Gunther Kilsheimer, Pioneer in Graphic Arts Passes Away at Age 86
Washington, D.C.— Gunther Kilsheimer, founder of Art Display Company and a pioneer in signs and graphic arts in Washington D.C., passed away August 8, 2009 in his home in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He was 86. Mr. Kilsheimer is survived by his wife, Martyna, his son, Douglas, his daughter-in-law, Monica Kilsheimer, and his grandchildren, Brandon and Casey of Annapolis, MD.
Gunther was born in Pforzheim, Germany and escaped the Nazi Holocaust thanks to the efforts of The Jewish Agency which arranged his passage to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil before the start of World War II. Gunther sailed to the United States in 1947, from Brazil, with his first wife, Sonia, and their baby girl, Daisy. His dream was to make signs like the ones he saw in photos of Time Square. He and his family found a home in Washington, D.C. where he opened his first office in his father’s attic. One of his early jobs was lining President Harry Truman’s inauguration parade route with the seals of the countries that formed the United Nations in 1948.
The expanding residential development that occurred after the war required signs and Gunther’s business expanded. One story told from the Art Display Co. folklore had Gunther installing a sign for Donohoe Builders at one of their projects. A competitor across the street saw the sign and called Gunther over. When he learned Gunther was a Jewish immigrant from Germany with a story much like his own, Charles E. Smith became a client for life. Many other builders, entrepreneurs, religious organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies found their way to Art Display’s door.
Gunther’s son, Doug Kilsheimer, became President of Art Display Company after his father retired in 1994. Today, the company has grown to a 50,000 square foot facility with over 100 employees. A living legacy to a man who came to America with a dream and made it a reality.
