#ColourOurCollections: Images from the Elizabeth Friedlander Collection

“Following on from John’s post yesterday, I am going to discuss a page I selected from the Elizabeth Friedlander Collection for use in our #ColourOurCollections colouring book.”

When it came choosing an image for the #ColourOurCollections event, the Friedlander Collection left me spoilt for choice! Elizabeth Friedlander was a 20th Century Graphic Designer. A pioneer in her field, she was the first woman to design and create a typeface, called Elizabeth. The accepted practice at the time was for typefaces to be named with their creator’s surname. However, Elizabeth was a German born Jew working in 1930s Berlin, and her surname was deemed “too Jewish”. Having fled Germany at the outbreak of the war, she eventually settled in England, and began a career in Graphic Design. Most of her clients were businesses looking for logo and package designs. To pitch for these commissions, Elizabeth created many samples of her work, which were combined in four portfolio binders. This page is one such sample. I particularly like the dancing bull, and the intricate detail evident even in these rough sketches.

Draft Logo Sketches

Aside from the Logos, a series of pencil sketches were also considered. These were drawn by Elizabeth while she was studying at the Berlin Academy of Art. The scenes, which depict everyday life in Berlin, are wonderfully detailed and clearly demonstrate Elizabeth’s skill in her craft.

If you would like to see more of Elizabeth’s work and learn her story- check out the link https://libguides.ucc.ie/