Max Schammler
Max Schammler worked as a graphic designer in Innsbruck at the beginning of the 20th century. There, exemplary art nouveau- influenced posters were created. His clients included, among others, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, Mannesmannröhren-Lager GmbH and Propellerfabrik Hugo Heine.
Commissioning Schammler turned out to be a stroke of luck for BMW. The company could not have wished for a more iconic poster to mark the occasion of its founding, as there is hardly a more fitting way of depicting the birth of a brand out of “fire and ore”.
However, the advertisement does not focus predominantly on BMW engines, but on “high-quality cast aluminium”. The impressive looking poster was designed to promote nationwide awareness of the foundry. Aluminium casting became the company’s most crucial foothold, with the light-metal foundry soon establishing an excellent reputation throughout Germany. Thanks to numerous external orders, the foundry contributed significantly towards the continued existence of Bayerische Motoren Werke during the difficult post-war period.
