Eugen O. Sporer

Biography

Woodcuts, type designs, book jackets and books, lettering, postage stamps. Born 16 January 1920 in Munich. 1941?-1945?: military service; prisoner-of-war. 1946-52: student at the Munich Akademie der Bildenden Künste: one of his teachers was Emil Preetorius. From 1948: freelance letterer and book designer; his publishing clients included Insel, Prestel, Hirmer, Kösel. His books frequently appeared in the ’50 schönsten Bucher’ (most beautiful books) exhibitions. Died 31 October 1994 in Ebersbach/Munich.

Writings about

  • Vollmer, 1958
  • GKS, 1962
  • Hans A. Halbey (intro.), Eugen Sporer. Holzschnitte, Munich: Prestel, 1964
  • Gustav Stresow, ‘Eugen Sporer. Holzschneider und Büchermacher’, Philobiblon, March 1985, pp. 27-56 (plus 24 pp. showing jackets, covers, watercolours, paintings)
  • Lillian Schacherl, ‘Bunte Schwarz-Weiss-Welt’, Illustration 63, April 1985, pp. 14-18
  • German Fine Printing (exh. checklist), New York: Grolier Club/Typophiles, 1992
  • Anton Sailer, ‘The wood-engraver Eugen Sporer, Munich’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Feb. 1954, pp. 38-43 (jackets)
  • E. Hölscher, ‘The special stamps of the Federal Postal Services 1956’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., March 1957, pp. 22-7
  • Patrick Fox, ‘Patterned papers in the Insel-Bücherei’, The Penguin Collector, Henley-on-Thames: Penguin Collectors’ Society, June 1994, pp. 6-15
    • P. Fox, ‘Patterned papers in the Insel-Bücherei’, Matrix 14, Risbury, Herefordshire: Whittington, Winter 1994, pp. 178-87 plus tip-in
  • Hans A. Halbey, ‘Zum Gedenken an Eugen Sporer’, Illustration 63, April 2000, pp. 16-19
  • Lexikon des gesamten Buchwesens, Stuttgart: Hiersmann, 2005.
  • Eberhard Hölscher, ‘Eugen Sporer, München’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Oct. 1951, pp. 52-5
  • brief biography, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., March 1954, p. 53
  • E. Hölscher, ‘Special postage stamps issued by the German Post Office in 1955’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Dec. 1955, pp. 8-13

Exhibitions

  • Grolier Club, New York, Dec. 1991-March 1992 (group).