Hiero Rhode

Biography

Type designs, publicity, packaging, book jackets, book covers. Born Johannes Anton Hieronymus Rhode, 1903 in Nordhausen. Studied at the Kunst- und Handwerkerschule, Berlin. 1922-3: worked with Julius Gipkens. From 1923: designer, later art director, for Berlin pen manufacturer Heintze & Blanckertz and for its quarterly journal Die zeitgemässe Schrift (in which his work regularly appeared). He designed numerous advertisements and packaging for the company’s writing products, and for the Schriftmuseum Rudolf Blanckertz, Berlin. 1938: his typeface Humboldt Fraktur issued by Stempel. He also designed Humboldt Fraktur halbfett (Stempel, 1938), Hiero-Rhode Antiqua (Johannes Wagner, 1944) and Hiero-Rhode Antiqua fett (Johannes Wagner, 1946). In 1961 Karl Hans Walter designed an italic for the Hiero-Rhode-Antiqua (roman). Died 1954 in Berlin.

Writings by

  • ‘The Roman blockletter. A course of instruction’, DzS, Oct. 1936
  • ‘Roman capitals’, DzS, Jan. 1937
  • ‘Uncial letters’, DzS, Jan. 1937
  • ‘Italics’, DzS, April 1937
  • ‘Gothic script’, DzS, July 1937
  • ‘Schwabacher’, DzS, Oct. 1937
  • ‘Fraktur’, DzS, Jan. 1938
  • ‘Neuzeitlicher Schriftlehrgang – Palatino’, DzS, Oct. 1938, pp. 43-5
  • Two examples of his work at the Schriftmuseum Rudolf Blanckertz, Berlin, DzS, July 1940
  • ‘Antiqua, ein neuzeitlicher Schriftlehrgang’, DzS, Oct. 1941
  • ‘Kursiv’, DzS, April 1942.

Writings about

  • Josef Ettel, ‘Graphische Techniken im Zeichenunterricht’, DzS, April 1933, pp. 15-21 (linocuts)
  • Hermann Delitsch, ‘Der Schrift-Papierschnitt’, DzS, July 1933, pp. 16-20
  • Georg Wagner, ‘Deutsche Schrift in der Werbung’, DzS, July 1933, pp. 21-4 (letterheads, ad, exh. poster)
  • Eberhard Hölscher, ‘Schrift und Formgestaltung’, DzS, Jan./April 1934, pp. 37-42
  • Philobiblon, 1934, p. 57 (ad for Heintze & Blanckertz pen points)
  • Walter von Zur Westen, ‘Die Schrift in der Gelegenheitsgraphik’, DzS, July 1934, pp. 7-23, esp. p. 23 (packaging)
  • Ernst Engel, ‘Die Bedeutung der Schrift für die Jugend’, DzS, Jan. 1936, pp. 17-19, esp. p. 18
  • Lettering of To-day, special number of The Studio, 1937, p. 107
  • showing of Humboldt Fraktur, Deutscher Drucker, Nov. 1938, p. 77
  • Dr Richard Kaysenbrecht, ‘Die Verdun-Urkunde’, DzS 48 (Jan. 1939), pp. 17-20
  • ad for Heintze & Blanckertz lettering pens, Deutscher Drucker, March 1939, p. 325
  • Klimschs Jahrbuch, 1939, p. 144 (Humboldt)
  • Eberhard Hölscher, ‘Zur Gestaltung der Antiqua mit Beispielen Hiero Rhode, Johannes Boehland und Hans Kühne’, DzS, Oct. 1942
  • showing of Hiero Rhode Antiqua (Johannes Wagner typefoundry), Gg, Feb. 1959, p. 56
  • showing of Karl Hans Walter’s Kursiv (for the Hiero-Rhode-Antiqua), Gg, July 1961, p. 56
  • Paul Hayden Duensing, ‘Hiero-Rhode Italic’, Fine Print, July 1980, pp. 101-2
  • Deutscher Drucker, Dec. 1939, pp. 86-8
  • www.klingspor-museum.de.