Dr Christopher Burke

My areas of interest focus mainly on the history of typography and graphic design in the twentieth century. I am interested in examining the development of modernism in typography, and reflecting on its connections to other aspects of modern culture. These themes can be traced in the books I have written: about two pioneers of German New Typography, Paul Renner and Jan Tschichold, and about typeface designer Gerard Unger. The last of these also deals with the technological revolution in type and typography during the twentieth century, and it intrigues me that this did not always entail ‘modern’ style but often resulted in revival and traditionalism. This continues a tendency that dates back to the invention of printing.

Currently, my research centres on the picture language of Isotype – its origins in Vienna of the 1920s and its adaptation to a British context. This is a story of the exile of modernism from Central  Europe and its subsequent accommodation to English-speaking culture. Due to the manifold interests of Isotype’s creators (in particular Otto Neurath), this research provides many connections with other disciplines that enrich the study of graphic design. A book I co-wrote with Wim Jansen, Soft propaganda, special relationships, and a new democracy (2022) deals with the work of the Isotype Institute for the Ministry of Information during the Second World War.