Futura: Typographic Glory

Created by the German artist and typographer Paul Renner, Futura, “typeface of our time”, enjoyed unprecedented commercial success from its publication in 1927. Jan Tschichold and Kurt Schwitters used it widely during the 1930s. Distributed under the name “Europe” in France, it inspired Cassandre in her search for a new style of writing. Since then, Volkswagen, NASA, Stanley Kubrick and Barbara Kruger, Ikea and Canal+ have made significant use of it.

Futura has seen a resurgence of interest in recent years, notably in the graphic identities of the Seattle Public Library (Bruce Mau), the Barbican Gallery in London (Cartlidge Levene and Studio Myerscough), and the Jeu de Paume Museum (Change is Good).

Through more than 400 rare and unpublished documents, this book traces the history and the most interesting uses of Futura and immerses us in the world of letters by revealing its cultural and social aspects.