Albertus: The Biography of a Typeface

Albertus: The Biography of a Typeface

Simon Garfield • W. W. Norton &

ISBN-10: 132408622X · ISBN-13: 978‑1324086222 · 2024

Live offer for this book: 8 live copies of this book from $8.62 (as of 2026-09-08).

Dimensions: 9.8 × 5.9 × 0.6 in

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Completeness 48

Cover quality: good

2manybooks editorial

A compact and charming history of the beloved handcrafted font by the New York Times best-selling author of Just My Type. Albertus, first carved on a bronze tablet in the 1930s by German Jewish refugee Berthold Wolpe, has proved to be one of the most enduring handcrafted typefaces in the world. It is at once modern and timeless, authoritative and whimsical―renowned as the typeface of London Street signs, David Bowie albums, and Star Wars movie posters. In this unique celebration, best-selling author Simon Garfield charts the story of the creation of Albertus, its innumerable and vibrant uses, and the erratic brilliance of its designer, as recounted by Wolpe’s children. Through his exploration of this singular font, Garfield grapples with one of the most fundamental artistic questions: what makes great art not only survive but flourish in each new age and medium?

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8 live copies of this book from $8.62 (as of 2026-09-08).

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