to think that F. T. Marinetti would have enjoyed the English-language watermark “EXTRA STRONG” (fig. 5) for his Il Futurismo letterhead and that Tristan Tzara may have consciously chosen a paper marked “NEW ERA BOND” (fig. 6) for his Mouvement Dada letterhead.
[CLICK ON FIGS TO ENLARGE]
The graphic designer and archivist Elaine Lustig Cohen (1927–2016) was early to recognize avant-garde letterhead as a self-contained genre of design worthy of attention. Her collection, now at MoMA, remains a gold standard and the catalogue that documents it a key resource to which we are indebted: Ellen Lupton and Elaine Lustig Cohen, Letters From the Avant-Garde: Modern Graphic Design (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1996).
The selection below focuses on letter-sized sheets accompanied, in some cases, by matching envelopes. It excludes numerous postcards, calling cards, invoices and other related stationery in the collection. Items are arranged alphabetically by country, and then by city.
Index: Belgium; Czechoslovakia; France; Germany; Holland; Italy; Soviet Union; Switzerland; United States
Czechoslovakia
Prague
Ladislav Sutnar’s letterhead for the Czechoslovak Werkbund (founded in 1920; the third letterhead below) provided a template for his letterheads of two of the organization’s related endeavors—the Baba exhibition and Žijeme magazine (third line, below). In all three, the paper size “standard format A4 210 x 297 [mm]” appears at lower right beside the designer’s name. The maquette for Žijeme is the only unique design for a letterhead in the collection, detail:
Příbram
Bauhaus / Dessau
Walter Porstmann (German, 1886–1959) was an engineer and architect of the DIN norms. In his book Sprache und Schrift (Languages and Writing) (Berlin: Verein Deutscher Ingenieure, 1920), Porstmann advocated a single, lower case alphabet to simplify the “mechanics of bureaucracy.” Porstmann’s theories were of central importance to the Bauhaus. Bayer cites Sprache und Schrift on one of his letterheads below, and was possibly the designer of the engineer’s official letterhead, also shown below.
Bauhaus / Berlin
Berlin
Dresden
Der Ring / Bielefeld
In 1928, Kurt Schwitters initiated the Ring “neue Werbegestalter” (Circle of New Advertising Designers), an exhibiting society linked by regular group mailings, which was dedicated to promoting modern graphic design. Although not officially associated with their architectural namesake, Der Ring, founded in 1926 by Hugo Häring, Mies van der Rohe, and others, both collectives shared a name, non-hierarchical structure, and commitment to rationalized modern design unfettered by historical precedent. The formation of the Ring “neue Werbegestalter” was announced in journals including Das Neue Frankfurt (April 1928) and Das Kunstblatt (May 1928). While its nine founding members—Willi Baumeister, Max Burchartz, Walter Dexel, César Domela-Nieuwenhuis, Robert Michel, Kurt Schwitters, Georg Trump, Jan Tschichold, and Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart—were based in Germany, they were soon joined by Dutch members (Paul Schuitema and Piet Zwart) and by guest exhibitors from Czechoslovakia (Karel Teige), France (A.M. Cassandre), Hungary (Lajos Kassák), and Switzerland (Max Bill). Between 1928 and 1931 the group participated in twenty-three exhibitions held in Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Denmark, and Sweden.
Der Ring / Bochum
In 1924, Max Burchartz and Johannes Canis formed an advertising agency under the name Werbe-Bau (Publicity Building). The agency produced at least two issues of a promotional brochure titled Flugblätter mit dem Buntquadrat (pamphlets with the colorful square), in which they reproduced some of their most striking logos. According to Canis’s career summary in Gefesselter Blick (1930), his “Constructive work” with Burchartz ended after three years.
Der Ring / Frankfurt
A high demand for affordable housing in the 1920s and an administration sympathetic to modern architecture led to the large-scale municipal building effort known as Das Neue Frankfurt (The New Frankfurt), under the architect and city planner Ernst May. In the second half of the 1920s, May’s program engaged many of Germany’s most forward-looking architects and designers, whose efforts were documented in the journal Das Neue Frankfurt (1926–1931).
Der Ring / Hannover
In 1924, Kurt Schwitters founded his Merz Werbezentrale (Merz advertising agency; later Werbe-Gestaltung Kurt Schwitters), as money-making branch of his of his Merz enterprise. The firm met with some success, attracting local clients including Bahlsen’s biscuits and various branches of the Hannover city administration.
Der Ring / Jena
Walter Dexel was not only an artist, but also a visionary exhibition coordinator, who transformed the Kunstverein Jena into a vibrant showcase for the avant-garde between 1916 and 1928. In 1924, Dexel established his own graphic design firm Neue Reklame: Dr. Dexel. Three years later, he organized the eponymous exhibition Neue Reklame (New Advertising), Kunstverein Jena (May 22–June 12, 1927), which included members of the Bauhaus faculty and founding members of the nascent Ring “neue Werbegestalter” (himself included), which would be founded the following year.
Der Ring / Munich
Voorburg; Zaandaam
Leiden
Theo van Doesburg was the editor of the journal De Stijl from 1917 to 1928. The original logo for the journal designed by Vilmos Huszár, was replaced by the black and red De Stijl / NB (Nieuwe Beelding) logo, seen here, with the January 1921 issue.
The Hague (Scheveningen)
Rotterdam
The Haag; Utrecht
Milan
Riccardo “Ricas” Castagnedi (Italian, 1912–1999) and Bruno Munari (Italian, 1907–1998) formed the Studio R + M in Milan in 1931. The firm remained active until 1937.
New York