This Digital Archive Is a Treasure Chest of Typography and Design

The TM Research Archive compiles every issue of the magazine Typographische Monatsblätter, which played an important role in the history of typography

If we look back on 20th-century graphic design history, the emergence of International Typographic Style–a movement of Russian, Dutch and German origin that developed mainly in Switzerland during the post-WW2 years–was a huge turning point.

Looking to unify shape and content and drawn to simplicity and typographic design, International Typographic Style had such a huge influence on global design that its impact is still felt today.

The magazine, Typographische Monatsblätter, was especially connected to this movement–the covers reflect the aesthetic, cultural, and social evolution of design during most of the 20th century. Now, you can get access to these covers, completely free.

The TM Research Archive is a website created by a Swiss student, called Louise Paradis, as her final project for her master’s degree. It compiles information about and images from Typographische Monatsblätter, dating between the 1970s and 1990s. It is a treasure chest filled to the brim with dozens of covers, indexes from different issues, and detailed biographies of its most prominent designers and typographers.

An archive of interviews with great designers

The web includes another extraordinary resource: a series of conversations with important 20th-century designers who were somehow involved with the magazine, such as April Greiman, Yves Zimmerman, and Christian Mengelt. These in-depth interviews are a fascinating insight into Swiss type design, and are intriguing for anyone interested in learning more about this key period in type and design history.

English version by @eloiseedgington.

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–Adobe Illustrator for Graphic Design, 6 courses by Valeria Dubin