author
Fritz August Gottfried Endell
1873–1955
A German painter and graphic artist, he brought a craftsman’s eye to woodcuts, etchings, and illustrated books. His work also reached English-language readers through "Old Tavern Signs," a richly visual look at the history of inn signs and hospitality.
1 Audiobook
Old Tavern Signs: An Excursion in the History of Hospitality
by Fritz August Gottfried Endell
About the author
Born in Stettin on November 12, 1873, Fritz August Gottfried Endell was a German artist known for painting and graphic work. Reliable biographical records describe him especially as a painter, graphic artist, wood engraver, and etcher, and note that he died in Bayrischzell on February 8, 1955.
He originally studied theology, but later turned toward an artistic career in Munich under the influence of his older brother, the architect and designer August Endell. Around 1900, during a stay in Paris, he entered the Académie Julian, a step that points to the international art training behind his later work.
Endell is also remembered as a book artist and illustrator. His surviving works include woodcut-based books such as Ein kleines Buch für kleine Leute, and English-language editions identify him as both author and illustrator of Old Tavern Signs: An Excursion in the History of Hospitality (1916), a work that reflects his gift for combining historical curiosity with visual imagination.