Included in the chapter "Économie du livre d'architecture", the text outlines the process of circulation of professional books in our country. After the Second World War, Italy started up a process of cultural renovation in response to the restrictions on publications – particularly from abroad – imposed by the Fascist regime and the crisis that had hit the book market during the war years. The translation of some established classics of the history of town planning, architecture and design, which had been published in English between 1936 and 1943, thus ensured the circulation of knowledge once again, filling a cultural gap and responding to the new interests of the public. In a systemic approach to literature, the work of translation inevitably involves reference to that of publishing companies which invested in importing books to meet the needs of cultural projects underway or being drawn up. They took their cue from networks of consultants, but also from the control exercised by organisations like the United States Information Agency, which intervened in the system of specialists with funds provided by the Book Translation Program. The translations of some fundamental historical works were published between 1945 and 1959. They include Pioneers of the Modern Movement. From William Morris to Walter Gropius by Nikolaus Pevsner (Rosa e Ballo, 1945), The Culture of Cities by Lewis Mumford (Edizioni di Comunità, 1953), Space, Time and Architecture. The Growth of a New Tradition by Sigfried Giedion (Hoepli, 1954) and An Outline of European Architecture by Pevsner (Laterza, 1959). All these volumes have one name in common: that of Mario Labò. Though neglected by contemporary historians, he played a significant role as a go-between in the spread of an international idea of modern design in post-war Italy. The essay assesses Labò’s contribution to the process of transferring texts and his place in the history of Italian publishing in post-war culture, management, entrepreneurship, and relations with the institutions. It is possible to reconstruct the process of compiling, promoting and circulating books in Italy through an analysis of Labò’s archive materials. This involves an investigation of how Labò’s relationships with foreign authors came about and developed, his contacts with publishers and cultural intermediaries, the sequence of decision-making processes, translation methods and deadlines, “rewriting” and adaptation of the original texts to meet the cultural needs of the readers, and the critical success of these books.
FORMIA E.M. (2011). Mario Labò, un médiateur culturel dans l’Italie de la Reconstruction. WAVRE : Mardaga.
Mario Labò, un médiateur culturel dans l’Italie de la Reconstruction
FORMIA, ELENA MARIA
2011
Abstract
Included in the chapter "Économie du livre d'architecture", the text outlines the process of circulation of professional books in our country. After the Second World War, Italy started up a process of cultural renovation in response to the restrictions on publications – particularly from abroad – imposed by the Fascist regime and the crisis that had hit the book market during the war years. The translation of some established classics of the history of town planning, architecture and design, which had been published in English between 1936 and 1943, thus ensured the circulation of knowledge once again, filling a cultural gap and responding to the new interests of the public. In a systemic approach to literature, the work of translation inevitably involves reference to that of publishing companies which invested in importing books to meet the needs of cultural projects underway or being drawn up. They took their cue from networks of consultants, but also from the control exercised by organisations like the United States Information Agency, which intervened in the system of specialists with funds provided by the Book Translation Program. The translations of some fundamental historical works were published between 1945 and 1959. They include Pioneers of the Modern Movement. From William Morris to Walter Gropius by Nikolaus Pevsner (Rosa e Ballo, 1945), The Culture of Cities by Lewis Mumford (Edizioni di Comunità, 1953), Space, Time and Architecture. The Growth of a New Tradition by Sigfried Giedion (Hoepli, 1954) and An Outline of European Architecture by Pevsner (Laterza, 1959). All these volumes have one name in common: that of Mario Labò. Though neglected by contemporary historians, he played a significant role as a go-between in the spread of an international idea of modern design in post-war Italy. The essay assesses Labò’s contribution to the process of transferring texts and his place in the history of Italian publishing in post-war culture, management, entrepreneurship, and relations with the institutions. It is possible to reconstruct the process of compiling, promoting and circulating books in Italy through an analysis of Labò’s archive materials. This involves an investigation of how Labò’s relationships with foreign authors came about and developed, his contacts with publishers and cultural intermediaries, the sequence of decision-making processes, translation methods and deadlines, “rewriting” and adaptation of the original texts to meet the cultural needs of the readers, and the critical success of these books.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
