Ella Riemersma

Finally, after over a year of hard work, it's finally here!
My new book is out! 'The Art Deco of Ella Riemersma (1903-1993) (ISBN 978-90-74009-68-3)
Ella Riemersma, an illustrator of children's books and beautiful Art Deco book covers. She was born in Dordrecht in 1903, where she made her professional debut at the age of 18. The search for her artistic background began in 1993, and only much later did it become clear that she had died anonymously in Vienna two months earlier. Her artistic pursuits had abruptly ended in 1933 when, at the age of 30, she married a 54-year-old, well-off insurance executive. In those days, women had few options: they could marry or retire. Researching her background proved extremely difficult, especially since no archival documents were available. The first result appeared in an article published in 'Boekenpost'. This is often the case with projects just starting up, and an article sought attention from anyone with information. This was one of four projects that began at that time. The recovered documents were then filed away in archive boxes, and over the years, new pieces were added to the puzzle. The opportunity for publication arose when publisher Robert van Rixtel of [Z]OO Productions in Eindhoven in early 2009 inquired whether this book in progress would fit well within the series of books [Z]OO Productions had published by this author; Ir. Louis C. Kalff (1897-1976) in December 2006. A biography of the artistic conscience of Philips and avid designer of now highly sought-after posters. The next publication, by graphic designer and interior architect Nico P. de Koo (1881-1960), appeared in the summer of 2008.

This publication about the life and work of Ella Riemersma was also to include an essay in a Dutch translation by graphic designer and book restorer Jeff Clements. Editor-in-chief Sybrand Zijlstra lives and works in Bandung, Indonesia. Margreet van Wijk-Sluyterman contributed a fascinating chapter to this book, specifically the collaboration between publisher Isaak van Noothoven van Goor and illustrators such as Ella Riemersma, Nans van Leeuwen, and Sijtje Aafjes. All in all, a truly beautiful publication! 144 pages with over 250 illustrations, and the book designed by publisher Robert van Rixtel in collaboration with Juultje van der Put (vanRixtelvanderPut designers). A complete oeuvre description is also included. All the visual material has been newly photographed by The Hague-based photographer Marsel Loermans. The printing order has traditionally been placed with Roto Smeets GrafiServices in Eindhoven, a printer with taste and a keen eye for color reproduction. This will be a delightful treat for many enthusiasts, with so many new facts and trivia about the life and work of Ella Riemersma. A now completely forgotten drawing talent, she makes a full comeback in this book. An exhibition will follow in January 2011 at the Dordrecht Library.