The Penguin Car Handbook - Penguin Books (1960)
Year: 1960
Format: Book
Illustrator: Erwin Fabian (1915-2020)
Client: Penguin Books
Details: 'The Penguin Car Handbook' was published in 1960. Erwin Fabian (1915-2020) designed the cover. Fabian was a sculptor, printmaker and illustrator who lived a long and eventful life.
Fabian was born in Germany during the First World War. His father was the painter, Max Fabian. He studied drawing in Berlin before fleeing to England in 1938 to escape Nazi persecution. He started studying art again in London before being interned as an 'enemy alien'.
Fabian was sent to Australia and detained in camps for two years before being released, on condition of joining the army. He went on to be transferred to Army Education, where he designed covers and illustrations for the fortnightly 'Current Affairs Bulletin'.
He returned to London in 1950, where he found work designing for advertising agencies, producing graphics for such clients as P&O and Shell. He also designed a number of notable book covers for Penguin.
Fabian lectured at the London School of Printing before permanently moving to Melbourne with his family in 1962. He became a leading Australian abstract sculptor, creating work from scrap metal and discarded machinery parts. Fabian’s works are held in museums in Australia and overseas, including in the British Museum. In 2000, a large retrospective exhibition was held in the Stadtmuseum Berlin featuring his work alongside paintings by his father.