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Dr. Paul Wolff -- A Bibliography

By Ed Schwartzreich

December, 2001 Version

This is a bibliography, a list of published books (and a few ephemera) by Dr. Paul Wolff with and without his partner Alfred Tritschler. The titles here, with few exceptions, are illustrated totally or in the main with photographs by Dr. Paul Wolff, later by Wolff & Tritschler. Such exceptions are mainly book titles prominently listed in other, earlier Paul Wolff bibliographies but which contain only a few of his pictures; some of these are included here too to avoid confusion, but are marked: ** Very many other books and magazines of the period contained the occasional photograph(s) by them: for example, see Curt Emmermann's Leica-Technik which is well known to Leica enthusiasts, or Die Blauen Bücher (Blue Book) series on German towns, countryside, and natural features. The text accompanying the earliest travel books was often written by Wolff himself, but in later books Wolff & Tritschler mostly limited themselves to the illustrations and the texts were by other authors. The technical books, the purpose of which was to explain and illustrate Leica technique, were written and illustrated by Wolff himself.

Thanks are due to Thomas Sommer, director of the Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler Historisches Bildarchiv, who has been of great help both in pointing out otherwise unknown titles, and in clearing up several areas of confusion. Additional help on the industrial titles was provided by Wilhelm Hohmann, an antiquarian book dealer in Stuttgart specializing in books on industry and economics, who kindly shared a print-out of his database of Dr. Wolff & Tritschler titles. Leica historians Joseph K. Brown and Pierre Jeandrain have contributed helpful comments. Other lists of Dr. Wolff's works reviewed for this bibliography include those in the books: The Collector's Checklist of Leica cameras, lenses and accessories, by Dr. A. Neill Wright and Colin Glanfield, Camera Collector Books, England, 1980 (compiled by Stanley Tamarkin), and Frankfurt am Main in Fotografien von Paul Wolff, 1927-1943, Hügendubel, Frankfurt, 1991. In addition the Dr. Wolff titles which have been extracted from the three-volume German set: Bibliographie der Photographie, Deutschsprachige Publikationen der Jahre 1939-1984, 1989 of F. Heidtmann, in a list compiled by Schneider-Henn have been closely examined. (This list, which runs to 213 items, includes publications in which Dr. Wolff had only a minor part.) Further, the catalogues of several major libraries in the U.S. and in Germany have also been consulted for their Dr. Wolff entries, both on-line and in one case in person. Finally, books were located via the web sites and published book lists of over 75 European antiquarian book dealers; many titles not in any of the earlier lists were discovered in this manner.

This bibliography appears to be almost complete: new titles or versions had been located at least monthly, despite over 2 years work on the project, but this rate has slowed down considerably. Since publication of the interim Dr. Wolff Bibliography by the Leica Historical Society of America in 12-99, about 30 new titles have been located and 2 titles deleted. A significant majority of the titles have been examined personally and then commented on, but at times only reference material has been available. Since the secondary sources vary, so does the amount of information recorded for some entries, and in some cases the information is quite minimal. All books not examined first-hand are marked with the symbol: § and the notations on such books vary from the clearly accurate and credible to the possibly questionable. Secondary source data regarding Dr. Wolff can unfortunately be misleading or incorrect, especially for the presumptive dating of undated publications, or when several similarly-titled Dr. Wolff books exist, as for example in the 1920's series on Dresden. Booksellers' lists may cite "photographs by Dr. Wolff" when his contribution to a title is only minimal. Further confusion arises as there are other German authors publishing books on cities and towns in the 1920's and 1930's named Paul Wolff--both an authority on health spas and a city planner share the name, plus there is Paul Wolf, an architect. There was also an American active in the 1930's named Paul J. Wolff who published photography-related books. Then there are the Germans Dr. Paul Wolff who published tracts on pharmacology in the 1930's, and the philosopher Robert Paul Wolff; both however are less likely to be confused with our Dr. Wolff due to their subject matter. Finally, several Dr. Wolff titles exist in more than one edition; whenever possible successive editions have been examined for differences.

Both the Archiv and this author have suspicions that the books below with photographs by 'Paul Wolff, Dresden' may be by another individual. Since the Brockhaus concern printed many of the early books, including these questionably authored ones, there is the possibility of other spurious titles.

The following travel books are illustrated by Dr. Wolff's pre-Leica photographs. Most are small and softbound. So many of these books have somewhat similar titles, have several different editions and/or publishers, or are parts of larger series, that to survey them is often confusing.

Alt-Straßburg, Verlag Otto Rasch, Straßburg, no date, likely 1914 (but 1912 in one list, 1917 in another) According to Thomas Sommer, the 30 tipped-in mezzotints for this book were taken with a 13x18 cm plate camera. This was Paul Wolff's first book, while he was still a medical student. It was published softbound in a format larger than current A 4; the first 100 copies had copper plates on heavy stock, were in a portfolio slip-in case, and were signed and hand numbered by the author. One example has been examined. This undated example is a non-deluxe, unnumbered edition

Alt-Straßburg, Neue Folge, Verlag Otto Rasch, Straßburg, 1914. 36 more images of old Strassburg in a format like the previous book, published a short time after the first volume. No text. One example has been examined. This undated example is a non-deluxe, unnumbered edition.

Le Vieux Strasbourg, Raymond Baumann et Arthur Blum, Strasbourg, 1919. A large softbound quarto, the same size as the earlier books, without text, without any attribution to Dr. Wolff, and with glassine pages between each of the pages holding the 36 tipped-in mezzotints. Only a portion of the images also overlap with the plates in the two editions above. This is a beautiful book, a deluxe presentation, with especially luminous print quality. For a discussion of how and why this edition may have originated, see Les Vosges, 1920 below.

Les Vosges, Librairie J. Noiriel, Strasbourg 1920. This large softbound quarto was discovered via a French-language prospectus inserted in a copy of Le Vieux Strasbourg, 1919. It is for a book which "is to appear the end of November, 1919". Two photographs (of 40) are illustrated and are the same images as two in Die Vogesen, 1924, below. Both a deluxe and a regular edition are offered. Dr. Wolff is not mentioned. Interestingly this brochure mentions that the plate impressions for this book were already prepared in 1914, but that publication was suspended during the war and "[n]et proceeds from the deluxe edition are to be donated to our villages in the Vosges ravaged by the war". Very likely Die Vogesen / Les Vosges represents the same publishing situation as that which engendered the "no name" 1919 Vieux Strasbourg, that is, publication of Dr. Wolff's images in now-French Alsace as war booty. The non-deluxe copy of Les Vosges examined is identical with the later German title except for two additional images: a statue of Joan of Arc and the cover photo of a winter scene.

