Waschanstalt Zürich | Rent Linen

“A poster that is exemplary in all respects was created by the laundry Zurich. It chose the picture drawn by R. Hardmeyer ten years ago, the rooster donning a freshly-pressed tuxedo shirt with perfectly-starched collar on a yellow and black background”, was written in the July 1914 issue of the magazine “Das Plakat”, which was founded by the Berlin dentist Hans Sachs and soon became extremely influential – something of a bible for poster collectors at the time.

Originally not intended as a poster at all, but as a template for a small-format “mono” (a form of advertising cards at the time), the motif – probably on the initiative of the Wolfensberger printing company – was enlarged to world format and had such an impact that the “Wöschi” in Zurich Wollishofen not only registered it as a trademark in 1904 and made it its logo; the poster was even considered a pioneer, if not the founder, of the modern Swiss poster until the 1980s due to the presumed, but incorrect, printing year of 1904. However, this does not change the fact that this proud rooster – always keen to show off and impress – still exudes a peculiar power today.

This lithograph also features a slogan added by hand, with which the Waschanstalt advertised its range of laundry for hire. Even if we can only speculate as to when this addition was made, there is no doubt that this is a special example of a special original poster.

Only one other poster by Robert Hardmeyer (1876 -– 1919) is known, for a wine shop in Erlenbach on Lake Zurich, printed around 1905 and nowhere near as impressive as the rooster. Hardmeyer earned his living as a drawing teacher, illustrator and designer of motifs for the aforementioned mono cards.