Walter Gotschke

I'm looking for biographical information on Walter Gotschke. I want to feature some of his work included in his three-volume set on the Nurburgring 1927-1939 published by Editionn Automobile in 1990.

Dennis -contact Mark Steigerwald at the Research Center at Watkins Glen. I just spoke to him and he confirms that he has biographical data on Gotschke and would be delighted to hear from you. He may be contacted at 607/535-9044 or via e-mail mark@racingarchives.org

Incidentally, the Research Center has boxed sets - numbered and individually signed by the artist - of Gotschke's Mercedes Benz Racing series. Each boxed set contains 29 images. They are exquisite and quite rare. They can be purchased at a very reasonable price - and will help support the research library - through the Research Center. Anyone interested should contact Mark at the phone number or e-mail address noted above.

Walter Gotschke studied architecture in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and submitted a poster design in a competition based upon creating publicity for the 1930 Masaryk race - according to 'Automobile Quarterly'. Gotschke's design featured a bright red Maserati. It was judged the winner of the competition and the resultant poster proved so widely popular that he won newspaper commissions to provide action sketches on raceday. These became his first published works.

Gotschke went to work for Mercedes-Benz in 1938, producing posters and illustrations depicting the works team's various victories. During the war he served as a corespondent-war artist and several German magazines used his work to depict scenes of motorised warfare. He became one of the millions of displaced persons subsisting in refuge in the Austrian Tyrol. He spent time as a cowherd and sketched the animals in pastoral scenes, later selling some of the work to Innsbruck newspaper publishers, who offered him a job as illustrator. In 1949 he returned to Stuttgart and Mercedes, but this time working as a freelance. He later worked for Ford Cologne, KHD, Maybach, Shell, Fiat, Goodyear, Austin and Ford Britain...again all according to 'AQ'.

DCN

Originally posted by Doug Nye
...later selling some of the work to Innsbruck newspaper publishers, who offered him a job as illustrator...

Indeed, he worked as an illustrator for the Tiroler Tageszeitung in Innsbruck 1947/1948. A couple of weeks ago, while doing some historic research about ski racing in the archives of that newspaper, I came across a wonderful drawing of Gotschke from a car race in the inner city of Innsbruck in July 1948, showing the special Porsche prototype built by Tyrolean racer-constructor Otto Mathé.

Thanks Mike I just sent Mark an email. I also remember seeing his work in Road & Track. Here is an example of his military artwork:

About 20 years ago german motor magazin auto motor und sport published Gotschke's racing drawings/paintings.

I'l look in my archive and try to scan any drawing. It would be a great appreciation for me to that for you, Dennis.

While living in Berlin, I decided to try and get in touch with the great Herr Gotschke to tell him how much I enjoyed his work. I was successful and, despite my poor German, had a great conversation - we understood each other. There was an large exhibit of his in the late 70's here in southern California which Road & Track covered (which I missed) and he was flown out here for it. R&T also had an article on him. I'll try and find it. To me, he was the best.

I'm looking for a poster / print of a beautiful Walter Gotschke painting of Lang & Rosemeyer, in the streamliners, on the Avus Nordkurve. Can someone help me locate a copy of this
painting? It's my fav racing period and this is a must have for me.

I think you have it in Automobile Quarterly Volume 8 N°1 about "The Auto-Union Grand Prix Car".
In fact if the Mercedes of Lang is OK, the Auto-Union is wrong: it wears N°34 and is given as the one of Hasse which is correct except that in that race Hasse didn't drive a streamlined AU!

Automotive Quarterly used have many of the Walter Gotschke availble, but I don't think they do any longer.

You can buy Automobile Quarterly Volume 8 N°1 at http://www.abebooks.com/



Automobile Quarterly, Vol. 8, No. 1 (summer 1969)
Vorderman, Don

Price: US$ 7.50 [Convert Currency]
Shipping: [Rates and Speeds]

Book Description: Automobile Quarterly 1969. Very Good- with no dust jacket; pages unmarked, binding tight, corners bumped, paint stain top edge front cover. Limited Edition. Binding is Hardcover. Bookseller Inventory #5663

Thanks guys, for helping me on my search.