Unser liebes Land Thüringen, Müllersche Verlagshandlung, Rudolstadt, ca.1920 and 1921; 1923. Text and gravures of Thuringia by Dr. Wolff. Each edition is comprised of 3 separate small softbound volumes, but the two editions differ in book size and in the choice, number, and arrangement of pictures. Only a few images overlap, so in actuality these are two separate sets despite the similar titles. The earlier edition is physically larger, has more plates, and its quality of printing seems preferable. Titles of the 3 volumes in the first set are: 1. Auf und ab der Saale; 2. Von Erfurt nach Coburg; and 3. Rund um die Wartburg. In the second edition, the middle volume is entitled Das Herz des alten Reiches; the titles of the other volumes remain unchanged. The 1923 edition exists in yet another format, entitled Thüringen. 54 Blätter in Kupfertiefdruck, also Müller Verlag, Rudolstadt, 1923. Like the deluxe editions of Dr. Wolff's earliest work, this consists of all the plates from the 3 volumes as loose prints on heavy stock and the text as a same-sized booklet, all in a portfolio case.

Dresden, 18 Kunstblätter nach Original aufnahmen von Paul Wolff, Kunstverlag Bild und Karte, Leipzig 1921. Softbound quarto with forward by Max Lehrs. Photos are tipped-in gravures. There is a similarly-titled and formatted ca. 1925 book with 16 Kunstblätter nach Original aufnahmen von Paul Wolff, again as gravures but not tipped in, without text and printer is Oscar Brandsetter, Leipzig. There is no overlap between the images in these books. Yet another such title mentioned in secondary sources is Dresdner Stimmungen, ca. 1925 § There is also Dresden, 18 Ansichten in Kupfertiefdruck, Kunstverlag Hans Friedrich Abshagen, Dresden, ca. 1920. This is a softbound octavo with text by M. Thiele and non-tipped-in gravures which partially duplicate images with the 1923 Dresden title below, and not with the Dresden, 18 Kunstblatter above. Both of these books may be by 'Paul Wolff, Dresden' and not Dr. Wolff.

Erfurt, Brockhaus, Leipzig, no date (? 1921). A small softbound beige octavo with 10 tipped-in plates after photographs by Paul Wolff and no text.

Die Sächsische Schweiz, Beutelspacher, Dresden, 1922 (and 1926 §). 21 copper plates after photographs of Dr. Wolff. Text by Dr. Wolff. The book is in exactly the same format as the earlier of the two Unser liebes Land Thüringen sets above. Unlike most of the travel books, subject matter is mostly landscapes, not photos of towns.

Heidelberger Erinnerungsstätten, Verlag von Willy Ehrig, Heidelberg, 1922. Softbound quarto. 40 tipped in mezzotints by Paul Wolff, text by Otto Cartellieri. Two similar softbound quartos exist entitled simply Heidelberg, and are designated as 1. and 2. Auflagen. The first is published by Verlag von Willy Ehrig, Heidelberg, ca. 1922, and the second (with illustrated DJ) by Bangel & Schmitt, Heidelberg, ca. 1926. Each has 20 tipped in mezzotints and and no text. Most but not all their pictures overlap with the larger volume, but not with each other.

Das alte Straßburg, Deutsche Kunstvelag, Berlin. 1923. 24 mezzotints by Dr. Wolff, preface by Adolf Krencker. Given the publication date and the text's mourning of the loss of Alsace but 'being grateful for these pictures that the Deutsche Kunstverlag has given us just in time', it seem very likely that most if not all of the images predate WWI. Review of the early Alt-Straßburg set indicates that there is the overlap of only two images between this 1923 Das alte Straßburg and them. The 1919 Le Vieux Strasbourg has a few images more in common. Clearly one needs to view all 4 volumes to see all the published images Dr. Wolff took of Straßburg prior to WWI.

Das Gottleubatal, Kunstverg Bild und Karte, Leipzig, 1923. 18 copper plates after photos by 'P. Wolff, Dresden', text by Dr. Hans Müller. Photos of Berggiesshübel-Zwiesel before the flood (see 1927 volume with this title below). Note: there are several books in this listing which are clearly noted to be by 'P. Wolff, Dresden', 'Paul Wolff, Dresden' or 'Paul Wolff, Dresden-Zschachwitz'. In addition, there is a softbound quarto not included in this listing entitled Dresden, Kunstverlag Wilhelm Stein, Dresden, ca. 1925 containing 10 etchings by Erich Wünche, with a forward by 'Paul Wolff', probably the same person, as each of these books so far examined are in a very similar format and were printed by the same firm, F. A. Brockhaus, Leipzig. It is not at all certain that this Paul Wolff is Dr. Paul Wolff.

Dresden, Ein Büchlein zu dauernder Einnerung an eine schöne Stadt, Kunstverlag Bild und Karte, Leipzig, 1923. Pocket sized (A 6) softbound general guidebook for visitors to Dresden, with 30 halftones, most of them after photographs by Paul Wolff. Text also by Paul Wolff. The frontispiece is a reproduction of a charming art-nouveau pencil drawing 'Dresden von Paul Wolff' which is signed 'EW'. It is almost certain that the artist is Erich Wünche, for whose near-contemporaneous book of etchings Paul Wolff (Dresden) supplied an introduction (see Das Gottleubatal, 1923 above). Wünche contributed graphics--mostly cover illustrations--to several other Paul Wolff books in the mid-1920's.

Alt-Frankfurt, Verlag Englert & Schloffer, 1923. Text by Fried Lübbecke. Hardbound. 40 halftones by Dr. Wolff. This volume can be seen as the first in a series of 3--see below the similar titles of 1924 and 1926 by the same publisher. Also see note at the 1931 Alt-Frankfurt volume.

Weimar, Müllersche Verlagshandlung, Rudolstadt, 1923. 18 tipped-in copper plates after photographs by Dr. Wolff. Text by Dr. Wolff.

Dresden. Das ehemalige Residenzschloss Dresden und das Lustschloss Pilnitz, Offical publication of the Sächsischen Finanzministerium, 1923. 24 copper plates of the two palaces after photos by Paul Wolff, text by Erich Haenel and Paul Wolff.

Die Heidecksburg in Rudolstadt. Ein Ableger von Dresdener Barock- und Rokokokunst, Rudolstadt, 1924 §. 16 out of 18 tipped-in plates after photographs by Paul Wolff and 2 by Hugo Lösche While this book has yet to be examined, it is the first volume (Band 1) in a series of softbound octavo booklets called Der Blau?Goldenen Reihe, published by Müllersche Verlagshandlung, Rudolstadt, and printed by Brockhaus, Leipzig. Others titles include Weimar (Band 2), Dornburg (Band 3), Schwarzburg (Band 4) and Jena (Band 6) below. Eisenach und die Wartburg (Band 5) is also in the series, but has a different publisher. Ruhla, 1924, Oberhof, 1924 and Leipzig, (?1924) below also have different publishers, are not marked 'Der Blau?Goldenen Reihe', but are in exactly the same format as the other books: octavo, dull blue with gilt lettering.

Leipzig, Theodor Althoff Buchabteilung, Leipzig, no date (?1924). Softbound octavo with 2 pages of text and 18 tipped-in copper plates after photographs by Dr. Wolff. A few of the photographs appear in the later Leipzig: Die wunderschöne Stadt books.

Schwarzburg, Müllersche Verlagshandlung, Rudolstadt, 1924. 18 tipped-in copper plates after photographs by Dr. Wolff.

Eisenach und die Wartburg, Verlag der Baereckeschen Buchhandlung, Ernst Martinue, Eisenach, 1924. 18 tipped-in mezzotints.

