H. K. Frenzel

Biography

Designer, displays, writer, editor. Born Hermann Karl Frenzel 21 December 1882 in Horka, Silesia. He first trained as a scientific draughtsman and, later, as a painter and graphic artist at the Leipzig Akademie der bildenden Künste. 1905-6: travelled to Asia Minor on a land-surveying expedition. 1910: settled in Berlin, first working for a newspaper publisher, then as an independent artist. His career was interrupted by the war of 1914-18. Upon his return from military service, during which he was a pilot and twice wounded, he began to design posters and organise activities in the field of commercial art. 1920: one of the founders of the BDG (Bund Deutscher Gebrauchsgraphiker: Association of German Graphic Designers). (In 1937 the BDG was incorporated into the Fachgruppe der Reichskammer der Bildenden Künste (Reich Chamber of the Pictorial Arts). 1923: in charge of the German Exhibition at Göteborg. 1924: founded, and was publisher/editor-in-chief of Gebrauchsgraphik, a journal of international commercial art which was very important in publicising the work of established and up-coming artists and designers. 1924/5: designed exhibition display for Sozialdemokratischen Presse (trade fair). 1929: art director of the Reklame Schau, Berlin, on the occasion of the 25th World Advertising Congress, Berlin. Sept. 1933: he and Paul Pfund the German judges for the prizes awarded at the Continental Advertising Congress, Rome/Milan. He was artistic adviser to the Krefeld United Silk-Weaving Works (Vereinigten Seidenwebereien Krefeld) and founded the firm’s two periodicals, Modekurzberichte and Modevorschau. Frenzel organised numerous trade fairs and was adviser to the Crawford advertising agency, Berlin. He was Editor of Gebrauchsgraphik (the official organ of the Bundes Deutscher Gebrauchsgraphiker [BDG], Association of German Graphic Artists) until his death on 15 October 1937, age 55. He was succeeded as Editor by Eberhard Hölscher.

Writings by

  • ‘A talk with Otto Krell’, pp. 32-40
  • September: ‘Walter Riemer’, pp. 2-16
  • August: ‘Emil Orlik’, pp. 16-24
  • ‘E.M. Cordier’, pp. 25-31
  • ‘Alexander Gumitsch’, pp. 38-41
  • September: ‘Hans Goetsch’, pp. 2-8
  • ‘German oil from German soil’, pp. 58-60
  • October: ‘”The Road” exhibition in Munich, 1934’, pp. 54-9
  • November: ‘Rhön – Spessart’ (exhibition), pp. 22-9
  • ‘W. Greiner, Würzberg’, pp. 31-5
  • December: ‘Newspaper advertisements’, pp. 34-45.
  • In his role as Publisher and Editor of Gebrauchsgraphik, Frenzel introduced, with a brief paragraph or two (at times a sentence or two) many of the articles listed below. Many more of his articles may have been unsigned
  • the following, however, are credited to Frenzel (many have an English translation). However, not listed are several of his articles that do not pertain to the subject of this book. Also note that Gebrauchsgraphik, founded in 1924, did not immediately date its issues: Thus, ‘Jhrg. 1’ = Nov. 1924-Oct. 1925
  • ‘Jhrg. 2’= Nov. 1925-Dec. 1926
  • then ‘Jhrg. 3’ = Jan.-Dec.1927.
