Block / 1908

Although geometric sans serifs are commonly thought to have originated in the 1920s with groundbreaking designs like Jakob Erbar’s eponymous typeface from 1922, there is no denying the brutal geometry that underlies the uneven edges of Block’s monolithic letterforms from 1908. It was created for the Berthold Type Foundry by Hermann Hoffmann, a German type designer with a background in newspaper work.

Block’s origins can be seen in contemporary advertising from Berlin, in particular the lettering of Lucian Bernhard. His exceptional hand-painted posters for commercial clients such as Bosch and Manoli are precisely replicated in Block’s distinctively thickset characters, wonky contours, colossal x-height and stunted descenders. Like the lettering it references, Block achieves maximum impact with minimum means.