Hellmuth Weissenborn

Biography

Illustrations, wood-engravings, linocuts. Born 29 December 1898 in Leipzig. While studying art history, ethnology and philosophy at the University of Leipzig ( Ph.D , 1925, he also studied art at the Leipzig Akademie für graphische Künste und Buchgewerbe: a teacher was Walter Tiemann. 1916-18: military service (machine-gun corps). 1919: studied at the Leipzig Akademie and at the University (D.Phil.). 1926-37: taught at the Leipzig Akademie; produced small books and ephemera, notably book-plates . His teaching position at the Akademie ended 1 April 1937 because his wife Edith (whom he had married in 1931) was Jewish. (‘Willi Geiger and Hugo Steiner- Prag were the first sacrifices claimed by the wild Nationalism.’) (HW, Illustration 63, Aug. 1980). He and his wife and son first went to Denmark. Jan. 1939: emigrated to England. 1940: became interested in wood-engraving, 1940/41: interned for six months on the Isle of Man when war broke out. 1941: divorced from Edith. 1942-70: visiting lecturer at Ravensbourne College of Art, London. From 1943: illustrated numerous books for children. 1945: with his second wife Lesley (Macdonald), co-founded the Acorn Press in London which produced limited editions illustrated with his linocuts and wood-engravings. 1979: awarded Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Federal Republic of Germany. Died 2 September 1982 in London. Lesley Macdonald- Weissenborn died 22 May 2001 in London at the age of 89.

Writings by

  • Ein ABC aus Tieren, Leipzig: Akademie, 1927
  • Bunte Bilder, Leipzig: Akademie, 1928
  • ‘Der geometrisch-typographische Formenschatz’, Typographische Mitteilungen, July 1929, pp. 166-7
  • Federschmuck im Wandel der Moden (history of fashion), Leipzig: Schöps, 1937
  • Raven the Rascal, London: Acorn Press, 1946
  • ‘Meine Freundschaft mit Hans Alexander Müller’, Illustration 63, Nov. 1978, pp. 75-7
  • ‘Mein Leben in London’, Illustration 63, Aug. 1980, pp. 42-7
  • quoted in Halbey exh. cat., 1980 (see below)
  • ABC of names from antiquity to the present, London: Acorn Press, 1980 (limited edition)
    • ‘Holz oder nicht Holz, das ist die Frage’, Graphische Kunst, 17/2, 1981, pp. 68-9 (HW’s use of materials) ‘Werkstattbericht über die Monotypie’, Graphische Kunst, 19/2, 1982, pp. 67-9
  • ‘Geometrical typographic bookplate design’, Bookplate Journal, March 1983, pp. 16-25 (reprint in English of 1929 article, tr. L. Macdonald
  • includes checklist of bookplates by HW)
  • autobiographical introduction in Hellmuth Weissenborn, Engraver, Andoversford: Whittington Press, 1983
  • London Scenes, Risbury: Whittington, 2001
  • Country Scenes, 1 and 2, Risbury: Whittington, 2001.