  • Gebrauchsgraphik articles and introductions (‘Heft’ = volume):
    • Jhrg. 1 (1924-5), Heft 9: ‘Betrachtungen zur Reichs-Reklame-Messe’ (Berlin, April-May 1925), pp. 1-6 Heft 12: ‘Reklame Fetische’, pp. 51-3. Jahrg. 2, Heft 4 (1926): ‘25 years of [the] German poster’, pp. 4-15 (includes photos of the leading designers
  • pp. 16-43 reproduce selections of their work)
    • Jahrg. 3, Heft 2: ‘Atelier Bernhard-Rosen’, pp. 13-24. Jhrg. 3: Heft 7 (1927): ‘The foreign poster’, p. 1 Heft 10 (issue devoted to advertising in the USA): ‘Amerika’ and numerous other articles
    • 1928: Heft 1: ‘Paul Winkler-Leers/Otto Franz Kutscher’, pp. 60-64 Heft 2: ‘German posters of 1927’, pp. 31-59 Heft 6: ‘Internationale Press Exhibition, Cologne’, pp. 3-18 Heft 8: ‘Commercial art in Hamburg’, pp. 2-34
  • ‘The political poster’, pp. 44-55
    • 1929: Heft 2: ‘The Advertising Exhibition, Berlin, 1929’, pp. 60-64 (includes HKF’s work) Heft 3: ‘Der Norddeutsche Lloyd und seine neuen Plakate’, pp. 14-16 Heft 7: ‘We extend a hearty welcome…’ (International Advertising Association meeting, Berlin), pp. 2-7 Heft 8: ‘The Advertising Exhibition, 1929, Berlin’, pp. 2-23
  • ‘The 25th International Advertising Congress, 1929, Berlin’, pp. 24-32
  • ‘Leon L. Amar’, pp. 57-62
    • Heft 9: ‘Willy Wolff’, pp. 14-20 Heft 10: ‘Prof. Max Körner’, pp. 32-41
  • ‘Wilhelm Metzig, Hannover’, pp. 47-50
    • Heft 11: ‘Hanns Wagula’ (Austrian designer), pp. 28-31
  • ‘Stop thief!’ (infringement of copyright), pp. 72-6
    • Heft 12: ‘Prof. Ernst Böhm’, pp. 2-19
  • 1930: January: ‘New Year’s Eve aphorisms by the Editor’, p. 4
  • ‘Advertising methods of great firms’, pp. 5-21
  • ‘Das neue Schriftbuch der Schriftgiesserei Berthold A.-G.’ (Trump), pp. 65-8
  • February: ‘Friedrich Binder’, pp. 50-55
  • ‘An hour with Silas Spitzer’ (about Hans Schleger), pp. 56-7, 58, 60
  • March: ‘Dore Mönkemeyer-Corty’, pp. 2-14
  • ‘Bruno Karberg’, pp. 44-51
  • April: ‘Munich carnival posters’ (Richard Klein, Franz Paul Glass and others), pp. 57-64
  • May: ‘Eugen Julius Schmid’, pp. 16-20
  • ‘Berlin and its trade-mark’ (Charal), pp. 21-3
  • ‘The commercial artist Cyliax and Gebr. Fretz A.G. Zurich’, pp. 24-32
  • ‘Lili Réthi’, pp. 53-7
  • ‘Das Plakat für die Deutschen Kampfspiele in Breslau 1930’, (Molzahn and others) pp. 58-9
  • June: ‘Walter Spiegel’, pp. 40-48
  • August: ‘Siegfried Kortemeier’, pp. 2-7
  • July: ‘Preparatory training for advertising artists’ (interview with O.H.W. Hadank and E. Böhm), pp. 2-43 (including work of their students)
  • ‘Carl Keidel’, pp. 28-33
  • ‘Fritz Richter, Salzburg’, pp. 34-7
  • ‘Hoffmann-Lederer’ (Mila and Hanns), pp. 61-7
  • October: ‘Valentin Zietara’, pp. 2-16
  • ‘Andreas Niessen’, pp. 24-9
  • ‘Pictures for women – words to women’ (Hans Schleger), pp. 34-9
  • ‘Alexander Gumitsch’, pp. 40-43
  • ‘Else Taterka’, pp. 47-53
  • November: ‘Amandus Goetzell’, pp. 12-15
  • ‘Blank’, pp. 16-23
  • ‘Walter Breker’, pp. 36-41
  • ‘Walter W. Holz’, pp. 48-51
  • December: ‘Ernst Kretschmann’, pp. 30-37
  • 1931: January: ‘Prof. O.H.W. Hadank’, pp. 3-25
  • ‘Ruth Krüger’, pp. 44-9
  • February: ‘Walter Trier’, pp. 2-16
  • March: ‘J.U. Engelhard’, pp. 2-11
  • May: ‘Herbert Bayer’, pp. 2-19
  • ‘Where is advertising going?’, pp. 20-29
  • ‘Let us seek an example’ (Georg Salter
  • men’s shops advertisements including his own), pp. 30-57
  • ‘Brief remarks on pictorial form in advertising’, pp. 58-61
  • July: ‘’Erich M. Simon’, pp. 2-9
  • February: comments on January introduction, pp. 2-3
  • August: ‘The “Neue Vereinigung Münchner Plakat-Kunstler”’ (League of Munich Poster Artists), pp. 2-9
  • October: ‘Uli Huber’, pp. 2-8
  • December: ‘The landscape in poster art’ (includes Hohlwein), pp. 2-25.