GIGLEUX kindly sent me a beautiful pic that matched my description from AQ 8/1, but it was not the one I'm searching for.

Here's a link to the one Im looking for:

http://cgi.ebay.com/...bayphotohosting

I don't think that particular painting ever appeared in AQ. Back in the 60s and 70s, you could buy Gotschke prints directly from AQ, either seperately, or in sets.

I do have one duplicate set I would consider parting with. It contains 6 prints, all about 14 x 20 inches including the border.

The pictures are:

1) V16 BRM #6 being chased by Alfa 158s and a Ferrari Silverstone 1951

2) B type Auto Union #12 chasing a Mercedes 125 around a bend

3) B type Auto Union #4 being followed by Mercedes 125 and Alfa 12c 1937

4) C type Auto Union #4 being followed by Mercedes 125 #8 and Alfa 8c

5) Bugatii T37 #46 at Futa Pass

6) Alfa 8c2300 sports # 72 being followed by Bugatti T57 coupe at Madone

bump

dretceterini
I'm interested, what are you asking for?

Make me an offer.

The prints are mint, and are stored in a big thick plastic artists envelope (the kind they store prints in at galleries) of about 29 x 23 inches. I have no idea what it would cost to ship them to you, but I can check. Please PM me with your address, and I will check on the shipping costs with the post office and with other shipping companies such as Federal Express and UPS.

Hans,

The image you want is in a book titled The Mercedes Benz Racing Car by Walter Gotschke. Very difficult to find and very expensive in the bound addition. But you are in luck...unbound books with prints suitable for framing can be found for about $200 from the Research Center at Watkins Glen. You can contact Mark Steigerwald at mark@racingarchives.org for a copy. The website of the center is www.racingarchives.org.

The book has a lot of information on Gotschke as well as 29 Gotschke images including the one you want.

The title of your interest is Lang on the Brick Banking at Avus, 1937

If they are out, I know where more are. Contact me and I will pass the source on. This is a beautiful book that was published in paperback as well as leather hardbound editions. Either is over $400, if you can find them. Less at Watkins Glenn. It was an edition of 2,000 and not all of them were bound.

1920sracing..Gary Doyle

I hate to see books get cut up for prints, but that is a REALLY cheap price...$200 for an unbound copy of the book...and yes, according the the web site, it is still available.

Indivdual Gotschke prints go for from anout $50 each for unsigned, to as much as $1000 for signed prints (not signed in plate ones). The typical price is about $400...

I have seen many copies of the Labric and Geo Ham Le Mans book cut up for prints too. Sad, because there were only 1100 copies printed....

This is not a cut up book but was never bound. The "book" comes in a box which has the 29 Gotschke images plus text by Ludvigsen on Mercedes and John Dugdale on Walter Gotschke. They are numbered i.e. 217 of 2,000. Whoever published the original book did not bind all of them and someone bought the remaining pieces and packaged them in a handsome presentation. My thought would be Gotschke's representative in the United States did this about 10-15 years ago. It is better than the bound book as it does not have to be taken apart if you want to frame the prints.

All of you Mercedes fans should get all over this and it helps the Watkins Glen Research Center, a very important place deserving of our support. Ask Don Capps. I intend to donate things to the Center eventually.

1920sracing

1920sracing:
Thanks so much for the info. As it happens, my research lead me to the Watkins site, so I emailed them. They were very friendly and confirmed for me (by emailing a scan) that my pic was included in the Gotschke set. The Research center had a set on Ebay, starting at $99. I bid and won, paying $113, shipped. This is incredible for me, because I am a new Gotschke fan and feel fortunate to add this to my collection. Im looking fwd to reading Dugdale's info on Gotschke. My introduction to the artist was in a recent feature in Mercedes magazine. Such beautiful work. The article listed an email for his widow (!) Gerhild Gotschke so I wrote her. To my surprise she wrote back, asked for my address and said she'll send a small brochure listing items she has available. I cant afford the big ticket items, but im enjoying searching out his work and collecting what I can.

$113 for 29 prints is the bargain of the century. If you only want the one, print, you can always sell the others seperately on e-bay, recover your money, and donate whatever profits there are to the research center.

