The Albatross Modern Continental Library

Here’s something completely mundane: the paperback book. Yet thoughtful design elevates it, making it easier to read and giving it a clear identity. Color coding is something Penguin Classics has done especially well, though it actually comes from an earlier German publisher, Albatross Books.

The typographer behind those editions, Giovanni Mardersteig, is largely forgotten today, but his work was remarkable. Albatross books are also quite rare. They weren’t sold in the United States, so any copies here were brought over privately.