Das Werratal von Eisenach bis Munden: Ein Hessen Heimatbuch, Hessenland-Verlag, Kassel. No date (1924 or 1925). 27 tipped-in copper plates and text, both by Dr. Wolff.

Bad Thal-Heiligenstein. Luftkurort im Thüringer Wald, Ruhla, 1924 §

Ein Büchlein aus dem deutschen Winkel. Rudolstadt, Schwarzenberg, Paulinzella und Bad Blankenburg, Müllersche Verlagshandlung, Rudolstadt, 1924. A hardbound duodecimo with text and 33 halftones after photos by Paul Wolff.

Ruhla.18 Kupfertiefdrucktafeln nach Aufnahmen des Verfassers, Verlag Ruhlaer Buchhandlung, Bruno Eppelin, Ruhla, 1924. Tipped in mezzotints and text by Dr. Wolff.

Ruhla im Thüringerwald, Ruhla, 1924 §

Alt-Frankfurt, Neue Folge, Verlag Englert & Schlosser, Frankfurt am Main, 1924. Hardbound. Text by Fried Lübbecke, 40 halftone plates by Dr. Wolff.

Dornburg, Müllersche Verlagshandlung, Rudolstadt, 1924. 6 tipped-in gravure photos plus text by Dr. Wolff.

Oberhof, 18 Bildtafeln in Kupfertiefdruck, A.Kaufmann Verlag, Suhl, 1924. Text and gravures of this mountain resort by Dr. Wolff, along with images by others. There is another book on Suhl listed in one bibliography:, Suhl. Die Welt der Waffe, Kaufmann, Suhl, 1925. This is a large octavo with text by Prof. Dr. Erich Haenel; a Paul Wolff is listed as editor, but this is likely not the photographer Paul Wolff.

Die Vogesen, Publication of the Wissenschaftlichen Institut der Elsaß-Lothringer, Frankfurt am Main, 1924 and 1926. Softbound quarto. 39 tipped in mezzotints of the Vosges mountain area by Paul Wolff, 1/3 being pictures of towns and the rest landscapes. See Les Vosges, 1920 above.

Die Ski-Schule. Ein Wegweiser für alle Freunde des Ski-Sports, Dieck & Co. Sportverlag, Stuttgart, 1925. Hardbound octavo with 180 halftones by P. Wolff und J. Gaberell, the majority by Dr. Wolff. Text by Joseph Dahinden. This is an interesting title technically as Dr. Wolff's contribution is mostly a series of static photos of various ski techniques, but there are also several action sequences which are printed approximately 30x40mm size; these are clearly not Leica shots by their date, but seem to be movie frames printed as stills. The more dramatic action shots were all taken by Hr. Gaberell. Overall, resolution in the photos is poorer than what an early Leica could produce (understandable in the case of the presumed movie frames), and is also not up to the standard of Dr. Wolff's large format shots. Another book (§ and **) Neue Moeglicheiten Im Skilauf, same publisher with various editions in the mid-1920's, has text by Fritz Reuel and likely some of the same (or similar) photographs by Dr. Wolff, as well as images by several others.

Kassel und Wilhelmshöhe, Hessenland-Verlag, Kassel, No date (1925 or possibly 1928). 'Published with the cooperation of the City Tourist Office'. 18 tipped-in copper plates after photographs by Dr. Wolff. Text by Dr. Wolff, and M. Weber of the Kassel Commerce and Economics Department. Same format as Das Werratal, 1925, above.

Bad Wildungen und die Edertalsperre, K. Braun Verlag, Eschwege,. No date (ca. 1930 in one list). Large octavo with 16 laid-in gravures by P. Wolff and 2 other copperplate illustrations. This book is placed here, out of date, as it is clearly a product of Dr. Wolff's large format work and is in exactly the same format as Kassel und Wilhelmshöhe above. Interestingly, one of the illustrations in the copy examined is a photographic print, not a gravure.

Jagdschloss Moritzburg. Mit 16 Kupfertiefdrucktafeln nach Aufnahmen von P. Wolff. Dresden, Verein Haus Wettin, Jena, ca. 1925. Softbound octavo, text by Erwin Hensler. One of the Brockhaus books.

Das Grüne Gewölbe in Dresden, Burdach, Dresden, (c. 1925 or perhaps 1929). 32 copper plates after photos mostly by 'Paul Wolff, Dresden', plus one color picture. Text by Eric Haenel is in both German and English. The 'green vault' in question is the treasure chamber of the Elector of Saxony. Pictured are individual sculptures, vessels, mirrors, jewelry and clocks from the medieval, renaissance and baroque periods. One of the Brockhaus books.

Jena, Müllersche Verlagshandlung, Rudolstadt, 1925. Octavo with text and 18 tipped-in copper plates after photographs by Dr. Wolff. Due to Jena being the home of Carl Zeiss, this book has the notation "Die Aufnahmen wurden mit Zeiß-Tessar gemacht". This clearly refers to the large-format lenses used by Dr. Wolff, not to the Contax camera. Interestingly, there is also a 1931 Zeiss publication with photographs in it by Dr. Wolff called Das Adlerauge Ihrer Kamera: Zeiss Tessar §. Since the Zeiss Contax I -- the Leica's prime rival -- came out in 1932, this title also cannot contain Contax photos by Dr. Wolff

Alt-Frankfurt, Dritte Folge, Verlag Englert & Schlosser, 1926. Hardbound, with 44 halftone plates by Dr. Wolff, text by Fried Lübbecke. The book is bound identically to the 1924 Neue Folge.

Der alte Friedhof in Sachsenhausen, mit seinen heimat- und kulturkundlichen
Wahrzeichen, Verlag Englert & Schlosser, Frankfurt, 1926. Softbound octavo. Text by Joseph Dillmann on some of the notable individuals buried in the old Sachsenhausen cemetery, with portraits of some of these individuals reproduced from engravings and old photographs, and with photos of gravestones and memorials by Dr. Paul Wolff.

Badestadt Berggiesshübel-Zwiesel, F. A. Brockhaus, Leipzig, 1927. A small softbound illustrated book on a catastrophic flood which occurred the night of 8-9 July, 1927 in Berggiesshübel-Zwiesel. Text by Rudolf Landgraf; 19 of the 31 'before and after' gravure photos are by 'Paul Wolff, Dresden-Zschachwitz'. Same format and utilizing many of the pictures from Das Gottleubatal, 1923, above. There is an amusingly grotesque woodcut of the flood on the front cover (complete with drowning naked woman) by Erich Wünche.


II. The following soft-bound booklets, all but one without original publication information, were issued in multiple editions, some into the 1950's by Langewiesche Verlag under the 'Verlag der Eiserne Hammer' imprint. The publisher died in late 1931 and it seems likely all books were begun before this; they therefore may or may not contain Leica photos.

Haushalten, Verlag der Eiserne Hammer, Leipzig. No date, ? 1930. (1931 edition in the example examined). Softbound with dust jacket, 16 halftone photos by Paul Wolff, inspirational text on keeping a home by Clara Neundörfer. 'About animating household work and household life.' Photos are of furniture and place settings, each done as a still life. The effect of the photos is reminiscent of Edward and Mary Steichen's children's book The First Picture Book, Harcourt Brace, New York, 1930.