All the stuff I have is in my will to be donated there.

Originally posted by dretceterini
...All the stuff I have is in my will to be donated there...

Very interesting point. I am sure I am not alone having thought what the hell will my kids do with all this motor racing stuff once I leave for good...
I know it might sound slightly weird but actually it might make sense to study the technicalities of such a donation...it will probably involve a Trust somewhere along the line...
Any comments?

Felix,

I am not up to speed on the law regarding donations and the tax implications, but generally your/my kids will not care in the least for the automobile books, photos, papers, articles, art, ephemera and the like. They may wish to keep something sentimental or that has meaning for them, but not everything. I think most family members think it takes up valuable storage space. I know my wife does. Most sell it off as quickly as they can after our depatures and that is the problem. It gets scattered or is purchased by a collector who then buries it in a dark hole, at least as far as research is concerned. My bias is that many are a pain in the ass to deal with...I guess as they can/should/have a right to be if they own it...Many are concerned about the history and share without restriction. But you never know what you are going to get. The problem is with those that see this stuff as a commodity to be bought, traded or sold with no thought to its historic importance or no desire to do anything with it other than collect it. They do not have the interest or skill to interpret it in biography or monograph form. Recognize that I am biased.

The International Research Cenetr at Watkins Glen is a great place to think about leaving stuff to. They are focused on the racing and want their collection to be as broad and inclusive as possible. It is run by a family that has been in the racing "business" since 1948 and have a passion about the sport and are very honorable. It is a different attitude than many institutions in that they actually want people to use it and work at the center. I could name several repositories in the United States that treat donated stuff as their personal posessions and it winds up sitting in some basement, not displayed and unaccessible, completly contary to the donor's wishes. It's, actually, outrageous. Or conversely they, they charge exorbitant fees to use it There are many that don't, as well, to be fair. Museums, libraries and historical societies are evenly divided on the above. I don't want to name names but I have a point of view, obviously.

I do know that you can donate to Watkins Glen with the comfort that they will allow people to use it to advance the history of the sport. To insure this is the case, you can pass it along with specific instructions as to how you would like/prefer to have it accessed and used. I assume one's estate could benefit from having donations of this type depending on the tax situation. And I assume the reciepient would justify a competitive market value acceptable to the tax people.

From personal experience, part of my family sold off Jimmy Murphy's photographs and memorabilia (trophy's etc.) and most of it has been resold to individuals never to be seen again until it reappears at the collectors death. Hard to track where any of it went. The photograph's remain together for the moment but there is no guarantee that they will. The current owner was very helpful with the Murphy book, however. You just never know. It would be nice to know ultimately that it was being properly archived and accessible to scholars at a place like Watkins Glen.

1920sracing

Hans,

A link to a post made by me last year on the IMRRC Gotschke set, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I am sure that you will as well.

I could name several repositories in the United States that treat donated stuff as their personal posessions and it winds up sitting in some basement, not displayed and unaccessible, completly contary to the donor's wishes. It's, actually, outrageous.

You couldn't possibly be talking about a certain museum located at Wilshire and Fairfax in LA, could you? A friend donated his complete 1/43rd scale model car collection (some 3000 pieces, all hand mades) and an enormous book and magazine collection, including some things that are virtually impossible to find at any price. The models are sitting gathering dust and being slowly destroyed.
The rest of the stuff sits in a big room, dong nothing for the last 7 years (or more).

As to any tax adavantage from willing my stuff to the Glen, it makes no difference. No one in my family cares about it, and I used up 99% of the money I had on my mom's health, before she passed away. Maybe someone will get use out of it after I'm gone....

You couldn't possibly be talking about a certain museum located at Wilshire and Fairfax in LA, could you? A friend donated his complete 1/43rd scale model car collection (some 3000 pieces, all hand mades) and an enormous book and magazine collection, including some things that are virtually impossible to find at any price. The models are sitting gathering dust and being slowly destroyed.
The rest of the stuff sits in a big room, dong nothing for the last 7 years (or more).

