Hermann Zapf and the World He Designed: A Biography

Published to accompany the 2019 Grolier Club exhibition Alphabet Magic: A Centennial Exhibition of the Work of Hermann & Gudrun Zapf, Herman Zapf and the World He Designed is the first comprehensive biography of Hermann Zapf (1918-2015), whom Robert Bringhurst has called ＂the greatest type designer of our time, and very possibly the greatest type designer of all time.＂ Informed by Jerry Kelly’s scrupulous research at the Hermann Zapf archive in the Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel and at the Cary Collection at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and enriched by his decades of conversations with Zapf and his associates, this fascinating account of Zapf’s life details his experiences with type companies, printers, publishers, and colleagues. It also explores Zapf’s modern design aesthetic and engagement with the staggering technological advances of typography during the twentieth century. Featuring rarities and never-before-seen works and photos, Herman Zapf and the World He Designed features definitive lists of Zapf’s type designs and major calligraphic works. It is not, however, merely an in-depth appreciation of Zapf’s work but also an insightful consideration of his work in relation to his life.

Jerry Kelly is a book and typography designer, a calligrapher, and the author of numerous books.