Dorrit Dekk facts for kids

Dorrit Dekk was a talented graphic designer, artist, and printmaker. She was born in Czechoslovakia in 1917 and later became a British citizen. She created many famous posters and designs throughout her long career, which lasted until her death in 2014.

Early Life and Studies

Dorrit Dekk was born in a city called Brno, which was then part of a region called Moravia. She studied art and design in Vienna, Austria, from 1936 to 1938. Her teacher was a stage designer named Otto Niedermoser. She even helped create designs for plays and movies.

In 1938, when World War II was about to begin, Dorrit had to leave Austria. She moved to London, England, where she continued her studies at the Reimann School. She received a special scholarship arranged by her former teacher, Otto Niedermoser. At this school, she focused on graphic design, which is about creating visual content to communicate messages.

Working During World War II

Joining the WRNS

Dorrit Dekk designed this poster, Join the Mobile Labour Force.

After her art school closed in 1939, Dorrit Dekk joined the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS). This was a special part of the British Navy for women. Because she knew several languages, she became a radio intelligence officer.

Listening to Secret Messages

Her job was to listen to secret messages sent by German U-boats (submarines). She worked at a place called a 'Y-station'. She would write down these coded messages by hand. Then, her transcripts were sent to Bletchley Park, a top-secret location where experts worked to break enemy codes. Her work helped the Allies understand what the German navy was planning.

Designing for the Government

After the war ended, Dorrit joined a government design studio. This studio later became known as the Central Office of Information. For about two and a half years, she designed many posters for the government. One of her most famous designs was for the Ministry of Health, called Trap the Germs in Your Handkerchief. She also created posters for rebuilding after the war and for helping Polish soldiers settle in Britain.

A Career in Design

Becoming a Freelance Artist

In 1948, Dorrit Dekk left the government design office. She spent a year in Cape Town, South Africa, where she worked as a stage designer and illustrator.

She returned to London in 1950 and started her own freelance design business. This meant she worked for many different clients instead of just one company.

Famous Clients and Projects

Dorrit Dekk designed for many well-known companies and organizations. Some of her clients included:

• Air France (an airline)
• The Orient Shipping Line (a shipping company)
• The Post Office Savings Bank
• Trust House Forte (a hotel and catering company)
• Penguin (a book publisher)
• The Tatler (a magazine)
• London Transport (which runs London's public transportation)

She also designed a large mural called 'British Sports and Games' for the Travelling Section of the Festival of Britain in 1951. In 1956, she became a Fellow of the Society of Industrial Artists, which is a special honor for designers.

Later Years

Dorrit Dekk was seen as one of the most successful commercial artists in Britain after World War II. She stopped working as a graphic designer in 1982. However, she continued to create art as a painter and printmaker until she passed away in December 2014.

Personal Life

In 1940, Dorrit married Leonard Klatzow, a physicist from South Africa. He was important in inventing things like the cathode-ray tube and infrared night vision for the navy. Sadly, he died in a plane crash in 1942. In 1968, she married Kurt Epstein, and they were together until his death in 1990.