There are others with an equally "farsighted" view. The problem is the expectation that something would/will be done with things from the donors. From the museums point of view it is hard to display everything...a little from each occsaionally might be preferable to letting things gather dust. And a listing of what has been donated is key and the ability of serious researchers to access it.. Most instutuions are not able to even produce that. They have no idea what they have. Until it gets to a properly curated situation people are going to be donating stuff to the basement.

Another "good" place is the Seaver Center for Western History at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History. Expensive for photos but they list on the internet what is available and are helpful in response to direct questions.

1920sracing

They have no idea what they have. Until it gets to a properly curated situation people are going to be donating stuff to the basement.


They have no excuse. Some of us have offered to help sort things for free. Fancy parties there are not a problem, but a few thousand dollars to set up a simple library, with not much more than shelving and bookcases seems to be. Car people; what a joke.

Dennis: Sorry, forgot to mention: When I started looking around, I searched on the boards here for "Gotschke" and your post really helped me on my search. Thanks a lot.

I have a Walter Gotschke autographed print of the 1937 Monaco Grand Prix. Can anyone tell me what it is worth. It is under glass and in excellent condition. Robert

There is a fine bilingual website (German, English) about the man & his œuvre (created by his widow). Have a look!

Dennis:

I understand that Gotschke was a big fan of the Camaro--and owned one! Another German with a similar career was Hans Liska. You'll notice a real similarity in styles, especially in their early work. Liska is not as well known as Gotschke, so a few years ago Gary Doyle and I wrote this:

Hans Liska

The sketchbooks of artist Hans Liska are some of the most collectible–and most unusual--of all Mercedes-Benz books. In fact, they are unique in their nature; to our knowledge, no other car maker has produced anything similar. Between 1951 and 2004, Daimler-Benz published five hardbound collections of Liska’s pencil, charcoal, gouache, and watercolor art covering not only Mercedes-Benz cars but the styles of their respective eras. To place the cars within their own social context, Liska painted such diverse subjects as ballerinas, horses, and opera houses, ending the books with his unique cat signature.

Early Days

Born in 1907, Liska lived a productive life before he died in 1983. One of the most famous German illustrator/artists, he began his work in the 1930s at a newspaper, Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung (BIZ). He worked there at the same time as artist Theo Matejko, who produced several 1937-38 Mercedes-Benz race posters, and though Liska was 14 years younger, they seem to have influenced each other’s styles. Maybe the newspaper’s urgency dictated a simple, realistic technique based on charcoal, gouache, and pastel media.

Liska’s most famous BIZ drawing illustrates the monumental sculpture studio of Josef Thorak, commissioned by the Nazis to create gigantic bronzes for Nuerenberg Stadium. Although Liska showed the readers of BIZ the scale of the statues of animals and men in various stages of completion in the world’s largest studio, they were never cast because of the war.

Few fans of Liska’s automotive art know that during World War II, he spent time in Russia, producing artwork for the German army’s magazine, Signal , and presumably for BIZ. His sketchbooks published for the home front include scenes of aircraft, tanks, and men fighting on the eastern front. Since Liska was with the troops from 1939 to 1942, his images evoke the titanic struggle with Russia; not surprisingly, some are sympathetic renderings of German soldiers. They convey perspectives and emotions unattainable in photographs, depicting the lives of soldiers and refugees, with handwritten captions and observations.

Better-Known Work

After the war, Liska resumed his civilian career, working on a free-lance basis for numerous German publications and for Ford of Germany until he became the chief illustrator of promotional materials for Daimler-Benz. The marketing department there produced sales brochures for all models with paintings of the cars as well as technical drawings. During the early 1950s, Liska seems to have done most of that work.

In addition, Daimler-Benz commissioned sketchbooks from Liska in the style of his wartime work. Two published in 1951 and 1953 concentrate on the history of the marque with artistic asides and comments in the familiar sketchbook style. Among the serious renderings of the company’s products, Liska ads humor and personality, including a charcoal drawing of what he describes as his first ride in a Mercedes, as a newborn baby in November 1907. He also adds racing history to the mix of paintings to enhance the Mercedes-Benz story. A drawing of the famous race director Alfred Neubauer includes the note that victory for Daimler-Benz was due to the ability of the designers, precision of the workmen, performance of the drivers, and the strategy and organization of the racing chief. These sketchbooks were meant to be distributed by Mercedes-Benz dealers to their clients.