Was essen? Verlag der Eiserne Hammer, Leipzig, 1931. (1941 edition in the example examined). Softbound with dust jacket, 14 halftone photos of food, mostly of fruit, each again done as a still life by Paul Wolff, text by Dr. Heinz Bottenberg 'What to eat? Health, vigor, tastiness and economy through new unbiased nutritional information.'

** Wolken über Land und Meer, Naturaufnahmen, Verlag der Eiserne Hammer, Königstein & Leipzig, No date, ? 1932. (1932 in the example examined). 47 halftone photographs of clouds over land- and seascapes, only 4 by Dr. Wolff. This title was also republished after WWII by the same publisher in the Langewiesche-Bücherei series. Another copy also examined has a 1957 date. This book is one of perhaps hundreds of titles in which there are multiple photographers credited along with Dr. Wolff. Most such titles are not included in this list.

Drei Kaiserdome: Mainz-Worms-Speyer, Verlag der Eiserne Hammer, Leipzig. No date, ? 1933. (1933 edition in the example examined). Softbound with dust jacket, 45 halftone photos of cathedrals by Paul Wolff, text by Wilhelm Pinder.

Kleine Grüne Welt, Verlag der Eiserne Hammer, Leipzig. No date, ? 1933. (1941 edition in the example examined). Softbound with dust jacket, 15 halftone photos by Paul Wolff, text by Karl Gernek. 'A little book on caring for home gardens.'

III. The following contain Leica photos, but the earlier volumes likely have as well non-Leica images; one book Gross- oder Kleinbild? is specifically addressed to comparing Leica images with larger format images. Images are usually gravures or such fine screen halftones that they appear intaglio, but some titles contain only obvious halftone images. Occasionally some of the books are accompanied by a booklet that appears to have served the purpose of an advertising prospectus for the main title.

Aus Zoologischen Gärten, Lichtbildstudien von Dr. Paul Wolff, [Die Blauen Bücher], Karl Robert Langewiesche Verlag, Königstein, 1929. Multiple editions into the 1950's. Softbound octavo with dust jacket. 120 halftones at the zoo by Paul Wolff, forward by K. R. Langewiesche. Only a few of the photos were taken with a Leica.

Der Zwinger in Dresden, Verlag H. Burdach, Dresden, ca. 1930. Softbound small octavo with dust jacket. 20 halftones by Paul Wolff of the Zwinger Palace.

Lobeda und seine Burgen. Wander- und Erinnerungsbuch, Verlag Loddeburg-Gemeinde, Lobeda, ca.1930. 16 gravure images plus text by Paul Wolff. One of the Brockhaus books.

Frankfurt am Main. Die Goethestadt - The city of Goethe, Verlag Hessenland, Stettin, ca. 1930. A guidebook to Frankfurt edited by Werner Rades, many halftone photos by Paul Wolff of tourist highlights. There are also photos of restaurants, shops and sport facilities, but these may be by other photographers. Picture captions and extensive text in both German and English.

So entsteht ein Auto, Bücherei der Adlerwerke, Frankfurt, 1930. Privately published. Softbound. Text by Paul G. Ehrhardt Almost folio size, this classic softbound volume is beautifully produced in an art deco design. Graphics are by Hans Breidenstein. Many of the fine-screen halftone images are presented in photomontage. The text is printed in brown on beige stock, which contrasts effectively with the cold black of the images. This title is likely the first of Dr. Wolff's books produced for industrial clients. More are listed below. Usually such books are hardbound, quarto size and contain pictures of the town in which the company is sited and of the workers at home or on holiday, as well as the expected photos of workers at their jobs. Many of the industrial titles were self-published by the companies involved and some still retain their laid-in prospectus or else dedication to another company or individual, indicating their public relations or celebratory nature.

60 Jahre Riekerschuhe, Tuttlingen in Schwarzwald, 1930. An industrial title on a manufacturer of footwear: ski boots and ? other types §

** Die Odenwaldschule in Bildern, Friedrich Ernst Hübsch Verlag, Berlin (ca 1930). A portion of the photos in this small softbound brochure were done "freundlicherweise" by Dr. Paul Wolff. Odenwaldschule is a childrens' boarding school outside of Frankfurt am Main, founded in 1910, which had/has a humanistic focus.

Gegenlauf-Dampfturbinen Bauart Ljungström, Nürnberg, 1930. An industrial title on a steam turbine manufacturer. The Ljungström-type turbine is a system of concentric radial twin turbines and was state of the art at the time. While the actual book with Dr. Wolff's photographs has yet to be located, a 1933 book from Maschinenfabrik Augsberg-Nürnberg, AG [MAN Dampfturbinen] depicting various turbine types has been examined, and may contain 2 or 3 Dr. Wolff images §

** Bremen. Die Stadt und der Hafen, F. A. Brockhaus, Leipzig, ca. 1930; also 1935, 1938. 60 gravure reproductions, only 7 by Dr. Wolff. Text and captions in 4 languages. 'Compiled by the Bremen Travel Association'.

** Das Werk. Technisches Lichbildstudien. [Die Blauen Bücher], Karl Robert Langewiesche Verlag, Königstein, 1931. 71 halftone illustrations of bridges, ships, airships and airports, laborers in factories, etc., 11 by Dr. Wolff. Forward by Dr. Eugene Diesel, son of the inventor. This softbound volume could be viewed as the precursor of Arbeit! (1937, below).

Formen des Lebens, Botanische Lichtbildstudien von Dr. Paul Wolff, [Die Blauen Bücher], Karl Robert Langewiesche Verlag, Königstein, 1931. Multiple editions into the 1950's. Softbound octavo with dust jacket. 120 halftones, close-ups of plant life by Paul Wolff, forward by Martin Möbius.

Alt-Frankfurt. Ein Buch für seine Freunde in der Heimat und in der Fremde, Verlag Englert und Schlosser, Frankfurt, 1931. Softbound octavo. 135 halftone photos by Dr. Wolff, text by Fried Lübbecke. Large-format images from the earlier Frankfurt books by this publisher are recycled, along with newer Leica shots.

** Menschen auf der Straße. Zweiundvierzig Variationen über ein einfaches Thema, Engelhorn, Stuttgart, 1931. Hardbound small octavo. Halftone photos by Dr. Wolff and others. This book is a compilation of texts by German and non-German authors (Hermann Hesse, Romain Rolland, etc.) and photos from several sources. While only seven out of 32 pictures are by Dr. Wolff, this book is included as it is listed in other Wolff bibliographies and because his photos here are notable for their art-photographic feeling--there is a hint of the styles of Atget, Brassai, and even Cartier-Bresson. Perhaps Weimar Republic period aesthetics plus the exciting new possibilities of Leica photography contributed, for it is unlikely Dr. Wolff knew of Atget and the others' work was chronologically later. This is apparently a highly-sought book, likely appealing to literary as well as photographic collectors.

