A groundbreaking new publication is shedding light on one of Czech typography's most influential yet underrecognized figures. "A Life Among Letters," published by Inventory Press, chronicles the revolutionary work of Clara Istlerová, a pioneering Czech designer whose contributions to 20th-century typography and book design have remained largely unknown despite their widespread impact throughout Czechoslovakia.
The book emerged from an unexpected discovery by New York-based Czech graphic designer and visual artist Anežka Minařiková, who first encountered Istlerová in a 1970s group photograph of the Typo collective. Typo was an informal but highly influential circle of Czech graphic designers who created a vital platform for exhibitions, critiques, and international design journal circulation during the restrictive years of normalization—the period of Soviet-imposed censorship and political conformity following 1968. In this pioneering collective of almost entirely men, Istlerová stood out as seemingly the only woman member.
Intrigued by the lack of available information about Istlerová online and her known preference for avoiding publicity, Minařiková began wondering why so little was known about this important designer. This curiosity evolved into an extensive research project that initially served as her bachelor's thesis at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, focusing on Clara and her work.
Despite warnings that Istlerová was known for declining requests and rarely granted interviews, Minařiková decided to reach out directly. To her surprise, the veteran designer responded to her email with a simple message: "After 2pm, I'm not a morning person." This brief exchange marked the beginning of what would become a deep friendship and extensive collaboration.
Traveling by tram to Pentřiny to visit Istlerová's home, Minařiková arrived with flowers and printed questions, feeling apprehensive but hopeful. She was greeted warmly by Clara, beginning what would become many afternoons spent at her dining table. "We talked about books, typography, love, history, and her beloved dachshunds," Minařiková recalls. "Over time we became friends, and those conversations slowly became the backbone of A Life Among Letters."
What started as a student project eventually transformed into a comprehensive printed book that takes the form of an extended interview between Clara and Anežka. The publication explores the deeply personal influences that shaped Istlerová's life's work—a largely unrecognized revolutionary body of work that spanned some of the greatest political and societal upheavals in Czech history while leaving an unmistakable mark on book design and 20th-century typography.
"If you grew up in Czechoslovakia, you have probably held one of her designs without knowing her name," Minařiková explains. Istlerová worked across multiple genres, including children's books, poetry collections, architectural publications, and exhibition catalogs, but always maintained the same underlying conviction: a profound love of letters and typography.
The book presents all of these works together for the first time in an English-language edition, taking readers through what Minařiková describes as "a hidden bookshelf" of Istlerová's designs. Since Clara never maintained her own archive, Minařiková had to become the archivist herself, tracking down books in libraries, antiquarian shops, and private collections across the region. "In this way, the book became a meeting place: Clara's voice in dialogue with collaborators, scholars and friends," she notes.
One of the publication's most distinctive features is its inclusion of intimate archival photographs and ephemera from Istlerová's personal life—elements typically omitted from traditional design monographs. Minařiková felt this personal dimension was crucial for conveying what she calls "the multitasking rhythm of women's creativity." Through these materials, Clara speaks not only to her creative process but also to her relationships, family life, motherhood, caregiving responsibilities, and daily experiences—all the intersecting elements that influenced her work and existed alongside it.
The physical design of "A Life Among Letters" reflects Minařiková's thoughtful approach to honoring her subject. The publication takes the form of a small, intimate volume, resembling a pocket novel in scale and feel. Minařiková wanted the book's design to feel modest and approachable, with its cover celebrating Istlerová's playful, physical, and intuitive approach to typography through a title composed of mixed and matched letterforms drawn from her book covers, sketches, and experimental work.
"Designing a book about another designer is always tricky, especially when that designer is Clara," Minařiková acknowledges. As an independent designer and creative professional at Google, she has always gravitated toward storytelling in her own work, whether through typography, illustration, writing, or technology. Books have become a natural extension of that impulse for her—not just as vessels for text, but as spaces where structure, rhythm, and meaning come to life.
Through "A Life Among Letters," a new understanding of Istlerová's practice has emerged. No longer overshadowed by her male peers, readers can see that her pioneering work was not only ubiquitous but that her revolutionary creativity unfolded in the quiet, in-between moments of daily life: while pushing a stroller, walking her beloved dachshunds, waiting in lines, or preparing meals.
"In an era when design history often prizes ego and style, her life reminds us of intimacy, resilience, empathy and care," Minařiková concludes. "I hope readers see not only a chapter of Czech typography, but also a story of how one might live among letters and among people." The book stands as both a long-overdue recognition of an important designer's contributions and a meditation on the ways personal life and creative work intersect, particularly for women working in male-dominated fields during politically restrictive times.
