Edward McKnight Kauffer was one of
Britain’s most highly influential 20th Century Poster Artists and Graphic
Designers. Beginning his professional life as a painter, Kauffer soon embraced
poster art as a form of visual communication, enabling the public to view
Modern Art through the display of his posters on the streets.
In the early 1900s, Kauffer lived in San Francisco and worked as
a bookseller whilst studying at Art School in the evenings. At the shop he
sparked up a good friendship with a regular customer who expressed keen
interest in his paintings. Joseph McKnight, a professor at Utah University, saw
great promise in Kauffer’s work and in 1912 offered to sponsor him. McKnight
loaned him enough money to travel to Paris to continue his studies at Académie
Moderne. In respect, Kauffer dutifully adopted ‘McKnight’ as his middle name.
En-route to Paris, Kauffer got the opportunity to see the Armory
Show in Chicago in March 1913. This show introduced America to everything of
importance in European post-impressionist painting at the time: Duchamp,
Cezanne, Picasso, Gauguin, Matisse, Van Gogh, and Kandinsky. It was so unlike
any art America had previously seen. The show opened Kauffer's eyes to the
European masters and undoubtedly, proved influential on his work throughout his
life.
Before reaching
Paris, Kauffer visited Munich. Here, he was introduced to Poster Art’s
contribution to a city and the potential for it to be recognised as an art form
by both art enthusiasts and the general public alike. For Kauffer, Ludwig
Hohlwein’s (1874-1949) work was a clear example of this. His work adorned the
streets of Munich and certainly helped initiate the use of typography within
Kauffer’s paintings.
While studying in
Paris, Kauffer was able to view works by many artists, and took an interest in
the various styles and techniques on show. However his time there was cut short
by the outbreak of WWI. Reluctant to return to America immediately, he
travelled with his then wife, Grace Erhlich, to Britain, where Kauffer felt
immediately at home.
Once in London
friends introduced Kauffer to Frank Pick, Publicity Manager for London
Underground Electric Railways. The relationship lasted for the extent of
Kauffer’s career in Britain, with Kauffer producing a tremendous 140 posters
for London Transport. In 1915 Pick commissioned four landscape posters; ‘Oxhey Woods’, ‘In Watford’,
‘Reigate; Route 60’ and ‘North Down’s.. Maintaining a very painterly style
in these posters, it is possible to see influences of Van Gogh, most notably so
in Oxhey Woods, and also of Japanese colour woodcuts in
‘In Watford’.
Kauffer rapidly
developed from traditional poster art towards what is recognised today as
graphic design. ‘Winter Sales are best reached by Underground’, 1922, is one of
several remarkable posters Kauffer designed for Pick as part of a Winter Sales set
between 1921-24. It revives his early influences from Vorticist and Japanese
woodcuts, its abstracted forms of raincoats and umbrellas and its diagonal
impression of wind and rain together create an intelligent and eye-catching
pattern that would have equal rights if displayed at any reputable art gallery
instead of on an Underground poster-hoarding.
By this point he was a well-known figure and finally thought of
himself as a graphic artist rather than a painter. Kauffer regularly visited
Paris, and through these visits, French book illustration, theatre, painting
and poster design all began to influence his work. On a visit in 1923, Kauffer
met Marion Dorn, an American Interior Designer, for whom he left his wife and daughter.
His relationship with Marion was personal and professional, they collaborated
on a number of projects including; interiors for friends’ offices, and most
notably a range of rugs and the interior design, symbol, luggage label and
brochure for the Orient Lines flagship modern ocean liner.
Kauffer’s jazzy-style
was really coming into its own during the mid-twenties. Kauffer’s most widely
seen poster, aside from those for London Transport is,Eno’s Fruit Salts, First Thing Every Morning (1924). Its bold, dynamic style and
use of bright colours proved to be very successful. In addition to posters he
designed many stage decorations for London theatre shows. Theatre’s influence
is prominent in his posters for London Transport at the time. At the onset of
WWII Kauffer reluctantly returned to New York.
This is part 1 of 3-part post on the works
of E. McKnight Kauffer:
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| 1915 In Watford |
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1915 Oxhey Woods
published by Underground Electric Railway Company |
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1915 Reigate
published by Underground Electric Railways |
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1915 The North Downs
published by Underground Electric Railways |
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1916 Self promotional
poster artwork in Colour Magazine |
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| 1919 Daily Herald poster |
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| 1919 The London Group poster |
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1920 Epping Forest
published by Underground Electric Railways |
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1920 Hainault Forest by Motor Bus
published by Underground Electric Railways |
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| 1921 Winter Sales are best reached by Underground |
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| 1922 Poster for The Westminster Press |
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| 1922 Winter Sales are best reached by Underground |
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| 1922 Winter Sales version 2 |
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| 1923 Cover for Commercial Art Magazine |
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| 1923 Museum of Natural History poster |
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| 1923 Reigate Priory Park By Motor Bus |
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| 1923 The Heaths, Surrey No. 178 for London Buses |
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1923 Advertisement for W. G. Briggs
London Transport poster |
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| 1924 Advertisement for Shell |
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| 1924 Advertisement for Shell |
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| 1924 Poster for Eno's Fruit Salt |
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| 1924 Winter Sales are best reached by Underground |
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| 1925c Shell Aviation Fuel advertisement |
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| 1927 Metropolis |
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| 1928 BBC Handbook cover |
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| 1928 Press advertisement for Chrysler |
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| 1928 Press advertisement for Eno's Fruit Salt |
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| 1928 Press advertisement for 'Commercial Art' |
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| 1929 Cover for The Studio Magazine |
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| 1929 Illustration for "Elsie and the Child" by Arnold Bennett |
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1929 Whitsuntide
published by Underground Electric Railways |
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| 1930 Illustration from Marina by T.S. Eliot |
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| 1930-31c Leaflet for Fortnum & Mason |
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| 1931 Illustration for Triumphal March by T.S. Eliot |
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1931 Play Between 6-12, The Bright Hours
published by London Underground |
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| 1931 Poster for Shell |
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| 1931c Leaflet for Curwen Press |
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| 1932 Chiswick Works brochure for London General Omnibus Co. Ltd. |
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| 1932 London Underground poster |
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| 1932c Stonehenge poster issued by Shell Oil and Petrol |
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| 1933 Art Now |
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1933 BP Ethyl Controls Horse-Power
© BP Archive |
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| 1933 Book cover |
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| 1933 Go Great Western to Cornwall |
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| 1933 London Underground poster |
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| 1933 Poster for exhibition of own watercolours |
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| 1933 Whitsuntide Holiday for London Underground |
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| 1934 Book cover design |