Schade und Füllgrabe, Frankfurt, Leipzig, 1931. An industrial title on a department store, which, because it was owned by Jews, was a target of Nazi persecution. Nazi supression may also explain why an example this 1931 title has yet to be located for this bibliography. It does not appear that the firm survived WWII. §

Goethes Geburtshaus, Deutsche Volksspende für Goethes Geburtsstätte, Frankfurt, 1932. Hardbound. Text by Wilhelm Schäfer, 15 halftone photos by Dr. Wolff of the Frankfurt house in which Goethe was born.

** Moselfahrt aus Liebeskummer, Rütten & Loening Verlag, Frankfurt, 1932. This "short story in a landscape" is by the Swiss author Rudolf G. Binding, kown for his WWI war journal. A slim octavo with a supple binding, the book is illustrated with 9 gravure images, 3 by Dr. Wolff and 5 by Albert Renger-Patzsch.

Frankfurt am Main, Verlag Rudolph Mosse, Berlin, 1932. Softbound small square slim octavo tourist guide with text in both German and English, edited by Werner Rades. There are many sepia gravures after photographs by Paul Wolff of Frankfurt and its surroundings. The images are especially wide-ranging in their content: commercial, industrial, artistic and sport as well as depicting the famous historical sites. The breadth of approach here may be indicative not only of the booklet's use as a tourist guide, but also due to its historical timing just prior to the ascent of Nazis with their propagandistic narrowing of focus. Published for the Goethe-Jahre 1932 and including also pictures of sites in Switzerland and Italy related to Goethe's travels.

Frankfurt am Main, Velhagen und Klasing, Bielefeld & Leipzig, 1932, 1937. Hardbound with dust jacket. At least 2 editions. 64 halftone photos by Dr. Wolff with text by Fried Lübbecke. This book and the two immediately following are part of a series of travel books by this publisher, but apparently the only three with Dr. Wolff as the sole photographer.


Schlösser und Gärten am Main, Velhagen & Klasing, Bielefeld & Leipzig 1932, 1935, text by Elisabeth Dauthendey. 64 halftones of castle interiors, exteriors and gardens by Dr. Wolff.

Stille Winkel in Franken, Velhagen & Klasing, Bielefeld & Leipzig, 1932, 1936. At least 3 editions. 64 halftones of towns in Franconia by Dr. Wolff, text by Leo Weismantel.

Die Apotheke am Neckar. Erzählung, Gustav Kiepenheuer Verlag, Berlin, 1933. "A tale by Anton Ditschler", illustrated with halftone photos of the Neckar valley and towns, 9 out of 12 by Paul Wolff. The book is a small hardbound octavo with dust jacket.

Leipzig: Die wunderschöne Stadt, Verlag J. C. Hinrichs'sche Buchhandlung, Leipzig, ? 1933 (also ca. 1938, 1941). Small octavo. There are 2 distinct yet non-dated versions of this title: a hardbound one with 32 gravures after Dr. Wolff's photos and a long text by Dr. Wolff, and a softbound one with dustjacket, 48 gravures and a shorter text. It seems possible that the hardbound version with 32 gravures represents the original 1933 publication, and the softbound longer volume one or both of the later editions. Interestingly there are photos in the 32-gravure book which do not appear in the larger edition. One examined copy of the 48 gravure, softbound edition has a printed introduction by explorer, geographer and writer Sven Hedin, dated 7 December, 1940.

Zur Erinnerung an den Fabrikbesuch bei der Rhenania-Ossag Mineralölwerke AG (Shell), Ca. 1933. Pictures of 7 German Shell refineries. 14 Postcards after photos by Paul Wolff in an accordion-like packet.

Ins land der Franken fahren, eine Mainreise,Verlag von Velhagen & Klasing, Bielefeld & Leipzig, 1934, 1938, and 1941. Hardbound with text by Fried Lübbecke. 152 halftones of towns on the Main River by Dr. Wolff.

Meine Erfahrungen mit der Leica. Ein historischer Querschnitt aus fast 10 Jahren Leica-Photographie, H. Bechold Verlagsbuchhandlung (Inhaber Breidenstein), Frankfurt, 1934. Several editions. Hard cover quarto with dust jacket. 203 photos plus text by Dr. Wolff. The images are halftones but so fine they appear to be gravures. An English translation (by H. W. Zieler) followed: My First Ten Years with the Leica. A historical survey over almost ten years of Leica photography, B. Westermann Co., Inc., New York but printed in Germany. No date. (1935). A French edition (again printed in Germany): Douze Années de Pratique du Leica: Résumé Historique, Tiranty, Paris, no date, refers to 12 years rather than 10! Text translated by G. Joly. According to Pierre Jeandrain, the French title was published in 1936, as the arithmetic would indicate. A 1939 Japanese edition also exists. This title in whatever language is Dr. Wolff's seminal work on Leica photography and technique. Prior to the book's publication there was a Leitz exhibition (and catalogue) with the same name (July, 1933).

Opel im Sport 1934, Hauser-Presse, Frankfurt, 1934. Large square octavo with 61 of 93 gravures by Dr. Paul Wolff, text by Dr. Carl T. Wiskott. This title appears to be a limited edition that Opel published as a Christmas gift. Its photography of auto races and rallies is as fine as Dr. Wolff's work 2 years later on the Olympic games and is in much the same spirit. It is unfortunate that this book is quite rare. Dr. Wolff photographed for Adam Opel, AG for many years. See his further Opel titles below, dated 1936, 1939, 1940, and 1989.

C. H. Boehringer Sohn AG 1885-1935, Inhaber Breidenstein, Frankfurt, 1935. Privately published. 77 gravure photos by Dr. Wolff. Boehringer is a chemical/pharmaceutical concern.

Vom Werden der Wanderer Werke 1885-1935, VDI-Verlag, Berlin, 1935. Privately published. Text by Conrad Matschoss, halftone photo portfolio by Dr. Wolff. In 1935, Wanderer Werke made bicycles, motorbikes, milling machines, typewriters, adding and calculating machines!

50 Jahre Wertarbeit, Ernst Kratz, Nadelfabrik, Frankfurt, 1935. 'Nadelfabrik' means 'needle-maker'. This firm made also surgical tools like forceps and clamps §

100 Jahre Schwarzwälder Präzisionarbeit, SABA, Villingen, Hauserpresse, Frankfurt, 1935. Self published Festschrift, a slim softbound quarto celebrating both 100 years of the firm and 30 years service of its head works-manager. SABA [Schwarzwälder Apparate-Bau-Anstalt] was originally a clock manufacturer, but the Festschrift here is concerned with its superheterodyne radio receiver production. Text by Otto Ernst Sutter; many gravure photos, all but a handful by Dr. Wolff.

Schimmel & Co. AG, Miltitz (bei Leipzig), ca.1935. Illustrated hardbound advertising booklet for a company which made chemical essences for liqueurs, cosmetics, etc. Gravures by Wolff & Tritschler, and others. Captions for the photos in 6 languages.

Zwei Jahre Arbeit an der Reichsautobahn, Volk & Reich Verlag, Berlin 1935. A Festschrift on the opening of the first section of roadway. Many photographs and maps; Dr. Paul Wolff "participated in the photography" §

Am Laufenden Band, Verlag Hauserpresse, Frankfurt, 1936. Large square octavo. Text by Heinrich Hauser. Many gravure photos by Wolff and Tritschler of Opel automobile manufacture.