  • 1932: January: ‘Bahlsen, Hannover’ (biscuit manufacturer), pp. 2-14
  • ‘Happy holidays’, pp. 22-5
  • ‘German wrappings for chocolates [and other products]’ (talk with Julius Gipkens), pp. 16-49
  • March: ‘Hermann Keimel’, pp. 2-7
  • April: ‘Emmerich Huber, a merry-hearted artist’, pp. 4-11
  • ‘Georg Fritz, ein Meister’, pp. 17-32
  • ‘League for pictorial peace propaganda’, pp. 38-45
  • ‘A retrospect of the German Advertising Congress, Berlin, 1932, summons to propaganda’, pp. 46-9
  • May: ‘Henry Ehlers’, pp. 14-33
  • ‘Folders’ (their purpose), pp. 34-53
  • June: ‘Prof. Paul Scheurich’, pp. 8-25
  • ‘Calligraphic posters of the National Art Library, Berlin’ (Kurt Siebert), pp. 31-4
  • ‘Friedrich Otto Muck’, pp. 58-9
  • ‘Die Ausstellung der Ortsgruppe, Cologne’, p. 60
  • ‘Plakatwettbewerb der Münchner Kunstausstellung 1932’, p. 61
  • July: ‘The downward curve’ (quality of advertising), pp. 2-15
  • August: ‘Georg Salter’, pp. 2-9
  • September: ‘Prof. Walter von Wecus’ (set designer), pp. 18-23
  • November: ‘Albert Fuss’, pp. 2-31
  • ‘Herman Seewald’, pp. 33-41
  • December: ‘Professor Ernst Aufseeser’, pp. 12-26
  • ‘Hans Aufseeser’, pp. 27-31.
  • 1933: January: ‘10th volume’ (anniversary), pp. 2-3
  • ‘Prof. Ludwig Hohlwein’, pp. 18-19
  • ‘G. Ruth’, pp. 8-15
  • June: ‘Development of calendar illustration’, pp. 52-64
  • July: ‘Bernd Reuters and the others’, pp. 2-9
  • ‘Paul Pfund’, pp. 18-25
  • ‘Walter Jacobs’, pp. 50-54
  • August: ‘Willi Petzold’, pp. 2-9
  • ‘Problems of art instruction’ (conversation with Ernst Schneidler), pp. 10-21, 66-7
  • ‘Karl Straub’, pp. 26-31
  • September: ‘Prof. Max Körner’, pp. 2-9
  • ‘Franz H. Wills’, pp. 40-47
  • November: ‘Werner Brand’, pp. 50-59
  • December: (with others), ‘Advertisements always advertisements’ (advertisements of Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung), pp. 18-47.
  • 1934: January: ‘Back to twenty years ago’ (posters), pp. 17-32
  • ‘Professor Wilhelm Schnarrenberger’, pp. 48-53
  • February: ‘Alois Senefelder’ (died 1834), pp. 2-5
  • ‘Erich Lüdke’ (illustrator), pp. 6-11
  • ‘Hans Möhring’, pp. 12-17
  • ‘Eduard Sauer’, pp. 28-35
  • ‘Walter Süssman’ (photographer), pp. 56-63
  • May: ‘Wrappings and boxes of the Wards Company, Chicago’, pp. 12-13
  • ‘Robert L. Leonard, New York’, pp. 42-5
  • June: ‘Professor Ludwig Bartning’, pp. 2-7
  • ‘Ursula Bartning’, pp. 8-13
  • ‘Esther Bartning’, pp. 14-15
  • ‘Gertrud Bartning-Neidhardt’, pp. 16-17
  • ‘Neue Corty-Plakate’, pp. 18-25
  • July: ‘Professor Ludwig Hohlwein 60 Jahre’, pp. 2-11
  • ‘León Gischia, Paris’, pp. 12-19
  • ‘Posters from Munich’, pp. 36-43
  • 1935: February: ‘Elsa Eisgruber’, pp. 2-9
  • March: ‘Prof. O. Anton’, pp. 20-21
  • ‘Toni Zepf’, pp. 32-5
  • ‘Valentin Zietara (obituary), pp. 62-3
  • April: ‘Whose fault is it?’ (film posters), pp. 22-6
  • May: ‘Advertising means of the North German Lloyd’, pp. 2-15
