Julius Gipkens

Biography

Publicity, posters, book covers, packaging, exhibition stands. Born 16 February 1883 in Emmerich. Self taught. Began his career in Berlin as an exhibition designer and designer of window displays. Worked on Simplicissimus and other journals. By 1912: designed the typeface Admiral. 1913: his typefaces Majestic and Femina issued by the Bauer Typefoundry. ‘Before the [First World War] one of the five great Berlin poster artists…’. (Frenzel, 1932). 1915-17: military service. Publicity work for the Red Cross. His style much influenced by that of Lucian Bernhard. Worked for the chocolate firm Stollwerk. Art director of the publisher Scherl. Died 1968 in New York.

Writings by

  • ‘My first wrappings for chocolates of 1908’ (conversation with 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., Jan. 1932, pp. 18-21.

Writings about

  • Walter F. Schubert, Die deutsche Werbegraphik, Berlin: Francke & Lang, 1927. , 1927
    • Julius Klinger (intro.), Gipkens, Dortmund: Ruhfus, 1912, (monograph: v. 6 in the Deutscher Reklamekünstler series) Hans Sachs, ‘Julius Gipkens’, Das Plakat, 1914, v. 2, pp. 61-72 (and frequent appearances thereafter) The Studio, 1925, v. 90, p. 190
  • Walter F. Schubert, ‘Die bildmässige Anzeige’, Die Reklame, Sept. (2) 1925, pp. 996-9
  • Vollmer, 1955
  • work in C. Kupferberg, Frühe künstlerische Werbegraphik aus dem Hause Kupferberg, Mainz (wine mfr.), Mainz/Berlin: Kupferberg, 1963
  • www.hamburg.de/Behoerden/Kulturbehoerde/epoc/deutsch
  • H.K. Frenzel, ‘Back to twenty years ago’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Jan. 1934, pp. 17-32, esp. pp. 20, 25
  • Hellmut Rademacher, Deutsche Plakatkunst und ihre Meister, Hanau: Verlag Werner Dausien, 1965., 1965, p. 19, and illust.
  • Herbert Bauer, ‘German poster art and its masters’, novum, Aug. 1980, pp. 52-6
  • Michael Fehr and Gerhard Storck, Deutsches Museum für Kunst in Handel und Gewerbe 1909-1919 (exh. cat.), Kaiser Wilhelm Museum Krefeld and Karl Ernst Osthaus-Museum der Stadt Hagen, publisher: Snoeck-Ducaju & Zoon, Ghent, 1997., 1997 (see ‘Plakate’ index, ‘Buchgewerbe’ index)
    • H.K. Frenzel, ’25 years of [the] German poster’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., 1925, no. 4, Jhrg. 2, pp. 1-46, esp. pp. 21, 29
  • Eberhard Hölscher, ‘From the beginnings of commercial art’ (ads for Kupferberg of Mainz), Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Sept. 1963, pp. 42-7