Uniformen am laufenden Band, Ein Bericht aus der Rhein-Mainischen Industrie, Frankfurt, 1936. Text by Paul G. Ehrhardt §

Nordseebad Norderney: Preußisches Staatsbad, published by Landesverkehrsverband Ostfriesland, 1936. A softbound prospectus on the island, including a folder of timetables, a list of places to stay, etc. There are 28 gravure photographs by Paul Wolff. One image also appears in Sonne über See und Strand below. See also the ca. 1960 title on Norderney, with which there is again one (different) overlapping image.

Was ich bei den Olympischen Spielen 1936 sah, Karl Specht Verlag, Berlin, 1936. 168 gravure photos by Dr. Wolff, forward by Burghard von Reznicek. Hardbound, dust jacket. A book length photo-essay. There were two English translations issued, both by William Morrow & Company, New York: first as Sport Shots, 1937 with only a portion of the original German text, and later as § Champions in Action, 1938, apparently with entirely different text. The Library of Congress has a copy of the (quite rare) 1938 title, and its on-line catalogue states the text contains "full explanatory comment by Frank A. Wrensch and an introduction by Grantland Rice." Published also in Italian translation as § Olimpiadi 1936, Bompiani, Milan (? 1936), with text by Bruno Roghi. A Japanese edition § What I Saw at the Olympic Games, Maruzen Company, Ltd., Tokyo, 1936 also exists, likely with English-language text.

Deutschland. Olympia-Jahr 1936, Volk und Reich Verlag, Berlin, 1936. Nazi propaganda to promote the 1936 Olympics. About 1/2 of the halftone photographs are by Dr. Wolff; these are mostly depictions of German towns, countryside and factory workers with only an occasional swastika in sight. The remainder of the images are old press photos of the destruction from WWI and communist rioting, and then propaganda photos by several photographers of Nazi rallies, happy Volk, the autobahn, and the Olympic stadium. Also published, same publisher and date, in French as Allemagne, l'Anne Olympique 1936, this edition with fewer and occasionally different photographs, and in Spanish as Alemania, Ano Olimpico 1936 and in English as The Olympic Year 1936 with images which are identical to each other and similar to the French version.

Griechenland im Auto Erlebt, Verlag F. Bruckmann AG, Munich, 1936, 1941. Hard cover, ? dust jacket. A book length photo-essay. 80 gravure photos (83 in the 1941 edition) of the Balkans by Wolff &Tritschler, text by Dr. Carl T. Wiskott.

** Die Deutsche Alpenstraße, Volk und Reich, Berlin, 1936. A tourist guide to alpine Germany. Only 4 halftone photos by Dr. Wolff (out of 195 total).

Skikamerad Toni, Winterfahrten um Garmisch-Partenkirchen, H. Bechhold Verlagsbuchhandlung (Inhaber Breidenstein), Frankfurt, 1936. At least 2 editions. Hard cover, dust jacket. A book length photo-essay. 76 gravure photos and technical text by Dr. Wolff, main text by Burghard von Reznicek. A later title in English, Ski & Camera: 76 winter Leica Photographs by Dr. Paul Wolff, Ruthenberg Color Photography Co., Hollywood, (c. 1938), is spiral bound, has identical cover images (here pasted onto stiff boards rather than as a dust jacket), identical photographs, and Dr. Wolff's commentary in both English and German. Von Reznicek's introduction with its rather flowery language is abbreviated here, and is only in English. Joseph K. Brown, an authority on early Leica literature, mentions an ad for this book in Leica Photography, Sept. 1936, p.21, and states further that Dr. Wolff used some 9x12cm landscape shots in addition to the Leica photos in the book

Sonne über See und Strand, H. Bechhold Verlagsbuchhandlung (Inhaber Breidenstein), Frankfurt, 1936. At least 2 editions. Hard cover, dust jacket. A book length photo-essay. 112 gravure photos and text by Dr.Wolff, closing commentary by H. Windisch. It includes a memorial to Oskar Barnack who had died 16 January, 1936. An English translation edition § Sun, Sea, Shore may exist. According to Joseph K. Brown, there is an advertisement for this English-language title in Leica Photography Dec. 1936, p. 18. Publisher is B. Westermann Co., Inc., New York.

Dr. Waldrich KG. Grosswerkzeugmaschinen, Siegen in Westfalen, Inhaber Breidenstein, Franfurt, ca.1936. Privately published. An industrial work of Wolff & Tritschler, and others, on a heavy machinery manufacturer. Gravures are of incredibly massive machine tools and their operators. The dedication in the copy examined says that this is No. 484, but it not clear how large the total edition was.

Fünfundzwanzig Jahre der Herstellung von Aluminiumfolien, Teningen, 1936. Privately published slim octavo covered in aluminum foil. A title on the Tscheulin aluminum firm, gravure photos by Dr. P. Wolff & Tritschler.

50 Jahre Hände am Werk, Goetzewerk AG, Burscheid bei Köln, Hauserpresse (Hans Schaefer), Frankfurt, 1937. Square octavo, privately published. An industrial book on a piston ring, washer and gasket company. Numerous gravure photos by Wolff & Tritschler, and others. Text is by Fritz Faiß and Ewald Schmitz.

75 Jahre Collet & Engelhard Werkzeugmaschinenabrik AG. Offenbach a. Main 1862 bis 1937, VDI-Verlag GmbH, Berlin,1937. Privately published. An industrial title, heavy machine tools. Halftone photos by Dr. Wolff & Tritschler and the company archive, text by Conrad Matschoss.

100 Jahre Val Mehler AG. Fulda: Leinen und Baumwollweberei, Inhaber Breidenstein, Frankfurt, 1937. Privately published. 72 pages of gravure industrial photographs of cotton cloth making by Dr. Wolf, with descriptive captions.

100 Jahre mechanische Baumwoll-Spinnerei und Weberei, Augsburg, 1937. Privately published. An industrial title, fabric spinning and weaving. Fine screen halftones by Wolff & Tritschler, and others.

Heimbach, Thomas Joseph GmbH. & Co. C Meyer-Mark H.H., J. J. Arnd-Verlag Überseepost, Leipzig, 1937. This is a felt-making and cloth-weaving concern. Many gravures by Wolff & Tritschler. Unlike most of the industrial titles this book is an octavo not the usual larger quarto size, likely due to it being part (#34) of a larger series on German industries by this publisher. See also Gebrüder Theil, 1938 below.

100 Jahre Schichau-Werke, 1937. A privately published quarto on a shipbuilding company, many photographs, including 6 in 5-color printing §

Das Heim im Reichsarbeitsdienst, H. Bechhold Verlagsbuchhadel, Frankfurt, 1937. Home-building by Hitler's National Labor Service. Hardbound quarto with text by Wilhelm Schlaghecke, one color plate and 80 halftones "by Dr. Wolff and the author". Approximately 1/2 of the images are by Dr. Wolff, likely including the color plate and the front cover photo.

