Elektrische Bahnen, “Das elektrische Eisenbahnwesen der Gegenwart” supplementary issue

A special number of Elektrische Bahnen – Zentralblatt für elektrischen Zugbetrieb und alle Arten von Triebfahrzeugen mit elektrischem Antrieb – with an annual look at the “electric railway system of the present”. The journal, published by the Berlin-based Verlag für Sozialpolitik, Wirtschaft und Statistik GmbH, still had an internationally based consulting editorial board that included Sir Philip Dawson in London. As well as articles on electric railways and tramways, including a series on Berlin’s BVG, there are numerous adverts for companies and products associated with the electrification of the railway.

The front cover has some marvellously electric “lightning” lettering as well as an advert for the major German electrical and engineering company of Siemens-Schuckertwerke AG based at Siemensstadt in Berlin. Siemens-Schukert had been formed in 1903 when the long established company of Siemens-Halske AG acquired Schuckertwerke. Both were subsequently based at the Berlin ‘works suburb’ of Siemensstadt. The advert shows one of the Bo-Bo electric locomotives built for the Deutsche Reichsbahn as well as one of the streamlined diesel-electric railcars.

“Elektrische Bahnen” is lettering based on Dolmen, an expressionist typeface designed by Max Salzmann and first cast by Schelter & Giesecke in 1922. Some of the letterforms deviate from the original design, most notably in the terminals of C and S, compare to this 1925 use. The triangular crossbar of H and the narrow A and N were available as alternates or size-specific forms.

The subtitle below is set in all-caps Akzidenz-Grotesk, with the information about editor and publisher in Annonce / Aurora-Grotesk V. The issue title in red uses Futura fett. The ad in the lower half features the mager weight – note the compact umlaut in the heading.

Elektrische Bahnen was first published in 1903 (see volume 2 from 1904) and is still in print today. Dolmen was introduced with the journal’s relaunch from 1928, initially under the title Zentralblatt für elektrischen Zugbetrieb (“Central journal for electric train operation”).