Georg Belwe

Biography

Book designs, type designs, certificates, writer on typography. Born 12 August 1878 in Berlin. Trained in lithographic studio from 1898, and Kunstgewerbemuseum schule, Berlin (a fellow-student was F.H. Ehmcke): a teacher was Emil Döpler. 1900: co-founded the Steglitzer Werkstatt in Berlin, with other young graphic artists Ehmcke, F. W. Kleukens and Salzmann. From 1906: head of the composition and printing department at the Leipzig Akademie für Buchgewerbe und graphische Künste, where he taught for many years (up to at least 1931) in addition to working for numerous Leipzig publishers. 1908: awarded Gold Medal at the International Exhibition of Book Arts and Graphics, Dresden. Military service in WW1. Designed posters, trademarks, certificates, ex-libris, and the typefaces Belwe-Antiqua (1907, Schelter & Giesecke), Belwe-Gotisch (1913, Schelter & Giesecke), Fleischmann-Antiqua, Shakespeare-Antiqua and Wieland (1926). Died 12 May 1954 in Ronneburg.

Writings by

  • Foreword in type specimen book, Belwe-Antiqua, Schelter & Giesecke, 1907
  • ‘Typographische Variationen’, AfB, Sept. 1934, p. 485-7
  • ‘Written and printed script’, AfB, Jan. 1937, pp. 21-7.

Writings about

  • Martin Hildebrandt, ‘Georg Belwe’, Deutscher Buch- und Steindrucker, June 1905, pp. 781-4
  • Albert Mundt, ‘Georg Belwe und seine Klasse an der Königl. Akademie für Graphische Künste und Buchgewerbe’, AfB, June 1910, pp. 165-71
  • Johannes Schinnerer, ‘Georg Belwe und seine Klasse an der Königlichen Akademie für Graphische Künste und Buchgewerbe in Leipzig’, ZfB, April 1911, pp. 1-21
  • Georg Biermann, ‘Neue deutsche Buchkunst’, AfB, April 1911, pp. 104-12
  • Heinrich Werner, ‘Künstlerische Packungen und Etiketten’ (packaging, labels), AfB, Nov./Dec. 1911, pp. 347-56
  • F.H. Ehmcke, ‘Wahrzeichen – Warenzeichen’ (trademarks), Das Plakat, Feb. 1921, pp. 69-100
  • Julius Zeitler, ‘Georg Belwe’ (series), Das Plakat, April 1921, pp. 213-22 (ills. continue to p. 228)
  • R. Braungart, Das moderne deutsch Gebrauchsex-libris, 1922
  • ZfB, 1922, supplement
  • Walter Hofmann, ‘Zwei Jubilare’ (GB’s 50th birthday), AfB, 1928, v. 9, p. 674
  • Albert Giesecke, ‘Georg Belwe zum fünfzigsten Geburtstage’, AfB, 4, 1929, pp. 244-7
  • Fritz Homeyer, ‘Germany’, in ‘A survey of the making of books in recent years’, The Dolphin I, 1933, pp. 264-88
  • AfB, 1934, p. 576 (exh. Poster, 1933)
  • F. Schmalenbach, Jugendstil, 1935
  • ‘Christmas and New Year prints [cards]’, AfB, Jan. 1936, pp. 31-42, esp. p. 33
  • AfB (1938), pp. 369-70
  • H. Barge, Geschichte der Buchdruckerkunst, 1940
  • Emil Wetzig, ‘ Schriftkünstler und Schriftgiesser als Wegbereiter der neuen deutschen Buchkunst’ Das Buchgewerbe, Dec. 1948, pp. 322-4
  • SGM, Dec. 1948, p. 513 (note on GB’s 70th birthday)
  • ‘Prof. Georg Belwe’ (obituary), Der Polygraph, 20 June 1954, p. 724
  • GKS, 1963, p. 57
  • GKS, 1978
  • Herbert Lechner, ‘Von der Steglitzer Werkstatt zum Kathodenstrahl’, Graphik, 1980, 1, pp. 39-44
  • Walter Wilkes, ‘Handpressendruck in Deutschland im 20. Jahrhundert’, Imprimatur, Band XII, 1987, pp. 11-19
  • AKL, 1994
  • DMK, 1997 (see ‘Akzidenzdruck’ index, ‘Buchgewerbe’ index)
  • FOS, 1998.

Exhibitions

  • International Exhibition of Book Arts and Graphics, Dresden, 1908
  • Brussels, 1911
  • International Exhibition of Book Arts and Graphics (‘Bugra’), Leipzig, 1914
  • Grosse Leipziger Kunst Ausstellung, 1940
  • Landesmuseum, Darmstadt, 1967.