John Heartfield, a versatile and prolific artist, was born Helmut Herzfelde in Berlin in 1891. At the tender age of seven he lost both parents. In 1905-06 he served an apprenticeship as a bookseller in Wiesbaden before going to Munich to study at the "Kunstgewerbeschule" from 1908 to 1911. After a brief interval as a graphic artist in Mannheim, Helmut Herzfelde returned to Berlin. There he studied once again, at the "Kunst- und Handwerkerschule", until 1914, when the first world war broke out. In 1915-16 he was inducted for active service into the German armed forces. In 1916 Helmut Herzfelde was so incensed at the anti-British feeling in Germany that he protested by changing his name to John Heartfield, using this pseudonym for the rest of his career. That same year, 1916, John Heartfield and his brother founded the Malik Verlag publishing house in Berlin; John Heartfield was responsible for the graphics for its publications.
In 1917 John Heartfield became a follower of the Dada movement in Berlin and that same year he joined the German Communist Party (KPD). He met George Grosz, who, like Heartfield, worked for the leftwing satirical publications "Die Pleite" and "Der Knüppel".
From 1924 to 1933 John Heartfield designed illustrations for the "Arbeiter Illustrierte Zeitung", the Communist Party mouthpiece.
John Heartfield developed an experimental approach to the graphic arts. He often worked with photomontage, using the medium to create pictures that made extraordinarily powerful statements. Under the influence of George Grosz, John Heartfield went on from there to develop the political photomontage. From 1920 John Heartfield designed his first stage sets for Erwin Piscator and Max Reinhardt. In 1929 Heartfield contributed photomontages to Kurt Tucholsky's "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles".
In 1933 John Heartfield went into exile in Prague. In 1938 he reached London, where among other things he designed book covers for Penguin Books. Returning to Germany in 1950, John Heartfield designed stage sets, working for Bertold Brecht and other directors.
In 1917 John Heartfield became a follower of the Dada movement in Berlin and that same year he joined the German Communist Party (KPD). He met George Grosz, who, like Heartfield, worked for the leftwing satirical publications "Die Pleite" and "Der Knüppel".
From 1924 to 1933 John Heartfield designed illustrations for the "Arbeiter Illustrierte Zeitung", the Communist Party mouthpiece.
John Heartfield developed an experimental approach to the graphic arts. He often worked with photomontage, using the medium to create pictures that made extraordinarily powerful statements. Under the influence of George Grosz, John Heartfield went on from there to develop the political photomontage. From 1920 John Heartfield designed his first stage sets for Erwin Piscator and Max Reinhardt. In 1929 Heartfield contributed photomontages to Kurt Tucholsky's "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles".
In 1933 John Heartfield went into exile in Prague. In 1938 he reached London, where among other things he designed book covers for Penguin Books. Returning to Germany in 1950, John Heartfield designed stage sets, working for Bertold Brecht and other directors.
Anna Atkins was a botanist, and one of the earliest woman photographers. In 1841 she came into contact with Fox Talbot, one of her father's friends. As a botanist, she quickly saw the potential of using photography to record specimens. Her father was an eminent scientist who had various senior posts at the newly created British Museum; many of Anna's scientifically accurate drawings are in the British Museum.
Anna lived in a time when women were not encouraged to become involved in science. Botany, however, was a more acceptable area.
Anna lived in a time when women were not encouraged to become involved in science. Botany, however, was a more acceptable area.
She chose the Cyanotype process for her work - an appropriate choice, because it was comparatively inexpensive and easy to work with, and its only disadvantage, a blue image, was immaterial. This process, though she was not to know it at the time, was far more permanent than other processes, and much of her work still survives now.
In October 1843 Anna Atkins became the first person to print and publish a book, photographically illustrated with 424 pictures. Called "British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions", this book which was issued in several parts over a period of ten years. Her book, therefore, even precedes Fox Talbot's "Pencil of Nature." Though she had a camera, she relied entirely on photograms (known, at the time, as Shadowgraphs).
A discovery of one of the very few copies of her book attracted considerable interest in June 1996, when it was put up for auction.
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