E. Merck Chemischefabrik, Darmstadt, 1937. Privately published. An industrial title on the Merck Co. with gravure photos by Dr Wolff. Text by Wilhelm Michel.

Der grosse Auftrag. Vier Jahre Werkarbeit 1933-1936, Volk und Reich Verlag, Berlin, 1937. Large square quarto. A Nazi-approved publication on that government's first four-year plan, showing halftone pictures of the activities of various industries with graphs of their economic growth superimposed. Included also are uplifting portraits of workers and other members of das Volk, as well as photos of Nazi Party labor rallies. Text by Friedrich Heiß. The majority of the photos are by Dr. Wolff, or Wolff & Tritschler.

75 Jahre Thiel Gebrüder GmbH, Ruhla in Thüringen, J.J. Arnd Verlag, Leipzig. 1938. Privately published. An industrial title on a watch and machine tool maker. Text by Paul G. Erhardt, halftone photos by Wolff & Tritschler. This hardbound octavo is #38 in the same series as Heimbach / Meyer-Mark, 1937 above.

Achzig Jahre chemische Werke Albert, Hauserpresse Hans Schaefer, Frankfurt, 1938. Privately published. A Festschrift on the Heinrich Albert firm with about half of the gravure photographs by Dr. Wolff and the remainder mostly from the company archive. Text is by Dr. F. Kroemer.


Jahrbuch Dr. Madaus & Co, Radebeul, 1937; and 1938. Privately published. An industrial title on a manufacturer of botanicals and homeopathic products. In the 1937 Jahrbuch there are multiple beautiful tipped-in color illustrations and plates of flowers, and about 25 halftones, the majority of which are of workers and machinery. These last are not attributed to any particular photographer, but are definitely in the style of Dr. Wolff's industrial photos. The 1938 Jahrbuch also has tipped-in color plates but fewer and smaller images of workers (harvesting plants and in the laboratory). According to Thomas Sommer the pictures in both volumes are indeed by Dr. Wolff & Tritschler.

Arbeit!, Im Gemeinshaftsverlag von Volk und Reich Verlag GMBH, Berlin and H. Bechhold Verlagsbuchhandlung (Inhaber Breidenstein), Frankfurt, 1937. Hard cover, dust jacket. 200 varied industrial gravure pictures and text by Dr. Wolff. Forward by Paul G. Ehrhardt. This book is a classic Wolff title, highly sought after for its demonstration of masterly lighting, 'architectural' renderings of massive machinery, and environmental portraiture which catches the individuality of industrial workers.

Gross- oder Kleinbild? Ergebnisse einer fotofahrt durch Franken an die Donau, H. Bechhold Verlagsbuchhandlung (Inhaber Breidenstein), Frankfurt, 1938. Hardbound, dust jacket. 100 gravure photos, both Leica and larger format plus text by Dr. Wolff, illustrating how the Leica could do as well as the plate camera for landscapes and architectural subjects. Additional text by Eberhard Beckmann.

Kleine Italienfahrt, Karl Specht Verlag, Berlin, 1938. Softbound, dust jacket. A book length photo-essay. 68 gravure photos of Italy and text by Dr. Wolff, with additional text by Dr. Georg Biermann.

Vom Automatenbau. IndexWerke KG, Hahn & Tessky, Eßlingen, (ca. 1938). Privately published. An industrial book on a machine tool manufacturer. Gravure photos by Wolff & Tritschler, text by Dr. Alfons Paquet.

125 Jahre Franz Garny KG, Frankfurt-Niederrad, Frankfurt, 1938. An industrial title on a safe and vault maker. Wolff & Tritschler §

Zellwolle, Vom Wünder ihres Werdens, Brönners Druckerei und Verlag (Inhaber Breidenstein), Frankfurt, 1938. Hardbound, dust jacket. Several editions; published for the general public. 96 industrial gravure photos of rayon manufacture by Dr. Wolff, text by Paul G. Ehrhard. The book is covered in rayon, and it appears the sewn-in bookmark is rayon as well!

I. G. Farbenindustrie AG 1863-1938, F. Bruckmann KG, München, 1938. Privately published. Text by Dr. Hermann Pinnow, a portfolio of gravure photos by 'Atelier Dr. Paul Wolff', and additional photographs, likely by others, scattered through the text. An industrial title on I.G. Farben / Bayer.

Zur Erinnerung an die 75. Wiederkehr des Gründungstages der Farbwerke vor dem Meister Lucius & Brüning 1863?1938, F. Bruckmann KG, München, 1938. Privately published. An industrial title on I. G. Farben / Hoechst, text by Dr. Hermann Pinnow, and the vast majority of the many gravures by Dr. Wolff.

Heraklith Rundschau. Hausmitteilung der Heraklith-Werke Simbach und Radenthein 10. Jahrgang, Simbach, 1938. An industrial title of Wolff & Tritschler on a company which made particle board; this is a monthly insert into the in-house journal, 20 pages not bound but with punched holes for a binder. 28 gravure photos by Wolff & Tritschler.

Phänomen-Werke Gustav Hiller AG, 50 Jahre technisches Schaffen 1888-1938, Zittau Eigenverlag, Zittau, 1938. Privately published. 50 years of a bicycle and motorbike company, with a large number of high quality halftones by Wolff &Tritschler. Text by Paul G. Ehrhardt.

** Deutsches Volkstanzbuch. Vom Tanzkreis zur Tanzgemeinschaft. Rudolph'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Dresden, 1938. Many halftone pictures of dance positions from photographs, but only 3 out of 27 are by by Paul Wolff.

Moderne Innenräume, nach Farbenbild Aufnahmen von Dr. P. Wolff, Carl Schünemann, Bremen, c.1938. Softbound pamphlet with 12 color illustrations (printed by a direct 3-color process) of 1930's domestic room arrangements by Dr. Wolff. This booklet would appear to have been published to illustrate products of the wallpaper manufacturer (or seller) Norta Tapete.

Hundert Jahre Schuler AG 1839-1939. Göppingen-Württemberg, Societäts-Druckerei, Frankfurt, 1939. Privately published. A book on an engineering-works. 90% of the gravures by Wolff & Tritschler.

Kurort Bärenburg. Ober-und Waldbärenburg. published by the Bürgermeister, Bärenburg, 1939. A 12-page prospectus on this spa, with halftones after photos by Paul Wolff and theWelzel Bildarchiv; exact attrubitions of the 18 images are not given.

50 Jahre Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken AG, VDI-Verlag, Berlin, 1939. Limp cloth binding. Privately published large quarto. Most of the gravure photos are by Wolff & Tritschler.

Meine Erfahrungen mit der Leica, Neue Bearbeitung, Breidenstein Verlagsgesellschaft, Frankfurt, 1939. Hard cover, dust jacket. 178 gravure photos, including 4 color shots by Dr. Wolff. A totally new book than the similarly-titled 1934 publication. A § Japanese edition of Meine Erfahrungen exists, dated 1939, and could be either this book or the 1934 edition, but is more likely to be the earlier title.