Writings about

  • 1933-80: Gruenberg, ‘Bild-Typographie’, Buch- und Werbekunst, March 1933, p. 86 plus supplement
  • Richard Walker (intro.), Hellmuth Weissenborn, Painter & Graphic Artist, London: Bachman & Turner, 1976
  • Henning Wendland, ‘Der Illustrator and Pressendrucker Hellmuth Weissenborn’, Illustration 63, Nov. 1977, pp. 74-8
  • H.A. Halbey, Weissenborn. Druckgraphik ( exh . cat.), Mainz: Gutenberg Museum, 1980 (speech opening the HW exh ., Oct. 1980)
  • Hellmuth Weissenborn, Engraver, Acorn Press, 1980
    • Ilse Unruh, ‘Hellmuth Weissenborn. Druckgraphik und Buchkunst im Mainzer Gutenberg-Museum’, Aus dem Antiquariat, 1980, 11, pp. A493-6
    • 1981-present: John Randle, ‘Hellmuth Weissenborn’, Matrix 2, Winter 1982, insert between pp. 68/9
  • Victor Bonham-Carter, The Times (obituary), 11 September 1982
  • Hellmuth Weissenborn, Engraver, Andoversford: Whittington Press (with the Acorn Press), 1983
    • Sebastian Carter, ‘“A Little World Made Cunningly”’, Matrix 5, Winter 1985, pp. 51-4
  • ‘Neue Pressendrucke und limitierte Ausgaben’, Illustration 63, Aug. 1986, pp. 69-72
  • Crispin Elsted, review of Hellmuth Weissenborn, Engraver, in Fine Print, Oct. 1986, pp. 193-5
  • Emigré Artists ( exh . cat.), W. Hampstead, London: John Denham Gallery, 1987
  • Vier Meister des Holzschnitts: Fritz Eichenberg, Johannes Lebek, Hans Alexander Müller, Helmut Weissenborn ( exh . cat.), Memmingen, Offenbach, Düsseldorf, Berlin. Memmingen: Curt Visel, 1988
    • Ilse Unruh, ‘Vier Meister des Holzschnitts’ (Fritz Eichenberg , Johannes Lebek , Hans Alexander Müller, Hellmuth Weissenborn ), Aus dem Antiquariat, 1989, 3, pp. A100-102
  • F. Ficker, ‘Hellmuth Weissenborn als Graphiker, Illustrator und Exlibrisgestalter’, Exlibriskunst und Graphik, DEG Jahrbuch, 1994
  • Alan Horne, The Dictionary of 20th century British Book Illustrators, Woodbridge: Antique Collectors Club, 1994 (includes list of books illustrated)
    • Anja Grebe, ‘40 Jahre Buchkunst in Leipzig’ (anniversary of the Institut für Buchkunst), Illustration 63, 1, 1996, pp. 16-18 Günter Wicke, ‘Hellmuth Weissenborn und die graphischen Künste’, Graphische Kunst, 51/2, 1998 (includes bibliography)
  • David Buckman, ‘Lesley Macdonald-Weissenborn’ (14 Dec. 1911- 22 May 2001
    • obituary), Matrix 21, Winter 2001, pp. 114-16
  • ‘Lesley Macdonald Weissenborn’ (obituary), Illustration 63, Aug. 2002, p. 60
    • review of HW’s London Scenes and Country Scenes, 1 and 2, in Illustration 63, 2/2003, p. 60 Sebastian Carter, ‘Painting with type’, Matrix 25, 2005, pp. 56-61 (includes page of book labels, most using geometric ornaments) William Waterhouse, ‘Musicians and graphic artists:the Weissenborns of Leipzig and London’, Matrix 26, Winter 2006, pp. 159-64 ( inc. family tree)
  • Ben Uri Gallery, Forced Journeys/Artists in Exile in Britain c.1933-45, London Jewish Museum of Art, 2009
  • Anna Nyburg, From Leipzig to London: The Life and work of Émigré Artist Hellmuth Weissenborn, Oak Knoll Press, New Castle, Delaware, USA, 2012
  • International Biographical Dictionary of Central European Emigrés 1933-45, Munich, New York, London, Paris: K.G. Saur, 1983., 1983
  • Kunst im Exil in Grossbritannien 1933-1945 (exh. cat.), Berlin: Neue Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst and Verlag Frölich & Kaufmann, 1986. , 1986
  • Ernst Fischer and others, Buchgestaltung im Exil 1933-1950. Eine Ausstellung des Deutschen Exilarchivs 1933-1945 Der Deutschen Bibliothek. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2003. Very comprehensive. , 2003, p. 114, and biog . pp. 210-11

Exhibitions

  • Archer Gallery, London, 1943
  • Leipzig, 1957
  • Brod Gallery, London, 1960, 1968
  • Parkhaus, Berlin-Tiergarten, 1969
  • Zaydler Gallery, London, 1970, 1972
  • Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin-Tiergarten, 1972
  • Lufthansa, London, 1972
  • Goethe Institute, Boston, 1976
  • Klingspor Museum, Offenbach a.M. , 1976, 1980
  • Gutenberg Museum, Mainz, 1980
  • Neue Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst, Berlin, 1986 (19 items)
  • Denham Gallery, London, 1987 ( Emigré artists)
  • (see ‘Vier Meister des Holzschnitts…1988, above)
  • Fiery Beacon Gallery, Painswick (England), 1989 (with others)
  • )
  • Ben Uri Gallery, London Jewish Museum of Art, London, 2009 (group).

Collections

  • Victoria & Albert Museum, London
  • Gutenberg Museum, Mainz
  • Leipziger Sammlungen
  • Besitz des Senats, Berlin
  • Klingspor Museum, Frankfurt a.M.