Walter Brudi

Biography

Posters, book design, type design, lettering, publicity. Born 24 January 1907 in Stuttgart. 1925-9: studied at the Staatliche Akademie der bildende Künste, Stuttgart: one of his teachers was F.H. Ernst Schneidler. He later worked in a design studio. 1930-33: head of publicity department at the wool firm Merkel & Kienlin, Esslingen-Neckar. 1932-5: taught typography and graphic design at the Berlin Höhere Graphische Fachschule. 1935-42: taught typography and graphic design at the Meisterschule für Deutschlands Buchdrucker, Munich. 1942-4: war artist in Russia.

‘This career [at the Meisterschule] was interrupted by the war, a lost campaign on the hardest front, in Russia… .[ He] admits that as a soldier he did have time for imaginative excursions into a world of drawing and painting. A large body of work that he still preserves lovingly and proudly bears evidence to this: romantic creations inspired by the world of Gogol, in a style which conjures up bright lights from a murky background.’ (R. Biedrzynski, Imprimatur, 1954/5, p. iii of supplement, tr. SM)

1945: co-founder of Tübingen University Press (with Hermann Leins, Hilde Laupp and Ernst Schneidler). Late 1940s: responsible for design and production of books published by Rainer Wunderlich Verlag Hermann Leins. 1949-70: succeeded Ernst Schneidler, and J.V. Cissarz, at the Stuttgart Akademie der bildenden Künste, teaching typography and book design; became rector in 1959. From 1973: freelance. Brudi designed the typefaces Orbis (1953, Stempel), Pan (1954, Stempel) and Brudi Mediaeval (1958, Berthold); he was also an excellent illustrator and won prizes in postage-stamp competitions. He designed the stamp issued to commemorate the 500 th anniversary of the Gutenberg bible. He died 9 December 1987 in Stuttgart.

Writings by

  • Schriftschreiben und Schriftzeichnen, Stuttgart: Poeschel, 1952
  • ‘Schriftschreiben und Schriftzeichen’, Imprimatur, 1952/53, pp. 216, 218-19
  • Das Abenteuer der Handschrift, Stuttgart: Staatliche Akademie, 1959
  • Print, Jan./Feb. 1964, p. 63 (Typography – USA’ seminar)
    • comments on the subject ‘Gutenbergs Werk und die Wissenschaftlich-technische Revolution’ (with other designers), Papier und Druck, 1968, 1
  • Schriftzeichen, Stuttgart: Staatliche Akademie/Scheufele, 1971
  • ( with others) 140 Jahre Chr. Belser, 1835-1975, Stuttgart: Belser, 1975
  • Walter Amstutz (ed.), Who’s Who in Graphic Art, 2nd ed., Dübendorf, 1982., 1982.

