Name/Title
Herold Quality Needles – Knight PictureEntry/Object ID
382Description
Germany, ca. 1920/30
Historical Background
This large-scale picture – a knight on horseback carrying a banner – was meticulously assembled from thousands of gramophone needles. It represents an extremely rare showpiece produced by the company Herold Quality Needles. According to the reference book Herold Qualitäts Nadeln, Square and Rectangular Tins (Linz, pp. 146–147), only a handful of these “Herold Knights” are known to exist: three made from gramophone needles and two from other types of needles.
The piece was most likely created around 1920/30 and is said to have been made by female workers of the Drei-S factory. The collage is mounted on a wooden board and enclosed in a 13 cm wide frame. Its dimensions are an impressive 60 × 90 cm.
Technique and Features
Each needle is held in place by two small loops.
The fastening bands are threaded through tiny holes to the back of the board and fixed there.
Different types of needles were used, which can be clearly seen in the close-up details.
The extraordinary craftsmanship and the immense amount of manual work elevate this object into a piece of advertising art.
Rarity and Significance
Such needle pictures were purely decorative or promotional showpieces, most likely intended for exhibitions, shops, or trade fairs. Only about five examples are documented today. Their value lies not only in their extreme rarity, but also in the artistic achievement of arranging thousands of needles into a detailed, lifelike depiction.
The example on display at the Edisonium is thus a remarkable and exceptionally rare piece of advertising art from the golden age of the gramophone industry.
