Walter Baum

Biography

Type designer, book covers, signets. Born 23 May 1921 in Gummersbach. 1935-9: trained as a typesetter and printer. 1946-8: studied at Meisterschule für das gestaltende Handwerk, Offenbach a.M.: a teacher was Hans Bohn. 1949-72: director of the graphics studio of Bauer Typefoundry, Frankfurt a.M. 1972-86: director of the Frankfurt a.M. Kunstschule Westend. Designed numerous typefaces for Bauer including Alpha (1954), Beta (1954)and Imprimatur with Konrad Friedrich Bauer; others he designed were Volta (1956), Folio (1956-63), Verdi (1957), Impressum (1963).

Writings about

  • showing of Folio, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., June 1960, p. 56
  • Friedrich Friedl, Nicolaus Ott, Bernard Stein, Typography – when/who/how, Cologne: Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, 1998., 1998.
  • Eberhard Hölscher, ‘Walter Baum. Prospectuses for a type foundry’ (Bauer), Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., April 1955, pp. 24-9
  • E. Hölscher, ‘A new type-face is presented’ (Folio prospectuses), Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Oct. 1962, pp. 2-9