Lot description
FRITZ KAHN (1888-1968) DER MENSCH ALS INDUSTRIEPALAST. 1926. 38x18 1/2 inches, 96 1/2x47 cm. Fricke & Co., Stuttgart. Condition A-: creases and minor restoration along unobtrusive vertical and horizontal folds; margins trimmed slightly. Dr. Fritz Kahn was an Orthodox Jewish gynecologist in Berlin, who published popular illustrated books including The Cell and The Jews as a Race and Cultural People. In his books and articles, he "visualized the structure and function of the human body in a very unique way." (http://www.fritz-kahn.com). This poster of The Human as Industrial Palace is exemplary of one of his conceptual designs, presenting a playful but instructive comparison between industrialism and anatomy, and elevating the traditional medical diagram into 20th century graphic design. When the Nazis took power, Kahn's books were banned and publicly burned, and Kahn left Germany for Palestine and then the U.S., with the help of his friend Albert Einstein. While some of his works were translated into English, without the resources to produce new books, Kahn fell into obscurity. His innovative designs were still influential to future artists, and the first exhibition of his works, Fritz Kahn - Maschine Mensch, opened in Berlin in 2010 and featured this mechanical image.