Hermann Eidenbenz

Biography

Publicity, display, stamps, banknotes, typography. Swiss. Born 4 September 1902 in Cannanore, India, of Swiss parents. 1918-22: studied at the Zurich Kunstgewerbeschule while (1919-22) trained with the Zurich printers Orell Füssli. 1922-3: studied at the Zurich Kunstgewerbeschule: a teacher was Ernst Keller. 1923-5: worked in the Berlin studio of Wilhelm Deffke. 1925-6: assistant to O.H.W. Hadank in Berlin. 1926-32: taught lettering and graphic design at the Magdeburg Kunst- und Handwerkerschule while continuing to work for Deffke. 1932: returned to Switzerland where he had a studio – H., R. and W. Eidenbenz - in Basle with his two brothers Reinhold (photographer) and Willy until 1953. 1937: worked on Swiss Pavilion for Paris International Exhibition. 1940-43: taught at the Basle Allgemeine Gewerbeschule. 1953-5: head of the graphic design department, Braunschweig (Brunswick) Werkkunstschule, (Germany). 1955-67: art director and consultant for the Reemtsma Company, Hamburg. 1964: designed the AGI exhibition, Hamburg. From 1970: living in Oberwil near Basle. His typefaces: Graphique (1944, Haas), Clarendon (recutting, 1951, Haas), Bold Clarendon (1954, Haas). Designed banknotes for both Germany and Switzerland. Died 25 February 1993 in Basle, Switzerland.

Writings by

  • Walter Amstutz (ed.), Who’s Who in Graphic Art, 2nd ed., Dübendorf, 1982., 1982.

Writings about

  • E. Hölscher, ‘The Kiel Week’ (poster competition), Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., June 1959, pp. 54-5
    • Hans Kasser, ‘Eidenbenz’, Graphis 11/12, 1945, pp. 326-35
  • Camera, 1947
  • Gerda Finsterer-Stuber, Marken und Signete, Stuttgart: Julius Hoffmann, 1957
  • Künstlerlexikon der Schweiz XX. Jh. (Huber), 1958-
    • Heiri Steiner, ‘Hermann Eidenbenz’, Graphis 206, 1980, pp. 466-77
  • Friedrich Friedl, Nicolaus Ott, Bernard Stein, Typography – when/who/how, Cologne: Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, 1998., 1998
  • Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon, Munich/Leipzig: K.G. Saur Verlag, 1990-., 2002.
  • showing of Graphique, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., May 1954, p. 54
  • Eberhard 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
  • Jost Hochuli, ‘Magdeburg, 1926-1932. Ein systematischer Schriftunterricht’, Typographische (or Typografische) Monatsblätter (journal), St Gallen: 1952-93, Zurich: 1994-present., March/April 1978, pp. 81-96

Exhibitions

  • Helmhaus, 1949
  • Kunstgewerbemuseum, Zurich, 1959.