Bookmark - Van Gelderen (c.1960s)

Year: c. early 1960s

Format: Bookmark

Illustrator: Dick Elffers (1910-1990)

Client: Van Gelderen

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Details: This promotional bookmark folds out as a leaflet to provide information about Van Gelderen, a Dutch bookshop. It would have been given away free with a book purchased from the store. The artwork is one of a series of bookmarks created by Dutch artist Dick Elffers (1910-1990), who produced posters and packaging for Van Gelderen in the early 1960s.

Dirk Cornelis "Dick" Elffers was born in Rotterdam. He studied at the Academy of Art in Rotterdam between 1929 and 1933, before working as an assistant to graphic artists Paul Schuitema and Piet Zwart. He went on to establish his own studio, which was bombed in 1940. His pre-war work was lost as a result. He moved to Amsterdam shortly afterwards.

As a designer and illustrator, Elffers created many posters and programmes for the Holland Festival from 1954 to 1967. He also designed books, book covers and postage stamps. In addition, Elffers was a graphic designer and exhibition designer for the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.

Elffers was also a painter, sculptor and ceramicist and went on to teach at the art academy in Den Bosch from 1970 to 1976. He received the State Award for Typography.