Collector’s Items

Most of the Liska sketchbooks appeared in German, but Automobile and Fashion (1953) and To the Hearts Behind the Star (1955) were also published in English. In them, Daimler-Benz even went to the trouble of translating Liska’s notes from German to English and reproducing them in handwritten form. Liska’s work is magnificent, so those lucky enough to find copies of his sketchbooks tend to hang onto them. Unfortunately, all except the 2004 collection are out-of-print by now, though used copies of the Mercedes-Benz books can still be found. Depending on condition, most of these sketchbooks are currently valued at $150 to $250 each.

Liska does not seem to have developed his own personal commission business, nor did he change his painting mode significantly, though his automotive work is far more light-hearted than the combat material. Most of his art was done in the comfortable horizontal-format sketchbook style that he developed during the war. He also produced books on the cities of Salzburg and Franconia. Apart from the payments from Daimler-Benz, he presumably earned a living by selling individual images. From 1952 through early 1955, he also served Daimler-Benz by creating powerful art for factory-published posters celebrating race victories as Mercedes-Benz returned to sports car and Grand Prix competition. But that’s another story.

Known Liska Sketchbooks

Military

Skizzenbuch , in German, 1942. A collection of powerful and dynamic combat sketches in black and white (charcoal, pencil) as well as color (watercolors), many of them also used in the German army magazine Signal. No text but hand-written captions by Liska, with his trademark cat signature. Hardbound, 12x8-in, 38 pages; publisher, Dr. Buhrbanck & Co., Berlin; printer, Carl Werner Reichenbach.

Haut Liska , in German, 1944, in German, typeset foreword by Signal writer Walther Kiaulehn. More dramatic hand-captioned World War II combat art, some from the first book. Considering the trying times and conditions, it’s amazing that this book exists. Hardbound, 12x8-in, 70 pages; publisher, Dr. Buhrbanck & Co., Berlin; printer, Carl Werner Reichenbach.

Mercedes-Benz

Untitled (“Hans Liska” on cover with Mercedes-Benz star), 1951, in German, foreword by Walther Kiaulehn. Liska’s first book for DBAG reviews the firm’s history and shows how its products were helping post-war Germany to get back on its wheels. In color and black and white; hardbound, off-white cover, 11-1/2x8-in, 65 pages; publisher, Daimler-Benz AG.

Automobile and Fashion , 1953, in English, (German version titled Das Automobil und die Mode ); foreword by Walther Kiaulehn. In similar format to above, but focuses on cars and clothing styles throughout the history of DBAG. Color and black and white, hardbound, grey-blue cover, 11-1/2x8-in, 65 pages; publisher, Daimler-Benz AG.

To the Hearts Behind the Star , 1955, in English, (German version titled De Herzen hinter dem Stern); foreword by Walther Kiaulehn. A colorful overview of the thriving company, its people, products, and enthusiastic customers around the world. Probably his best work. Hardbound, rust-colored cover, 11-1/2x8-in, 65 pages; edited by Daimler-Benz AG, copyright DBAG.

Lorbeer, Laecheln, Leidenschaften (Laurels, Smiles, Passions),1993, foreword by Dr. Harry Niemann of Mercedes-Benz Classic. New material, most of it previously unpublished, some almost risque, all in typical but inimitable Liska style. Color and black and white, hardbound, pea-green cover, 11-1/2x8-in, 67 pages; publisher, Mercedes-Benz AG, copyright Motorbuch Verlag.

Stillstand, Bewegung, bewegend...( Stop, Movement, moving...), 2004, foreword by Jorg Enger; in German, an overview of Liska’s automotive and fashion art plus a few military scenes; little overlap with other sketchbooks, includes a portrait of Liska and an introduction by Lisl Liska. Numbered edition, hardbound, maroon cover, 11-1/2x8-in, 61 pages; no publisher shown; copyright Mercedes-Benz Veteranen Club; still available as of 2006.

Probably more information than you wanted to know, but...

Frank