Cover Page for Das Buch für Alle (The Book for All) – Volume 44, Issue 1
Pictured is the cover of issue 1 of the 44th volume of the German family magazine Das Buch für Alle, or “The Book for All,” from 1909. The cover's prominent title lettering is drawn to look like Eckmann-Schrift, a decorative typeface sometimes described as “the first German advertising type.” Created by Otto Eckmann and released in 1900, Eckmann-Schrift references the style of Jugendstil, the German equivalent to Art Nouveau.
Das Buch für Alle, which began publication in 1866, aimed to provide lower middle-class readers with sophisticated entertainment and information. The magazine reached a large audience (hence the magazine's name), primarily targeting the growing market of consumers who desired high-quality media and news but could only afford magazines at a low price.
Grand illustrations and decorative type gave Das Buch für Alle an appealing, luxurious appearance, which is reflected in the 1909 cover's font choice. The title lettering, imitating Eckmann-Schrift, uses Jugendstil/Nouveau visual conventions of flowery, curving letterforms to evince an upper-class aesthetic. The small lines of text at the margins of the cover are set in the actual Eckmann typeface.
Sources:
https://fontsinuse.com/uses/51397/das-buch-fuer-alle-1909-issue-1
https://fontsinuse.com/typefaces/6802/eckmann
https://www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/fachinfo/kunst/zeitschriften/bfa.html
