Der Schauspieler, ein künstlerisches Problem – Max Martersteig (Eugen Diederichs)
Published by Eugen Diederichs in 1900, Der Schauspieler marks the very first use of Eckmann for a book. The text titled “The actor, an artistic problem” is a study by theater actor and stage manager Max Martersteig (1853–1926), originally written in 1893. The softcover edition was printed between 20 September and 20 October 1900 by Breitkopf & Härtel, who are listed among the first printing companies to have acquired the typeface in an early specimen. The entire book is set in Otto Eckmann’s typeface and also features some of the accompanying ornaments and border elements.
The copy depicted above is shown in the exhibition about book art currently on display at the Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg. The colors of the banderole appear to be the same as used for a similar blurb on a specimen by the Rudhard’sche Gießerei, suggesting that the book was used by the foundry as a promotional item for the new typeface.
Title page. The D in “Der” is different from the one in “Diederichs” (see also the cover and the banderole).
Eckmann has alternates for D, H, I, and T. In 1904, Eugen Diederichs moved from Leipzig to Jena.
Spread from the interior, with drop cap and ornaments. In the last two lines of the right page, two floral elements from Eckmann-Schmuck appear inline. They seem to be used in place of dashes.
Like most blackletter types, Eckmannschrift has no italics. Tracking is used for emphasis, see “Intuition” (left) and “darzuſtellen” (right), among other words.
The text ends with a tapering column (Spitzkolumne in German).
The colophon ends with a variation of the traditional greeting used by German printers and typesetters: “Gott grüß die neue deutsche Kunst!”