Writings about

  • GKS, 1978
    • E. Hölscher, ‘Advertising art in post-war Germany’, Graphis 34, 1951, pp. 58-79, esp. pp. 60, 63
  • Hermann Leins and others, 50 Jahre C.E. Poeschel Verlag, 1902-52, Stuttgart: 1952, p. 48 (1948 Poeschel logo)
    • Paul Standard, ‘The restoration of calligraphy’, Graphis 50, 1953, pp. 428-43, 492-4
  • Richard Biedrzynski, ‘Noble Bescheidenheit, Das Titelwerk Walter Brudis’, Imprimatur, 1954/55, 16-page inset between pp. 176/77
  • Georg Kurt Schauer, ‘Gedenken, Gruss und Dank’, Imprimatur, 1956/7, p. 202
  • Kurt Weidemann, ‘Walter Brudi 50 Jahre’, Der Druckspiegel, March 1957, pp. 153-4
  • Gustav Barthel, ‘Walter Brudi’, Philobiblon, Sept. 1957, pp. 253-68
  • Gerda Finsterer-Stuber, Marken und Signete, Stuttgart: Julius Hoffmann, 1957
  • E. Hölscher, ‘Willi Seidl, woodcut artist’ (prints after illustrations by Walter Brudi), Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Jan. 1950, pp. 45-50
  • 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., June 1952, p. 59
  • 8-page supplement designed by Brudi’s students,’Original Janson Antiqua’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Nov. 1952
  • 1953-59: E. Hölscher, ‘New postal stamps’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Nov. 1953, pp. 42-3
  • E. Hölscher, ‘Walter Brudi’ (signets, lettering), Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Jan. 1955, pp. 32-9
    • 1960-69: Erhard Frommhold, ‘Künstlerische Gestaltungsprobleme in der Buchproduktion’ (book designs of VEB Verlag der Kunst), Bildende Kunst 1, 1960, pp. 40-44
  • Hans Fegers (ed.), Walter Brudi, Eugen Funk, Gunther Böhmer (exh. cat.), Stuttgart: Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, 1963
  • GKS, 1963, pp. 259-62
  • Richard Biedrzynski, ‘Der Illustrator Walter Brudi’, Imprimatur, 1963/64, 8-page inset between pp. 112/13
  • ‘Professor Walter Brudi’ (teaching positions), Der Druckspiegel, April 1964, p. 52
    • ‘Walter Brudi, 60 Jahre’, Graphik, 1967, 2, p. 36
  • ‘Neue Schriften’ (Brudi’s Mediäval), Typographische (or Typografische) Monatsblätter (journal), St Gallen: 1952-93, Zurich: 1994-present., May 1959, p. 287
  • showings of Pan (8-page supplement), Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Oct. 1959
  • showing of Brudi Mediaeval, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Jan. 1960, p. 56
  • E. Hölscher, ‘Walter Brudi’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., April 1961, pp. 24-33
  • Franz Koebner, ‘Walter Brudi. Marken und Signete’, Exlibriskunst und Gebrauchsgraphik, 1950-. Yearbook of the Deutsche Exlibris Gesselschaft [DEG]., 1962, pp. 57-61
  • G.K. Schauer, ‘The advertising book-jacket 1962’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Oct. 1963, pp. 8-19
  • Kurt Weidemann, ‘The advertising book-jacket, 1963’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Sept. 1964, pp. 8-23
    • ‘Walter Brudi und seine Schriftzeichen’, Graphik, 1971, 11, pp. 40-41
  • ‘Walter Brudi, Fünfundsechzig Jahre’, Form und Technik, 1972, p. 106
  • GKS, 1976
  • G.K. Schauer, ‘Gegenwart und Zukunft unserer Buchkultur’, Philobiblon, March 1978, pp. 6-18, esp. pp. 14-16
    • G.K. Schauer, ‘“Die Hand auf der Schulter”: Walter Brudi und sein Werk’, Aus dem Antiquariat, 1980, 10, pp. A529-33 (talk at opening of exh.) Herbert Lechner, ‘Walter Brudi und die “Esslinger Wolle”’, Graphik, 1982, 1, pp. 29-31
  • Wolfgang Kermer and others, Walter Brudi. Graphik, Malerei, Stuttgart: Belser, 1987
  • Patrick Fox, ‘Patterned papers in the Insel-Bücherei’, The Penguin Collector, Henley-on-Thames: Penguin Collectors’ Society, June 1994, pp. 6-15
  • Peter Steiner, ‘Das Abenteuer Walter Brudi aus der Sicht eines Schülers’, from W. Kermer’s Walter Brudi, 1987, repr. in WK, 1996, pp. 91-2
  • WK, 1996, esp. pp. 176-7
    • Alfred Tilp, ‘Walter Brudi, teaching by example’, baseline, 33, 2001, pp. 37-44 (tr. Mark Arnot)
  • www.klingspor-museum.de.
  • novum, Jan. 1979, p. 32
  • Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon, Munich/Leipzig: K.G. Saur Verlag, 1990-., 1996
  • Friedrich Friedl, Nicolaus Ott, Bernard Stein, Typography – when/who/how, Cologne: Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, 1998., 1998
  • ‘Eberhard Hölscher, ‘Walter Brudi’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., March 1939, pp. 2-9
  • 1931-52: work of the Württemberg Group, BDG, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., June 1931, pp. 58-67
  • E. Hölscher, ‘Walter Brudi’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Sept. 1934, pp. 36-43
  • Eberhard Hölscher, ‘Varying forms and uses of a publisher’s [trade-] mark’ (Brudi’s work for the publisher Rainer Wunderlich Verlag Hermann Leins), Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Jan. 1950, pp. 17-24
  • E. Hölscher, ‘The rising generation of graphic artists. Works done in the department of book graphic and typography at the State Academy of plastic and graphic arts in Stuttgart’ (Abteilung für Buchgraphik und Typographie an der Stuttgarter Staatlichen Akademie: WB’s students), Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Feb. 1952, pp. 2-17
  • E. Hölscher, comments on type specimen book designed by WB’s students, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., July 1954, pp. 62-3
    • Fritz Genzmer, ‘Firm symbols’ (logos, based on G. Finsterer-Stuber, Marken und Signete), Archiv für Druck und Papier, 1955-65; then Archiv für Drucktechnik, 1965-7; then Druck, 1968-73. , 1957, v. 3, pp. 312-15 (esp. pp. 313, 314)
  • Hans A. Halbey, ‘Book-jackets as an advertising medium’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Aug. 1959, pp. 10-19
  • ‘Das Alphabet des Monats’ (Pan), Typographische (or Typografische) Monatsblätter (journal), St Gallen: 1952-93, Zurich: 1994-present., Nov. 1959, p. 581
  • Erich Pfeiffer-Belli, ‘The advertising book-jacket’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Sept. 1960, pp. 8-17
  • note on Akademie’s 200th anniversary celebrations and Festschrift, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Feb. 1962, p. 66
  • E. Hölscher, ‘New guises for tea and coffee packages’ (Brudi students), Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Feb. 1963, pp. 2-9
  • E. Hölscher, ‘Walter Brudi’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., April 1966, pp. 2-9
  • 1970-present: G. Barthel, ‘Walter Brudi’s artistic type-faces [lettering]’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Feb. 1970, pp. 16-23

Exhibitions

  • ( selected ) New York, 1954
  • Warsaw, 1958
  • London, 1959
  • Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, 1963
  • Stadtmuseum, Munich, 1967 (WB and his students)
  • Kunstbibliothek, Berlin, 1971
  • Stadtbücherei, Stuttgart, 1974
  • Staatlichen Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Stuttgart
  • Stuttgart, 1987.

Collections

  • Klingspor Museum, Offenbach a.M.