Neue Haas Grotesk, the typeface commissioned for development in 1956, stands as the most significant contribution Max Miedinger made to the international typographical landscape. Born in Zurich in 1910, the Swiss designer spent his professional life refining the aesthetics of modern lettering, eventually seeing his primary creation renamed and marketed globally as Helvetica by 1960.
Early Training and Industry Entry
Miedinger began his formal education in the printing trade at the age of 16. From 1926 until 1930, he served an apprenticeship as a typographic composer with Jacques Bollmann in Zurich. Following this initial period, he spent six years working for various companies while simultaneously attending evening classes at the Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich to further his technical proficiency.
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At 26, Miedinger accepted a position as a typographer within the advertising department of the Globus department store chain. He remained at Globus for a decade before moving into the foundry sector. He eventually joined the Haas Type Foundry as a representative. In 1954, he completed his first independent design for the firm, a condensed slab serif titled Pro Arte, which featured a French Clarendon aesthetic.
Development of Helvetica
In 1956, Edouard Hoffmann, the director of the Haas foundry, commissioned Miedinger to create a new Grotesk typeface. The resulting work debuted as Neue Haas Grotesk at the 1957 Graphic 57 exhibition held at the Palais de Beaulieu in Lausanne. In 1960, after the addition of lean, bold, and italic series, the company Stempel marketed the typeface as Helvetica. Miedinger and Hoffmann expressed concerns regarding the name, noting its similarity to the Latin term for Switzerland.
Later Career and Legacy
Throughout his career, Miedinger also designed typefaces such as Horizontal, a wide capitals design, and continued his work as a freelance graphic artist in Zurich. Linotype paid him royalties for his Helvetica concept until his death in 1980. The firm later released a revised Neue Helvetica in 1983 and acquired all rights to the designs by 1989.
Fast facts
- Born: 1910, Zurich, Switzerland
- Died: 1980, Zurich, Switzerland
- Education: Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich
- Notable Typefaces: Helvetica, Pro Arte, Horizontal
- Primary Employer: Haas Type Foundry
- Original Name: Neue Haas Grotesk
Questions readers ask
What was the original name of Helvetica?
The typeface was originally released as Neue Haas Grotesk in 1957.
Did Max Miedinger receive royalties for his design?
Yes, Linotype paid him royalties for the Helvetica concept until his death in 1980.
Achievements
- Notable work: Helvetica
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