Ellen Beck

Biography

Lettering, illustration, woodcuts, packaging, logos. Born Ellen Henriette Anna Beck 13 April 1900 in Kiel. 1922-5: studied at Leipzig Akademie für Buchgewerbe und graphische Künste: a teacher was Georg Belwe. 1925: calendar decorations issued by Schelter and Giesecke, Leipzig. 1927/8: studied at Hamburg Kunstschule. 1945: moved from Hamburg to Eutin to escape the bombing raids; returned to Hamburg in 1957. Illustrated children’s books and schoolbooks. Died before 1967. Her wood engravings were reproduced frequently in Blätter für Buchkunst Exlibris und Gebrauchsgraphik (Hamburg), and Exlibris und Kleingraphik, 1970-73.

Writings about

  • ‘Christmas and New Year prints [cards]’, AfB, Jan. 1936, pp. 31-42, esp. p. 41
  • Paul Helms, ‘Gebrauchsgraphik in Hamburg’, AfB, March 1937, pp. 107-20, esp. p. 113
  • Hanna Rohde, ‘The artist and the family’, AfB, Jan. 1938, pp. 11-18
  • Gerhard Kreyenberg, ‘Ellen Beck, EuG, 1959, pp. 13-14
  • Dr. Kreyenberg, ‘Ellen Beck’, Blätter für Buchkunst Exlibris und Gebrauchsgraphik (Hamburg), vol. 5, 1965, pp. 133-8 (includes list of exlibris from 1932
  • also ill. on p. 140)
  • G. Kreyenberg, Ellen Beck. Grafiker, bogillustrator, exlibriskunstner, Frederikshavn: Exlibristen, 1972 (in Danish and German)
  • G. Kreyenberg, ‘Ellen Beck’, EuG, 1980, pp. 21-4 plus 3-p. supplement
  • AKL, 1994.

Exhibitions

  • Kunstverein, Hamburg, 1933.