Deutsches Dichterbuch aus Schwaben mit epischen, lyrischen und dramatischen Beiträgen von Rod. Anschütz (...) 1864

This is Emil Ebner’s "Deutsches Dichterbuch aus Schwaben," a physical book whose form and presentation are as telling as its contents. The book’s open layout divides the composition into two distinct fields: one, an unadorned page with what appears to be an inscription, and the other, a title page framed by a delicate, ornamental border. The stark contrast between the pages sets up a binary—the personal versus the public, the intimate versus the formal. Ebner orchestrates a visual dialogue through the materiality of the book itself. The aged paper, evident in its yellowed tone and scattered foxing, speaks to the passage of time and the book’s endurance as an object. The use of German blackletter typeface is no accident. This typeface evokes a sense of tradition and cultural identity, deeply rooted in German history and literature. It suggests the book is not merely a collection of verses but a cultural artifact, reflective of its era. In Ebner's design, form is content.