Yousuf Karsh & John Fisher see Canada – book, Thomas Allen, Carl Dair, 1960

This book was considered a major publication in 1960, as the dust jacket makes clear: “This book is unique in that it brings a portrait of Canada as seen through the eyes and lens of Canada’s greatest photographer, Yousuf Karsh, together with the rich verbal description of Canada’s greatest publicist, John Fisher. Over 150 photographs accompany the text, which is set in large, legible type.”

It was a high-profile project involving a world-renowned photographer, a celebrated writer, and the entire country. To give each figure equal billing, designer Carl Dair used a bold typographic treatment framed within the three coloured bands of the iconic Hudson’s Bay Company blanket – a symbolic nod to Canadian identity.

The claim that the book is set in “large, legible type” is curious. The text is set in 10-point Pilgrim with 5 points of leading (10/15) – a fairly standard size, although the generous leading does improve readability. It’s also likely that Dair added the extra leading to ‘drive out’ the text to achieve a more satisfactory page count.

That a major book celebrating Canada was typeset in English typefaces and printed and bound in England speaks to the cultural dependencies still present in 1960 – a moment when Canada’s own national design identity was still forming. – Rod McDonald