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Ghostletters Vienna
They are ephemeral witnesses to history, constantly threatened by dismantling and repainting: ghost letters appear wherever lettering is removed from portals, leaving their mark behind.
Many of them remain visible in public spaces for years, some even for decades. However, due to rapidly changing production methods, ghost letters will probably disappear completely from the cityscape in a few years.
Together with photographers Daniel Gerersdorfer and Stephan Doleschal, I have created a memento of these traces of past urban microcosms in the book Ghostletters Vienna.
The book sets out in search of traces of the once proud lettering that used to be an essential part of Vienna's visual identity but has now largely been lost. It provides insights into the tradition of Viennese sign painting, tells the stories behind the façades and shows ways of dealing with this very special heritage of the city.
Steven Heller, Printmag (USA)
In this important new book, the Viennese graphic designer Tom Koch and photographers Daniel Gerersdorfer and Stephan Doleschal set out in search of the traces of these proud letters that once made up an essential part of Vienna’s visual identity.
Christian Goldemann, typostrate (DE)
This book is a very exciting showcase of Viennese typography and a must have for at least every austrian designer.
Herbert Lechner, NOVUM (DE)
Nirgendwo stirbt es sich schöner als in Wien – auch als Schrift! Das bestätigt eine Sammlung dahingegangener Fassadenbeschriftungen. Typografische Relikte, die einen ganz eigenen, leicht morbiden Reiz ausstrahlen.
Nicole Arnett Phillips, typograpHer (AUS)
The high-quality photography throughout is by Daniel Gerersdorfer and Stephan Doleschal. Whether you’re interested in history, art, architecture, urban design, signpainting or (of course!) typography–you will find loads of visual interest and inspiration in these 160 carefully curated pages.
Konrad Holzer, Austrianposters (AT)
So ist dieses Buch „Ghostletters Vienna“ natürlich primär einmal ein Bilderbuch. Und was für eines. Wunderschön wurde Verfall abgebildet: Schräg fällt die Sonne über Fassaden, erhellt Spuren einstiger Pracht.
Book Presentation — Night of the Signs
20 October 2016
The Vienna Museum was packed. Very packed.
A brilliant evening and a long night. Here are four men who have a special connection to the uncovered Kotányi advertising motif on Nussdorfer Straße (from left to right): Erwin Kotányi, current managing director of the Kotányi company, author Tom Koch, Helmuth Stern, who painted the wall with his father in 1963, and excavator operator Robert Hasler, who lovingly uncovered it.
FM4 radio presenter Stuart Freeman and the band Freud accompanied the book presentation in the packed atrium of the Wien Museum.
Proofreading in Carinthia
29 September 2016
An idea is put to paper: proof printing at Druck und Verlag Theiss in Wolfsberg.
Dramatic cover shoot
21 September 2016
The cover photo of the book was taken during a dramatic operation involving a Kotanyi advertisement from the 1950s that had been temporarily exposed during demolition work. Excavator operator Robert Hasler uncovered it with extreme caution, while Austria's national broadcaster ORF reported live.
The motif was designed by the Viennese graphic designer August Binder, and there was a second wall at Billrothstrasse 4. When the advertisement was uncovered, it quickly became a cult attraction: at weekends, curious visitors gathered to catch a glimpse of the past. Today, it has long since been built over again.
Original design by August Binder, © Austrian National Library