The Wolpe Collection

In the late-1930s and early-1940s, in the short space of several years, German calligrapher and type designer Berthold Wolpe crafted five typefaces: Albertus Nova, Wolpe Fanfare, Wolpe Pegasus, Wolpe Tempest and Sachsenwald.

Although the typefaces are dramatically different, they all share a likeness in their ardent refusal to be geometrically precise. What appears to be inconsistencies and imperfections – certain serifs don’t match, some letters lean a bit and some details simply seem out of place – are in fact deliberate parts of the designs. Berthold simply didn’t allow traditional design rules to stand in the way of creating distinctive typefaces.

The typefaces have now been revived and launched by Monotype in a project overseen by designer Toshi Omagari.

Ahead of The Wolpe Exhibition opening at The Type Archive in London, Zetteler Films has created a film that charts Berthold Wolpe’s unique creative approach, as well as and Monotype’s journey to give the typefaces a new lease of life.