Him
was born in Lódz, Poland, of Russian-Jewish parents.
After completing his university studies at the comparative
history of religions in Moscow, Berlin and Bonn, he
studied graphic art for four years at the Staatliche
Akademie für Graphische Künste und Buchwerbe
in Leipzig. He worked freelance in Germany until 1933,
when he met and started working in partnership with
Jan Le Witt, under the name
of Lewitt-Him. The partnership
was dissolved in 1954, after which Him worked as a freelance,
mainly in book illustration, advertising and exhibition
design, 'best known through his newspaper advertisements
for Schweppes and Haus Neuerberg'. In the 1950s, George
Him was represented by Artist Partners, Ltd. In May
1957 Art and Industry discussed Him's work, his contribution
to modern advertising, particularly in the development
of brand products where the 'uniqueness of the product'
is sold. During the 1950s and 60s Him collaborated with
Stephen Potter on a famous series of advertisements
for Schweppes drinks featuring the imaginary English
county of 'Schweppshire'. Him was responsible for the
window display at the department store De Bijenkorf
in Rotterdam on the occasion of its re-opening in 1958.
By 1962 latest, Him was a British subject, and was elected
RDI in 1977. Papers covering the work of George Him
in the period 1919 to 1986 are held at NAL.
Information collated from: Amstutz, W., Who's
Who in Graphic Art 1962, p.242; Darracott, J.
and Loftus, B., Second World War Posters, 1981
(1972), p.44; Artist Partners 'ap retro', http://www.artistpartners.com/mainpages/ap_retro.html,
accessed August 28 2003; Gowing, M., 'The Creative
Mind in Advertising: George Him', Art and Industry,
Vol. 62, No.371, May 1957; Livingston, A. and Livingston,
I., Dictionary of Graphic Design and Designers,
1992, p.120; National Art Library, 'AAD Holdings',
http://www.nal.vam.ac.uk/aad/aadalpha.html,
accessed August 28 2003
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