Beyond the Archive

What exactly is an archive? In the case of the Klingspor type specimens, at first glance it is a limited number of boxes on the second floor of the museum. Inside: larger and smaller historical objects from the early 20th century. There are preliminary sketches and correspondence that bear witness to the creation of typefaces that are still known today, as well as artistically designed type specimens that advertised the finished products. At second glance, it is a small treasure trove that has a lot to tell and leaves other things unseen.

For two semesters, this archive became the object of interest for us and a group of students that we guided in our course as part of our teaching position in the typography department at the Offenbach University of Art and Design (HfG). How can we approach an archive, how can we move through it? And what do we make of it? In the first semester, the focus was on researching the history and work of the former type foundry Gebr. Klingspor. In the second semester, we worked on preparing the research results in the form of an exhibition. »Beyond the Archive – From the Foundry to the Klingspor Type Archive« was one of the four regular exhibitions at the Klingspor Museum. Alongside the exhibition, we also produced an in-depth publication in which we presented research findings, some unpublished images from the archive and interviews that we conducted together with the course.

In addition to the teaching and, together with the students, the curation and research, the editing for the accompanying volume and the exhibition design, we as turbo type designed the advertising materials for »Beyond the Archive«.

The framed intervention posters distributed in the exhibition and the design of the publication were created by Paula Heinrich and Helene Hohmann as student works in the HfG course.

Further links:
0 »Beyond the Archive« (Slanted)
0 »Beyond the Archive – von der Gießerei zum Klingspor Type Archive« (University of Art and Design Offenbach)

Clients: Offenbach University of Art and Design & Klingspor Museum
Year: 2022
Participating students: Samuel Götschin, Paula Heinrich, Helene Hohmann, Genta Kozaki, Merle Schmidt, Franz Weid

Photo credits:
Except for the floor view with »Grotesk«, the photos outside the slideshows are by Simon Malz (Lichtsignale), as are images 4 and 8 in the first slideshow.
The remaining photos: turbo type