Hermann Eidenbenz Teaching Graphic Design

Hermann Eidenbenz Teaching Graphic Design

Research project (2016)

Hermann Eidenbenz (1902–1992) was one of the first professionals in Switzerland to describe himself as a graphic designer. From the 1910s to the 1950s, he was involved in graphic design education in Zurich, Magdeburg, Basel and Brunswick, first as a student and later as a teacher.

Starting from a broad research on historical type design education, the project culminated in the discovery of two consistent convolutes of didactic materials. A collection of glass plates documenting a lettering course in Magdeburg, Germany (1926–1932) and a set of student works reflecting a course in basic design exercises in Basel (1940–1943), both held by Eidenbenz as a teacher. Together with documents from private and public archives in Basel, Berlin, Brunswick, Magdeburg and Zürich, the outcome of the project sheds light on a significant chapter in Swiss graphic design, shortly before it became internationally known.

Main applicants

​ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne
Sarah Klein  (project leader)

Research team

Sarah Klein (researcher)
François Rappo (supervisor)
Roland Früh (supervisor)

Period

october 2014 – november 2016

Partners

​ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne

Dissemination

Publications

  • Sarah Klein, Die Schriftklasse von Hermann Eidenbenz, in Maramm. Magdeburg – Reklame- und Ausstellungsstadt der Moderne, Magdeburg : Bibliothek Forum Gestaltung, 2016, pp. 106–117.
  • Sarah Klein, Roland Früh, François Rappo, Hermann Eidenbenz Teaching Graphic Design. Documents 1926–1955, édité par Sarah Klein, Zurich : Triest Verlag, 2018.
  • Sarah Klein, Roland Früh, François Rappo, Hermann Eidenbenz’ Grafikunterricht. Dokumente 1926–1955, édité par Sarah Klein, Zurich : Triest Verlag, 2018.
  • Sarah Klein, Kriterien in der Grafik-Ausbildung in der Schweiz. Geschmacksbildung, Handbücher und Entwurfsmethoden, in Designkritik, Stuttgart : avedition, 2018, pp. 101–109.

Conferences

  • Sarah Klein, Migrating Method: Eidenbenz’ Early Systematic Course in Lettering, présentation à la 10e Conférence internationale sur l’histoire du design et les études de design, Taipei, 26 octobre 2016. 
  • Sarah Klein, Point, Line, Plane in Basic Practices, présentation lors de la conférence sur l’exposition Practices in Design Education. Hundred Years Kurt Wirth 1917–2017, Bâle, HGK 17 novembre 2017.
  • Sarah Klein, Sandra Bischler, Principles of Education, présentation à la conférence annuelle de la Society for Design History : Designkritik, Offenbach am Main, Hochschule für Gestaltung, 20 mai 2017.
  • Sarah Klein, Grüsse aus dem Archiv – Greetings from the Archive, présentation bilingue lors de la conférence sur l’exposition « Peter von Arx – Schrift in Plakat und Film », Bâle, HGK, 16 novembre 2018.
  • Lancement de la série Visual archives, avec Giliane Cachin, Davide Fornari, Sarah Klein, Robert Lzicar, Simon Mager, Andrea Wiegelmann, Zurich, Never Stop Reading, 29 janvier 2020.
EIDENBENZ1.jpg
Spreads from Hermann Eidenbenz Teaching Graphic Design. Documents 1926–1955, edited by Sarah Klein, designed by François Rappo and Sarah Klein.  © Sarah Klein
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Spreads from Hermann Eidenbenz Teaching Graphic Design. Documents 1926–1955, edited by Sarah Klein, designed by François Rappo and Sarah Klein.  © Sarah Klein
EIDENBENZ4.jpg
Spreads from Hermann Eidenbenz Teaching Graphic Design. Documents 1926–1955, edited by Sarah Klein, designed by François Rappo and Sarah Klein.  © Sarah Klein
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Spreads from Hermann Eidenbenz Teaching Graphic Design. Documents 1926–1955, edited by Sarah Klein, designed by François Rappo and Sarah Klein.  © Sarah Klein