From lithography to offset printing. The “Kunstanstalt Carl Garte Leipzig” and the collection of Hans Garte

3 February – 13 May 2012
Opening 2 February 2012 at 6 p.m.

Today, it is self-evident that we are surrounded by colourful printed matter. But multicoloured printing in mass circulation was first coming up in the early 20th century. To that adventurous time refers the exhibition From lithography to offset printing. The “Kunstanstalt Carl Garte Leipzig” and the collection of Hans Garte at the Museum for the Printing Arts in Leipzig.

 

The exhibition is shared into two chapters: The first part shows the production of picture postcards by the graphic art company Carl Garte around 1900. At that time, the picture postcard was a booming mass medium. It shows the importance of design as well as the composition of colours in a competitive market. Along with this went the engineers’ joy to experiment with several printing techniques. Selected exhibits illustrate the predominant printing technique of chromolithography which soon was combined with other techniques.

 

The second part of the exhibition presents the technique of offset printing in which the graphic art company Carl Garte invested as one of the first companies in Germany. The early offset printing was not used to print books and newspapers but to print picture postcards, posters, advertisement and packages. This field of application is documented with colourful original prints from the collection of Hans Garte.

 

The exhibition was created in cooperation with the German Newspaper Museum Wadgassen, the International Senefelder Foundation Offenbach and the collector Gerhard Stumpp, Stuttgart.

Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., closed on Saturdays.
 

 

Special opening hours during the Leipzig book fair: Saturday 17 March open  11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The Museum of the Printing Arts is closed on the following days: 6, 7, 8 April and 1 May.
Open on Easter Monday, 9 April.