Berthold Wolpe: A Man of Letters

Radio programme, Resonance FM

The German typographer and designer Berthold Wolpe worked at Faber & Faber for over three decades, where he is estimated to have designed over 1,500 book covers and defined the style of the Faber book jacket, including the use of his famous ‘Albertus’ typeface. Wolpe was Jewish and had fled Nazi Germany before the Second World War, and it was Albertus, commissioned by Stanley Morison for the Monotype Corporation, that saved his life. It became one of the most popular typefaces of the 20th century and is still used on all the City of London street signs. During his long career, he left a distinctive mark on graphic design and a deep impression on those who knew him. To celebrate the life and work of Berthold Wolpe, Patrick Bernard is joined by three of his children, Sarah, Paul, and the artist Deborah Hopson-Wolpe; and Phil Cleaver, author of ‘Berthold Wolpe: The Total Man’, and curator of an exhibition of his work at the Lettering Arts Centre in 2018.

A recording of the programme is available on Mixcloud here.