wiedler.ch

book (design) story #615

rené rudin, andreas buxtorf, max spindler:
10 jahre geigy schädlingsbekämpfung

j.r. geigy s.a., basle, around 1953
printer: buchdruckerei karl werner ag., basel
size: ?? x ?? cm
designer: max schmid

this spring the museum für gestaltung in zürich showed an exhibition graphic designs of geigy, the basel-based chemical company which later became part of novartis. in the 1950-60s geigy's graphic designs were instrumental in establishing what is today known as the "swiss style". many prominent swiss designers of that era worked for geigy at one time. since most of the geigy materials don't credit their designers, some are now identified thanks to the book accompanying the exhibition: "corporate diversity" (isbn 9783037781616). so the next few stories will be all "geigy"! however, a great overview of swiss graphic design in the chemical industry was already published in 1967, see story 143).

let's start with a book about one of geigy's most successful products – dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, better known as "ddt".

with the 1953 book "10 years of pest control geigy celebrated the 10th anniversary of ddt products for pest control – long before the substance was banned or at least restricted due to the danger it poses to wildlife and human health.

below the formula of ddt, and a photo of geigy scientist paul hermann müller who was awarded the nobel prize in 1948 "for his discovery of the high efficiency of ddt as a contact poison against several arthropods" (wikipedia).

the book was designed by max schmid (1921-2000), the long-term director of geigy's graphic design department. schmid (like karl gerstner who also designed for geigy) had been an apprentice of fritz bühler (see story 502).

the layout is modern, with some spectacular spreads. look at this frightingly huge flea!

below a photo of cristallized ddt which also inspired the cover illustration.

generally the photos are of a very high quality.

the colourful diagram visualising production processes, ...

... and this symbolic eye introducing the chapter on "propaganda" are not far from "concrete art" and "op art" respectively – art movements that swiss graphic designers like karl gerstner were part of.

rené rudin (1911-1992, pictured) was head of geigy's "propaganda department" since 1941.

his article is illustrated by examples of posters, ads and trade fair displays for ddt products.

a colourful fold-out world map shows the worldwide geigy subsidiaries.