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[EARLY SOVIET BOOK DESIGN: ALEXEI USHIN] Okno v lesu [i.e. Window in the Forest]

Grin, A.

Leningrad: Mysl’, 1929. Item #982

252, [4] pp. 18x13,5 cm. In original constructivist wrappers. Tears of spine partly glued, chipped, stamp “Approved to Export from USSR”, ink signature on verso of half-title.

One of 4200 copies. Very rare.
Constructivist letterpress cover design was produced by Alexei Ushin (1904-1942). During the 1920s-30s he managed to design overall 500 covers, contribute to the Soviet type design and create an illuminated font for the movie ‘Counterplan’ (1932).
This is a good example of the book constructivism and an edition issued in successful NEP-period publishing house ‘Mysl’ under direction of Lev Wolfson who was regarded as ‘little GIZ’ for the scale of his activity. In particular, he planned to print 15-volume complete works of Russian novelist Alexander Grinevsky (pen-name Grin; 1880-1932). Only a few of the volumes (#2,5,6,8,11-14) appeared in 1927-1929 before the publisher was arrested. This is one of them, the 8th volume.

Worldcat shows copies located in Library of Congress and Yale University.

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