wiedler.ch

book (design) story #541

gerard brabander:
't spuigat

(h. n. werkman), 1944
printer: (h. n. werkman)
size: 24 x 16 cm
designer: hendrik nicolaas werkman

"het spuigat" – "das speigatt" in german , "the scupper" in english – is a drainage hole on a boat.

the booklet with that title was illegally produced during ww2 by the dutch avant-garde artist and master printer nicolaas werkman (1882-1945). editor was dutch poet gerard den brabander (1900-1968), with harold de clauer (=harm brander) and m. l. yzebrands (=michiel lebertus huizingai). the booklet also includes translations of poems by edgar allan poe and claude baudelaire. werkman printed numerous illegal publications, among them the famous series "de blauwe schuit" (the blue barge). in april 1945 werkman was caught and executed by the nazis.