Introduction

Harry Bertschmann was born in Basel, Switzerland, on March 27, 1931, but has lived and worked most of his life in New York City. As a youth growing up after World War II he was immersed in Basel’s dozens of museums for the fine arts. The Kunstmuseum Basel gave him exposure to one of the great collections in the world spanning all periods. He was also impressed by art found in the extensive ethnographic collections at the Basel Museum of Cultures, especially the boldly carved and painted objects from New Guinea’s Sepik River region.

In 1947 Bertschmann began four years of study at the Basel School of Design (Kunstgewerbeschule) under a staff of well-known art instructors. Of particular importance and influence was the graphic design department, led by Armin Hofmann [b.1920] whose collaborating instructor was the great typographer Emil Ruder [1914-1970]. They were reinforced by Donald Brun [1909-1999], another of the world’s most famous poster designers. Hofmann, who later taught at Yale, is credited for having developed the Swiss Style in graphic design — noted for its dynamic compositions, innovative use of color, and unique sans serif fonts. The school also provided the advantage of tapping a large and significant poster collection as a teaching aid, and its holdings dated back to the late nineteenth century. Bertschmann’s other influentual teachers included the abstract painters Theo Eble [1899-1974], Walter Bodmer [1903-1973], and Ernst Büchner [1886-1951]. In his final year Bertschmann also apprenticed with Fritz Bühler [1909–1963], the foremost innovator in conceptual graphic design.