Salon Series 30: Collecting Bauhaus Typography for 40 Years

Few design movements have shaped contemporary typography quite like the Bauhaus. Founded in 1919 by German architect Walter Gropius, the school embraced the tools of mass production in the creation of radical new art. Though the institution only lasted fourteen years, its influence endures.

Over the last forty years, Letterform Archive’s founder and executive director, Rob Saunders, has explored the school’s unique legacy in graphic design through collecting artifacts of its own making – its books, magazines, course materials, product catalogs, stationery, promotional fliers, and other ephemera — as well as objects created by its many characters before and after the time of the school. His collected materials draw a through-line from the Bauhaus’s iconic style to the shape of typography today.

In this salon Rob will discuss the curatorial vision which ultimately lead to Bauhaus Typography at 100, the inaugural exhibition of Letterform Archive’s first-ever gallery.

About the Salon Series

Letterform Archive’s Salon Series is a regular event featuring a deeper dive into specific collections or themes within the Archive. Salon recordings are available exclusively to members. Visit your member benefits page to access the video.