'hans neumann. pioneer of advertising agencies' exhibition at MAK vienna

muki.erstklassige terpentin edelwachs schuhcreme 
hans neumann, 1915
© tibor rauch / MAK

opening today at MAK vienna is 'hans neumann. pioneer of advertising agencies'
exhibition. the MAK with its holdings of almost 100 posters possesses one of
the largest collections from neumann's studio, whose history and range of work
are documented in the exhibition.

in several respects, hans neumann’s mode of work is comparable to the
practices of an advertising agency of today. in his studio he produced
graphic designs for posters, advertisements, and brochures, but also
title pages for sheet music. from 1920, by using, a studio stamp, he secured
brand recognition for his works in the sense of a corporate design.
hans neumann (1888–1960) exerted a visual influence
on the vienna cityscape of the 1920s and ’30s with his posters.

the rise of the austrian film industry in the 1920s and the emergence of a
modern consumer society made the poster a medium of mass communication.
in the wake of this development, the studio of hans neumann created poster
designs with a high recognition value. for hans steinhoff’s silent movie
'Kleider machen Leute' (fine feathers make fine birds) for example, neumann
was not only responsible for the intertitle design, but also did the entire set
decoration; a ten-minute sequence from this movie will be screened in the
exhibition for the first time again after almost 90 years.

in addition, the atelier hans neumann did advertising for convenience goods,
festivities, balls, fairs, exhibitions, etc. the studio successively expanded its
range of production to address plate design, book decoration, forms and
printed matter, shop fittings, sample portfolios, illustrations, interior decoration,
advertisements, calendars, caricatures, catalogues, movie-theater,
illuminated, sports and trackside advertising, small graphic designs,
packagings, shop-window design, signboards, logos and trademarks.

on view in the show will be 35 posters and 20 advertisements. the exhibition will
be held until may 10, 2009.

http://www.mak.at


kabarett nixe.wien II. lilienbrunngasse 2, an der marienbrückeatelier
hans neumann around 1924
vienna: gesellschaft für graphische industrie wien
© tibor rauch / MAK


moulin rouge. I. weihburggasse 9     
atelier hans neumann around 1920
© tibor rauch / MAK


exhibition view, 2009
hans neumann. pioneer of advertising agencies
© georg mayer / MAK


exhibition view, 2009
hans neumann. pioneer of advertising agencies
© georg mayer / MAK