JF Ptak Science Books    Quick Post  [Part of a series on German Design]

Two odd pieces of German technical literature stared up at me from the bottom of a box of such things, both of which contained excellent examples of advertising technical art in addition to their technical content. But it just so happens that in this case the artwork that helped pay for the publication of the previously interesting and important technical and scientific information is of more interest now than the information wrapped around the ads. The sources of these images include the Festschrift zum Hundertjahringen Bestechen der Zeitschrift of the Dinglers polytechnisches Journal (1920), and Wirtschafliche Technik…Organ des Bundes Detscher Civil-Ingenieurre (1920).  Somehow the ads retain a certian light touch in the midst of their occasionally massive heaviness.  Or perhaps it is just robustness, solidity?  If nothing else there are an artistic anti-approach to what was going on in the world of art, the opposite of the disappearance of concrete or natural forms and replacing them with ideas and colors. 

Again, these are just two slim issues of rather obscure journals.  I’ll add to this collection in the German Design section as they come up.