Children’s Books in Poland: The 1960s

Second in a series of posts highlighting the Polish children's book collection of Aleksandra & Daniel Mizieliński, aka Hipopotam Illus. by Jan Marcin Szancer for Tygrys w pociągu, 1964 From the collection of Hipopotam From a blurb by Janusz Stanny about the 2009 book Wwaga! Spychacze! (Watch Out! Bulldozers!: Young Polish Illustration)The early 1960s. "RUCH" Publishers is founded. Professor Jan Marcin Szancer becomes its art director. Szancer decides to reach with ambitious books out to the most distant corners of the country, and he succeeds in selling them through a network of RUCH outlets. He invites some distinguished artists to work with him, including Henryk Tomaszewski, Antoni Uniechowski, Jan Mlodozeniec, Andrzej Strumillo, and Olga Siemaszko, as well as a large group of young artists, often his students. That group numbered 40 people, and I was in it too, as an assistant of Professor Jan Marcin's. Szancer organized regular exhibitions of work by artists cooperating with the publishing house. From Zygmunt Januszewski's preface to the same book:The Studio of Illustration, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, is an exceptional place, continuing a tradition that goes back many years, and with an established position within the Faculty of Graphic Arts. Founded by Jan Marcin Szancer in 1951, then for over 25 years , from 1971, superbly run by Professor Janusz Stanny, it educated 250 degree students. Cover illus. by Józef Wilkoń for Tygrys o złotym sercu, 1963 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Józef Wilkoń for Tygrys o złotym sercu, 1963 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by J. Kábrt for Jak Zajączek Mateuszek chciał się ślizgać, 1965 From the collection of Hipopotam detailIllus. by J. Kábrt for Jak Zajączek Mateuszek chciał się ślizgać, 1965 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Zdzisław Witwicki for Z przygód krasnala Hałabały, 1960 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Zdzisław Witwicki for Z przygód krasnala Hałabały, 1960 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Zbigniew Rychlicki for Nowi przyjaciele Misia Uszatka, 1963 From the collection of HipopotamCover illus. by Krystyna Witowska for Dziki Anda, 1961 From the collection of HipopotamIllus. by Bohdan Wróblewski for Wesołe odwiedziny, 1964 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Bohdan Wróblewski for Wesołe odwiedziny, 1964 From the collection of Hipopotam Cover illus. by Bohdan Butenko for Wszystko dla naszej mamy, 1969 From the collection of HipopotamIllus. by Bohdan Butenko for Wszystko dla naszej mamy, 1969 From the collection of HipopotamIllus. by Janusz Stanny for Zaczarowany krawiec, 1967 From the collection of HipopotamCover illus. by Jan Marcin Szancer for Ambaje, 1967 From the collection of HipopotamIllus. by Jan Marcin Szancer for Ambaje, 1967 From the collection of HipopotamCover. illus. by Mieczysław Piotrowski for Baśnie z dalekich wysp i lądów, 1966 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Mieczysław Piotrowski for Baśnie z dalekich wysp i lądów, 1966 From the collection of Hipopotam Cover illus. by Danuta Konwicka for Mirote i czarodziejska fontanna, 1962 From the collection of HipopotamIllus. by Danuta Konwicka for Mirote i czarodziejska fontanna, 1962 From the collection of HipopotamCover illus. by Danuta Imielska-Gebethner for Czerwony Kapturek, 1963 From the collection of HipopotamIllus. by Janusz Grabiański for Idzie niebo ciemną nocą, 1969 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Bohdan Butenko for Księga portretowych zażaleń, 1966 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Bohdan Butenko for Księga portretowych zażaleń, 1966 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Zbigniew Rychlicki for Michałek z pudełka od zapałek, 1966 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Bogdan Zieleniec for Baśnie angielskie, 1963 From the collection of Hipopotam Cover illus. by Olga Siemaszko for Nalle, wesoły niedźwiadek, 1966 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Tadeusz Grabiański for Ziemia nasz dom, 1965 From the collection of Hipopotam (even the textbooks are lovely) See the full series and also "The Wonderful Wizards of Lodz" parts one and two See all posts tagged "Poland" on 50 Watts