Speckter-otto-guttmann-aus-der-fruehzeit-der-photographie-frankfurt1930-tafel62

Otto Speckter (9 November 1807, in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

– 29 April 1871, in Hamburg) was a German

etcher Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

and illustrator.

Life and work

He was the son of Johannes Michael Speckter, whose lithographic company he took over in 1834. His brother was the painter,

Erwin Speckter Erwin Speckter (18 July 1806, Hamburg - 23 November 1835, Hamburg) was a German painter, often associated with the Nazarene movement. Life His father was the lithographer, Johannes Michael Speckter. During the Siege of Hamburg, his family sough ...

. He initially made himself known through lithography, then began illustrating books with

arabesques The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...

vignettes Vignette may refer to: * Vignette (entertainment), a sketch in a sketch comedy * Vignette (graphic design), decorative designs in books (originally in the form of leaves and vines) to separate sections or chapters * Vignette (literature), short, i ...

and figure drawings. He illustrated ''

Luther's Small Catechism ''Luther's Small Catechism'' (german: Der Kleine Katechismus) is a catechism written by Martin Luther and published in 1529 for the training of children. Luther's Small Catechism reviews the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Pr ...

'', ''Der Pilgerfahrt der Blumengeister'' (Pilgrimage of the Flower Spirits) by Adolf Böttger, ''Quickborn'' by

Klaus Groth Klaus Groth (24 April 1819 – 1 June 1899) was a Low German poet. Biography Groth was born in Heide, in Ditmarschen, the western part of the Duchy of Holstein. He was the oldest son of Hartwig Groth, a miller, and his wife Anna Christina. He ...

, ''Hannchen und die Küchlein'' (Hanna and the Cakes) by

Christian August Gottlob Eberhard Christian August Gottlob Eberhard (12 January 176913 May 1845) was a German miscellaneous writer. He was born at Belzig, in the Electorate of Saxony. He studied theology at Leipzig; but, having had a story successfully published in a periodical ...

, ''Hanne Nüte'' by

Fritz Reuter Fritz Reuter (7 November 1810 – 12 July 1874; born as ''Heinrich Ludwig Christian Friedrich Reuter'') was a novelist from Northern Germany who was a prominent contributor to Low German literature. Early life Fritz Reuter was born at Stavenha ...

, and ''50 Fabeln für Kinder'' (Fifty Fables for Children) by , which was translated into English, by

Mary Howitt Mary Howitt (12 March 1799-30 January 1888) was an English poet, the author of the famous poem '' The Spider and the Fly''. She translated several tales by Hans Christian Andersen. Some of her works were written in conjunction with her husband, ...

. as ''Otto Speckter’s Fable Book''. He was one of the founding members of the . He was married to Marie Auguste, née Bergeest (1824-1899). Their son, , also became an illustrator, but died in a mental institution at an early age. There is an "Otto-Speckter-Straße" in the Hamburg district of Barmbek-Nord. He was interred in a family plot at

Ohlsdorf Cemetery Ohlsdorf Cemetery (german: Ohlsdorfer Friedhof or (former) ) in the Ohlsdorf quarter of the city of Hamburg, Germany, is the biggest rural cemetery in the world and the fourth-largest cemetery in the world. Most of the people buried at the cemete ...

. In 2019, his works were part of an exhibition; "Hamburger Schule – Das 19. Jahrhundert neu entdeckt", held at the

Hamburger Kunsthalle The Hamburger Kunsthalle is the art museum of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Germany. It is one of the largest art museums in the country. The museum consists of three connected buildings, dating from 1869 (main building), 1921 (Kuppelsaa ...

Sources

* Veronika Braunfels: ''Otto Speckter (1807–1871). Illustrator und Lithograph in Hamburg'',

Verein für Hamburgische Geschichte The Verein für Hamburgische Geschichte (VHG) is a historical society founded on 9 April 1839, which is open to both professional historians and historically interested laypersons. The society's office and library are located in the . History ...

, Hamburg 1995, * Walter Hettche (Ed.): ''Theodor Storm – Otto Speckter, Theodor Storm – Hans Speckter. Briefwechsel'', Erich Schmidt, Berlin 1991, * * * ''Hamburgisches Künstler-Lexikon'' Vol. 1, Hoffmann und Campe, Hamburg 1854, pg.243
Online
Hamburg Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek

External links

*
The Brothers and Sisters of Grimm's Tales; in illustrations by Otto Speckter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Speckter, Otto 1807 births 1871 deaths German lithographers German etchers German illustrators Artists from Hamburg