The first book ever published about Deffke, Wilhelm Deffke features five hundred beautifully reproduced images illustrating his achievements in poster and commercial art. These include not only his logos for companies and products but also his designs for exhibitions and trade fairs. Fourteen insightful essays accompany the images, exploring Deffke’s significance and situating his work in the context of German, European, and international design.
Published to coincide with an exhibition at the German Poster Museum in Essen, this book invites readers to rediscover an exceptional figure in the history of advertising and graphic design.
Reviews
Table of Contents
Introduction
From the Logo to Digital Communication Design – Torsten Bröhan
From Book to Poster
The Search for a Modern Form of Surface Design – Wilhelm Deffke’s Training in Wuppertal – Gerda Breuer
Developing Talents – Wilhelm Deffke’s Early Years in Berlin (1909-1914) – Susanne Engelhard
Deffke and the Werkbund – Christopher Oestereich
Wilhelm Deffke’s Posters – René Grohnert
From Logo to Corporate Design
From Wilhelmwerk (1915-1920) to Internatio (1920-1933) – The Wilhelm Deffke and Carl Ernst Hinkefuss Advertising Studios – Roland Jaeger
The Book Handelsmarken und Fabrikzeichen – Ute Brüning
Avant Garde vs. Avant Garde – Questioning Historiography on the Basis of Wilhelm Deffke’s Designs for the Wuppertal Coat of Arms – Julia Meer
Why a Deffke Trademark? – Deffke’s Logos 1934-1950 – Christoph Janik
From Advertising to Architecture
The Anonymous Creator of a Famous Company Logo Deffke’s Signet for the Cigarette Manufacturer Reemtsma – Roland Jaeger/Peter Nils Dorén
Deffke and Manoli – Susanne Engelhard/Christoph Janik
The Total Work of Advertising Rückforth – From Signet to Trade Fair Stand – Wilhelm Deffke and the Rückforth AG 1921-1924 - Susanne Engelhard/Christoph Janik
From Architecture to Teaching
Wilhelm Deffke’s Glass Trade Fair Stand for the Tesma Cigarette Factory, Berlin - Susanne Engelhard/Christoph Janik
Wilhelm Deffke as an Architekt – Karen Lelonek
The Utopian Project M – Wilhelm Deffke and Magdeburg – Norbert Eisold
Bibliography and Appendix
Wilhelm Deffke – Biography – Christoph Janik
Catalogue of Illustrations
Deffke Client Directory
Deffke Bibliography – Burkhard Sülzen
Selected Bibliography
Index
Copyrights and Photo Credits
Authors
Acknowledgements