Thursday 25 April 2013

Jung Koch Quentell Vintage Charts

As we love the charts we sell and have found that you love them too, we thought it was time to write a bit more about the background and history of a selection of the charts we collect.
The latest count of charts in our workshop was 400 and there are more on the way! Some people (you know who you are!) would call us hoarders instead of curators/collectors, as we like to call it, but we cover our ears and hum whenever they visit.

One of our most popular range of charts is the Jung Koch Quentell chart collection,  so we thought we would start with explaining a bit more about them.
The name Jung Koch Quentell came to be as they were the last names of the three men, all scientists, who in the Fifties designed the charts for the German Publishing Company Hagemann, which supplied learning aids to German Schools. Their aim was to create universal charts, without text, which would be easy to interpret for teachers in any language. The Scientific rigor and artistic perfection they applied to creating these charts created the international success of Hagemann Charts, both as learning aids and now as interior design treasures.

Important principles of these charts were that the colours were true (up to 10 colours were used per chart) and that the size of the charts was large enough to be seen by the entire classroom.
These designs became an international success and Hagemann sold them worldwide, the vibrant colours on the black background and no text making them easy to use in any language.
Recently they have been discovered by interior design lovers and have proven to be a vast favorite by stylists for creating that immediate dramatic effect in a room.

Below are some of the charts that are our distinct favorites, with stunning design:


 The JKQ Archangel Nettle, depending on the age, the background is either a lovely 
green or a sky blue colour.

 JKQ Flax, the colours are even more vibrant in real life and very hard to capture on film.


I always think this Gorilla chart would look stunning in an office setting. The colours are subtle and the details are amazing.
 The Horse Chestnut Chart, stunning colours and the hint of fuchsia on the blossom
is so subtle and stunning



 The JKQ Tulip chart is our firm favorite, the colours are amazing and they remind of us day trips in the Netherlands to the Keukenhof, the most beautiful gardens.


 This beauty is hanging proudly in our kitchen, the greens stunning against the black background with an almost subdued quality of colour.




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