  • ‘Six humorous talents’ (Emmerich Huber, Adolf Wuttke, Sidney Banks, Reinhold Escher, Wilmar Riegenring, Kurt Röcken), pp. 34-57
  • June: ‘Elsbeth Heddenhausen’ (photographer), pp. 2-6
  • ‘A word about advertisements’, pp. 48-55
  • July: ‘Deutsche Lufthansa, Berlin, Imperial Airways, London, A.B. Aerotransport, Stockholm’, pp. 36-49
  • ‘Victor Kuron’, pp. 50-53
  • ‘Leo Bothas’, pp. 56-9
  • August: ‘What is good? What is right?’ (shoe advertisements), pp. 2-32
  • ‘A trip to the land of good posters’ (Switzerland), pp. 46-53
  • ‘Heinrich von Boddien’ (illustrator), pp. 62-4
  • September: ‘E.R. Weiss’, pp. 2-19
  • ‘Herbert Thannhaeuser’, pp. 24-32
  • ‘Wilhelm Metzig’, pp. 33-41
  • October: ‘Heinrich M. Grossman’, pp. 12-15
  • ‘Polish posters’, pp. 44-7
  • November: ‘Exhibition “Beautiful bindings as advertisers for books”’ (German Book Week, Leipzig), pp. 36-9
  • ‘Kaffee Hag’, pp. 40-45
  • December: ‘The advertising methods of the Christian Dierig Co., Langenbielau, Silesia’, pp. 14-19
  • ‘Hans Möller’, pp. 54-7
  • ‘Erhardt Klepper’ (illustrator), pp. 58-63.
  • 1936: Jan.: ‘Prof. Emmy Zweybrück, Wien’, pp. 10-13
  • ‘Automobile advertisements’, pp. 14-27
  • ‘Joe Averdung’, pp. 36-9
  • ‘Hans Schneider’, pp. 40-43
  • ‘Martin Lehmann’, pp. 62-3
  • Feb.: ‘Buchkunst, Arte Romana, Penrose Annual’ (reviews), pp. 30-36
  • ‘In praise of achievement in everyday work’ (Carl Werner, printer), pp. 54-7
  • April: ‘Eduard Sauer’, pp. 12-17
  • ‘Wilhelm Winterschlade’, pp. 34-9
  • ‘”Am laufenden Band” von Heinrich Hauser’, pp. 54-5
  • ‘Heinz Schmidt-Berg’, pp. 56-61
  • May: ‘A new parchment manuscript’ (Mein Kampf: presentation box by Albert Fuss), pp. 40-43
  • ‘Wündrich Meissen’, pp. 44-7
  • ‘Eleonora Rozanek’, pp. 48-51
  • ‘New catalogues issued by the Mills Novelty Co., Chicago’, pp. 52-7
  • ‘Satomi, a Japanese advertising artist’, pp. 58-61
  • June: ‘Alfred Mahlau’, pp. 2-10
  • ‘Calendars’, pp. 15-17
  • ‘German periodical publishers visit Hungary’, pp. 18-21
  • ‘Arthur Bemeleit’, pp. 34-9
  • ‘Florence Henri, Paris’ (photographer), pp. 40-45
  • ‘Professor Edmund Schaefer’, pp. 52-5
  • July: ‘The XIth Olympiad, Berlin, 1936. Sporting and advertising graphic art’, pp. 2-17
  • ‘Encyclopédie Photographique de l’Art’, pp. 40-45
  • ‘Andreasen & Lachmann, Copenhagen’, pp. 50-55
  • ‘Max Hauschild’, pp. 56-61
  • Aug.: ‘Posters for sparkling wine’, pp. 54-5
  • Sept.: ‘The colour photographer’ (Scaïoni), pp. 2-10
  • Oct.: ‘Otto Stanzig’, pp. 2-9
  • ‘German advertising’ (the Essen exh., Sept. 1936), pp. 16-32
  • ‘Ursula Kluth’ (illustrator), pp. 48-51
  • Nov.: ‘Edi Kallista, Papierplastiken’, pp. 38-41
  • London Transport’, pp. 32-7
  • Dec.: ‘Studio Boggeri, Milano’, pp. 10-13
  • ‘Moderne italienische Kunst’, pp. 44-9
  • ‘Fighting Plagiarism’ (report at the opening of the Continental Advertising Congress, Berlin), p. 61.
