PBS will be showing Gary Hustwit’s documentary Helvetica tonight. The film is a documentary that gives the viewer a history and a wide array of opinions on the font. I saw Hustwit premier the film in Chicago last year at the Gene Siskel Film Center. As a fan of typography I really enjoyed the movie and is worth checking out if you have a television.
via PBS Independent Lens
“The Helvetica font was developed by Max Miedinger with Edüard Hoffmann in 1957 for the Haas Type Foundry in Münchenstein, Switzerland and quickly became an international hit in the graphic arts world. With its clean, smooth lines, it reflected a modern look that many designers were seeking. At a time when many European countries were recovering from the ravages of war, Helvetica presented a way to express newness and modernity. Once it caught on, the typeface began to be used extensively in signage, in package labeling, in poster art, in advertising-in short, everywhere. Inclusion of the font in home computer systems, such as the Apple Macintosh in 1984, only further cemented its ubiquity.”
Please check PBS for local listings
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