Do you know the hidden history of art screenprint How it lived… how it died, only to rise again after 1945? Then listen closely to this forgotten tale, brought back to life by Guido Lengwiler in a nearly 500-page book. This monumental work—rich with rare images and previously unpublished material—completely captivated me. Imagine: a Swiss screen printing teacher who spent 15 years diving into archives and genealogical records to unearth this lost history. He wrote the first comprehensive account of screenprint’s beginnings in the early 20th century.
A History of Screen Printing: How an Art Evolved into an Industry, by Guido Lengwiler, published by ST Media Group in Cincinnati. The English edition is available from Squeegeeville (Canada). The original German edition is available from Niggli Verlag (Switzerland).
The book was released in its English version in 2013, and today, I can finally hold it in my hands. Self-published and printed in Switzerland, it is not a dull anthology of industrial screen printing, but a true history of art screenprint. This magnificent work showcases how the technique was used in the early 20th century to create graphic art and reproduce paintings, well ahead of the 1960s Pop Art movement. Inside, you’ll find reproductions of prints from 1917, along with examples of prints that are remarkably fresh and of stunning quality.
I offer you a cross-reading experience with the book in 3 parts. A hidden history of art screenprint that begins in 1906.
1 The pioneers, 1906-1925
2 A golden age of graphic art, 1925-1940
3 The mysterious fate of art screen printing, 1940-1945
Read also:
X-Story : l’origine des logos hipster
A brief history of serigraphics…
1930 photograph by Serico (Switzerland) from the book and reproduced with the permission of Guido Lengwiler / All rights reserved / Photos © 2014 Dezzig