  • 1937: Jan.: ‘Tourist traffic [travel] posters, 1936’, pp. 2-17
  • ‘The photographer Friedrich Seidenstücker’, pp. 42-9
  • ‘Calendars’, pp. 36-41
  • ‘The importance of the shopwindows for a tailor’, pp. 59-60
  • Feb.: ‘Walter Nehmer’, pp. 2-9
  • ‘From the 15th Annual of Advertising Art’, pp. 42-5
  • ‘French poster art and her younger artists’, pp. 46-51
  • ‘Magda Vogl-Suppan’ (Austrian fashion designer), pp. 52-5
  • March (special number: Advertising in London): ‘London’s advertising art’, pp. 2-3
  • April: ‘Werner Beucke’, pp. 10-15
  • ‘Urs Lang-Kurz’ (Stuttgart photographer), pp. 42-9
  • May: ‘The colour photographer Inge Petersen’, pp. 18-23
  • ‘Richard Blank, Berlin’, pp. 30-35
  • ‘C.C. Dean, New York’, pp. 57-60
  • June: ‘Studio Triclair’, pp. 32-5
  • ‘Black Forest tavern in the Daimler-Benz-Werke near Berlin’, pp. 44-7
  • ‘Prof. W. Masjutin. Woodcuts for the Deutsche Lufthansa’, p. 48 plus inserts
  • July: ‘Posters’, pp. 2-15
  • ‘Karl Mahr’, pp. 34-9
  • Aug.: ‘Wilhelm Bermpohl’ (photographer), pp. 18-31
  • ‘Harry Farrell, Chicago’, pp. 32-9
  • ‘Tag der Deutschen Kunst, München, 1937’, pp. 48-54
  • Sept.: ‘Otto Franz Kutscher’, pp. 15-19
  • ‘An analysis of the German advertisement market’, pp. 46-58
  • ‘Gerda Romstöck’, pp. 59-61.
  • Books by HKF: Ludwig Hohlwein (with Walter F. Schubert), Berlin: Phönix, 1926
  • Hugo Steiner-Prag, Berlin: Phönix, 1928.
  • Other articles by HKF: ‘Wohin “wollen” wir?’, Das Plakat, Oct. 1921, pp. 590-91
  • ‘Advertising in Germany in 1930’, Modern Publicity, 1930, pp. 102-9
  • ‘From Utamaro to Cassandre’, Penrose’s Annual, 1934, pp. 1-7, plus supplement (E.T. Scheffauer, tr.)
  • ‘The influence of market fluctuations on the demand for advertising’, Penrose Annual, 1936, pp. 23-5 and supplement (includes work of Uli Huber, Ludwig Hohlwein, Werner Beucke, Ernst Böhm, Wilhelm Metzig, Johannes Boehland).
    • Heft 11: ‘Michael Biro/Master of the political poster in Central Europe’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., pp. 62-7.

Writings about

  • ‘Prof. H.K. Frenzel’ (obituary), Deutscher Drucker, Oct. 1937, p. 38
    • Art and Industry (obituary), 1937, v. 23, p. 239
  • JA, 2000, pp. 120-25, 127-37.
    • Design work of HKF may be found as follows: Wieland, 1918/19, v. 12, p. 18 (postwar poster)
  • ‘Professor H.K. Frenzel’ (obituary), Die zeitgemässe Schrift, Berlin/Leipzig: Verlag für Schriftkunde Heintze & Blanckertz., Jan. 1938, p. 44
  • Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., 1925, v. 11, p. 82 (bookbindings)
  • Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., May 1931, pp. 38-41 (ads).
    • Report on HKF’s speech ‘Die neue Wirtschaft und die Werbung’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., 1928, v. 5, p. 78
  • Eberhard Hölscher, ‘In memory of H.K. Frenzel’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Nov. 1937, pp. 2-7 (obituary), and other tributes, pp. 8-12
    • Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., 1925, v. 10, p. 29, display stand ‘The Advertising Exhibition, Berlin, 1929’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., 1929, v. 2, pp. 61, 62, v. 8, p.5: ‘Olde Town’* at Adv. Exh., Berlin