Gebrauchsgraphik : International Advertising Art : März 1937 : London's advertising art : Frenzel & Engelbrecher "Gebrauchsgraphik" Verlag : Berlin : 1937 : car cards/window bills and press adverts.
The March 1937 issue of Gebrauchsgraphik, the influential German monthly magazine of advertising art, was a special issue focussing on advertising and publicity trends in London. At the time British graphic design and especially "commercial art" was in a period of some critical acclaim. As the magazine's articles and illustrations show this was, in some ways, down to the work and patronage of several individuals and companies such as London Transport, who particularly in the post-WW1 years, had helped raise the standards of such art, design and publicity.
This is evident from the magazine's editorial; the name Christian Barman, who had joined the new London Passenger Transport Board (successors to the Underground Group) a year after its formation in 1933, is in evidence and the eminence grise of London's transport, Frank Pick, who was also influential across other authorities such as the Empire Marketing Board, the Design & Industries Association to name but two, contributed an article.
There are many examples of LT's long commissioning of posters, press adverts and publicity reproduced in the issue including works by artists and designers who had no place in the Germany of 1937. Like all other German publications Gebrauchsgraphik had by this date been eviscerated by the censorship, and worse, of the National Socialist dictatorship.
This double page shows a variety of the "car cards" or "window bills" many of which were truly ephemeral being for weekend or single day events and that were pasted up, removed or covered up. They are often the un-sung heroes of LT's publicity. This can also be said for press advertising, examples here including those commissioned to sell LT's own Commercial Advertising that sold space to advertisers on the Board's vehicles, stations and other structures.
There are works here by Betty Swanwick, Oscar Lancaster, Clifford and Rosemary Ellis (here as C & RE) Walter Spradbury, and Eckersley-Lombers. Two artists here had effectively, like so many others, abandoned Germany or had been forced out because of their Jewish heritage; Walter Goetz (1911 - 1995) and Zéró, aka Hans Schleger both had long and illustrious careers in the UK. Goetz famously had been drafted in at short notice to broadcast the German version of Chamberlain's BBC broadcast on 27 September 1938 and about which there was some furore.
Gebrauchsgraphik : International Advertising Art : März 1937 : London's advertising art : Frenzel & Engelbrecher "Gebrauchsgraphik" Verlag : Berlin : 1937 : car cards/window bills and press adverts.
The March 1937 issue of Gebrauchsgraphik, the influential German monthly magazine of advertising art, was a special issue focussing on advertising and publicity trends in London. At the time British graphic design and especially "commercial art" was in a period of some critical acclaim. As the magazine's articles and illustrations show this was, in some ways, down to the work and patronage of several individuals and companies such as London Transport, who particularly in the post-WW1 years, had helped raise the standards of such art, design and publicity.
This is evident from the magazine's editorial; the name Christian Barman, who had joined the new London Passenger Transport Board (successors to the Underground Group) a year after its formation in 1933, is in evidence and the eminence grise of London's transport, Frank Pick, who was also influential across other authorities such as the Empire Marketing Board, the Design & Industries Association to name but two, contributed an article.
There are many examples of LT's long commissioning of posters, press adverts and publicity reproduced in the issue including works by artists and designers who had no place in the Germany of 1937. Like all other German publications Gebrauchsgraphik had by this date been eviscerated by the censorship, and worse, of the National Socialist dictatorship.
This double page shows a variety of the "car cards" or "window bills" many of which were truly ephemeral being for weekend or single day events and that were pasted up, removed or covered up. They are often the un-sung heroes of LT's publicity. This can also be said for press advertising, examples here including those commissioned to sell LT's own Commercial Advertising that sold space to advertisers on the Board's vehicles, stations and other structures.
There are works here by Betty Swanwick, Oscar Lancaster, Clifford and Rosemary Ellis (here as C & RE) Walter Spradbury, and Eckersley-Lombers. Two artists here had effectively, like so many others, abandoned Germany or had been forced out because of their Jewish heritage; Walter Goetz (1911 - 1995) and Zéró, aka Hans Schleger both had long and illustrious careers in the UK. Goetz famously had been drafted in at short notice to broadcast the German version of Chamberlain's BBC broadcast on 27 September 1938 and about which there was some furore.