“Oficyna Poetów” was aliterary and cultural magazine published in London by Polish-born émigré couple, Krystyna and Czesław Bednarczyk. After World War II they settled in Great Britain, and almost immediately started private printing press. That periodical was one of their biggest projects. “Oficyna…” was one of few magazines published abroad devoted to Polish literature and art. During communism era it was aplace where Polish authors could publish not being afraid of repercussions or censorship. The magazine also integrated Polish intelligentsia around the world and was some kind of alternative for “Kultura” published in Paris. During the years the owners of “Oficyna Poetów iMalarzy” developed their skills and machine park of the press. Struggling from low budget and lack of support they still managed to maintain very high aesthetical level of their hand-made prints. The article is devoted to graphic and typographic form of the periodical. The Bednarczyks were editors, designers, typesetters and printers at the same time. They put great effort in selection of paper, print quality and acquired the most talented émigré illustrators to cooperate in “Oficyna…”. Aesthetic form of the magazine, as well as its cultural impact on Polish society in Great Britain can be sapid for researchers interested in emigration culture, literary magazines and niche printing movement in Great Britain.
Jerzy Him (1900-1986; later known as George Him) was a Jewish artist born in Łódź. In 1933, with his friend Jan Lewitt he founded a design studio in Warsaw (Atelier Lewitt- -Him). In 1937 artists moved their company to the United Kingdom and settled in London. Him left impressive collection of his artistic projects and personal documents. The Archive contains his correspondence, diaries, address books, financial records, passports, photos and variety of his artistic works: sketches, proofs, original artworks and even artistic tools. These belongings are records of his social life and whole artistic career from 1920s to 1986 when he died. The Archive, initially kept by Him’s widow, after her death was deposited in the Archive of Art and Design in Victoria and Albert Museum in London. This paper is about history and content of G. Him’s Archive. Its variety of documents and artworks might have some potential uses for researchers interested in art history, children books and Polish-Jewish émigré society in Great Britain in the 20th century.
PL
Jerzy Him (1900-1986; znany również jako George Him) był urodzonym w Łodzi artystą żydowskiego pochodzenia. W 1933 r. wraz z Janem Lewittem założył studio (Atelier Lewitt-Him) specjalizujące się w grafice użytkowej i ilustracji książkowej. W 1937 r. twórcy przenieśli swoją działalność do Londynu. Artysta pozostawił po sobie obszerne archiwum dzieł i różnorodnych dokumentów osobistych oraz zawodowych. Zawiera ono m.in. korespondencję, dzienniki, księgi adresowe, dokumenty finansowe i administracyjne oraz bogatą kolekcję prac artysty: szkiców, odbitek próbnych, reprodukcji fotograficznych oraz oryginalnych projektów. Materiały wchodzące w skład kolekcji stanowią zapis życia prywatnego i kariery artystycznej J. Hima od lat 20. do 1986 r. Zbiorem początkowo opiekowała się wdowa po artyście. Po jej śmierci spadkobiercy zdecydowali się przekazać zbiór do londyńskiego Archiwum Sztuki i Rzemiosł Artystycznych, działającego przy Muzeum Wiktorii i Alberta w Londynie. Archiwalia te mogą być przydatne w badaniach nad historią sztuki XX w., książką dziecięcą czy polsko-żydowską emigracją w Wielkiej Brytanii.
The article is devoted to the oeuvre of the Polish émigré artist Feliks Topolski (1907–1989). It contains a list and an analysis of his book illustrations, published both in Poland and abroad — especially in England. The author of the article focuses in particular on the authors and publishers with whom Topolski worked, on the themes of books he illustrated, on their reception and on the techniques used by the artist. He analyses Topolski’s drawing styles. Most books described in the article are known to the author from personal observation. Other sources used in the article include articles from traditional and electronic periodicals, exhibition catalogues as well as Topolski autobiography Fourteen Letters, and a journal published by him, Topolski’s Chronicle.
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