Unsere Arbeit im Dienste der deutschen Wirtschaft, Frankfurt, 1939. Wolff & Tritschler. 10 years of Adam Opel AG §

Wolff F. & Sohn, Karlsruher Parfümerie und Toiletteseifen-Fabrik, Preis-Liste 1939, Karlsruhe, 1939. This large octavo price list with stiff board covers includes 7 duotone product shots by 'Atelier Dr. Wolff & Tritschler'. These photos are clearly done with a technical camera, not a Leica.

Der Rhein, Vision und Wirklichkeit, August Bagel Verlag, Düsseldorf, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943. Hard cover; dust jacket. 160 halftone photos by Dr. Wolff and Tritschler, text by Dr. Alfons Paquet. Several editions. The 3rd edition, 1942, has 168 photos.

Im Kraftfeld von Rüsselheim, Knorr und Hirth Verlag, Munich, 1940. Several editions. Hardbound large square octavo, dust jacket. 88 photos in 4-color offset of Opel car manufacture by Dr. Wolff, taken in 1938-39, text by Heinrich Hauser. Published for the general public and possibly the world's first all-color illustrated book on industry, following closely upon what may be the first all-color photo picture book (Das farbige Leica-Buch, 1938) and perhaps the first color travel book (Zu den Palmen Libyens, 1938) by the same publisher. This is an astounding book: Arbeit! with color photos, as it were. Included are shots in mines, of steel and fabric manufacture, rubber vulcanization, glass making, etc. Despite being sought-after and costly in good condition, this book is still fairly common in Germany; apparently 50,000 copies were printed. The book is also controversial: is it clever Nazi propaganda or simply a beautiful book? Since consensus is that Dr. Wolff was no Leni Riefenstahl, each of us should locate a copy and decide. Interestingly, author Heinrich Hauser, said to have been an opponent of the Nazis, apparently emigrated to the U.S. before the book's publication! This is a 'must have' title in one's Dr. Wolff library. See also Am Laufenden Band, 1936, above, as Im Kraftfeld von Rüsselheim can be viewed as its sequel.

40 Jahre Miele 1899-1939, 1939. Privately published softbound quarto. This is in essence a manufacturer's catalog. Miele manufactured electrical machinery such as home and industrial washing machines and mangles, milking machines and bulk milk processors, butter churns, and non-electrical items such as ice-boxes, ladders, carts, bicycles, and motor bikes. The photos are by Wolff & Tritschler and others, and Dr. Wolff's work may include some of the product shots as well as a handful of high quality halftones of the company's workers.

25 Jahre Zahnradfabrik, Friedrichshafen AG, Friedrichshafen, 1940. Privately published. An industrial title on a gear-maker. Text by Oskar Weller, gravure photos by Wolff & Tritschler, including 4 out of 8 color shots. The burnished, gleaming tone of the gear photographs here is aesthetically quite pleasing.

Wir Werkleute all. Lesestoffe für den völkischen Unterricht an den Berufsschulen, Elsäss, 1941. A Nazi-influenced wartime book for the young (softbound octavo) filled with inspirational poems, writings, and photographs about labor, published by the Civil Administration of Alsace, Division for Training, Teaching and People's Culture. There are 13 haltone images, 11 by 'Dr. P. Wolff & Tritschler, Frankfurt am Main.' The title: 'Wir Werkleute all' is from a poem by Heinrich Lersch (1889-1936); Lersch was part of the literary 'factory workers' (Werkleute) group, antimaterialist but non-communist supporters of workers' rights. One could imagine either the Nazis or the Soviets expropriating this poem, which was also apparently set to music. One must thank Christian Kempf of Colmar, Alsace, a collector of Dr. Wolff's works, for this reference.

Festgabe für Ernst Leitz, Im Verlag der Hauserpresse, Hans Schaefer, Frankfurt, 1941. Privately published. This volume was issued to honor Ernst Leitz II on his 70th birthday and contains historical and technical papers related to the company. Of note to this bibliography is that nearly 90% of the gravure photo portfolio illustrating work done at the Leitz factory are credited 'Dr. Wolff & Tritschler', and that Dr. Wolff contributed a paper entitled 'Die Geschichte einer Kleinen Kamera.'

Sieg der Arbeit: Geschichte des fünftausendjährigen Kampfes gegen Unwissenheit und Sklaverei, Wilhelm Goldmann Verlag, Leipzig, 1941. Labor history as propaganda with text by Anton Zischka. Almost half of the gravure photos of laborers are by Dr. Wolff; most of the remainder are either from the historical archives or news services. Dr. Wolff's earlier books Arbeit! and Im Kraftfeld von Rüsselheim are among titles cited in the references.

** 50 Jahre Voigt & Haeffner, Brönners Druckerei und Verlag (Inhaber Breidenstein), Frankfurt, 1941. Privately published. An industrial title on an electrical equipment company. Text by Ernst König and Paul G. Ehrhardt, photos by Dr. Wolff and Tritschler (7) and others.

Geschichte der Gebr. Böhler & Co. AG. 1870-1940, Volk und Reich, Berlin 1941. Privately published. Large square octavo on an Austrian stainless steel manufacturer. The majority of the gravure photos are by Dr. Paul Wolff.

Ate Hydraulik-Handbuch, Hauserpresse Hans Schaefer. Frankfurt, 1941, 1942. This is a privately published manufacturers' handbook of quarto size in two parts from the Alfred Teves Maschinen- und Armaturenfabrik company, comprising many loose pages in a binder with stiff cover boards. This handbook, produced by Paul G. Ehrhardt and G. Stuhr, details Ate's product line, primarily hydraulic brakes for various vehicles, but also other hydraulic devices. 75% of the 50 or so gravure reproductions of photographs are by Paul Wolff, including (likely) one color image. Most of the images are in a portfolio at the end of the volume.


Meine Erfahrungen . . .farbig, Breidenstein Verlagsgesellschaft, Frankfurt, 1942. Hard cover, dust jacket. 54 color plates in 6 to 8-color offset from photographs by Dr. Wolff, and text by Wolff, Professor Emil Preetorius, and Hanns Geissler. There is an introductory page of propaganda message by Heiner Kurzbein of the Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda. This page was often torn out after WWII, so many copies have it missing. The title was re-issued after the war in Swedish, Mina erfarenheter i färg, Gernandts Boktryckeri, Stockholm, 1945 and then in 1948 in German by Umshau Verlag, Frankfurt, both editions with textual changes and several different (? replacement for lost or destroyed) photos (now by Dr. Wolff, Tritschler and Rudolph Hermann). Pierre Jeandrain states that the American Military Government licensed the new German edition. In 1952, similarly-prepared English editions appeared as My experiences in Color Photography (Grayson Publishing Corp., New York; also Fountain Press, London), translated by Warner S. Victor, with text by Dr. Wolff and extra text by Jacob Deschin. Interestingly, the affecting image of the soldier (plate 46 in the English-language editions and the Swedish one) does not occur in either German edition--in the 1948 edition it was clearly suppressed! A § French-language version of one of the editions also reportedly exists.

Arbeit für die Wehrmacht. Ein Querschnitt durch die Kriegsarbeit von Peek & Cloppenburg, Berlin, 1941. Privately published. Nearly square softbound octavo with 15 color gravure photos by Dr. Wolff and text by Dr. Curt Ehrlich. Peek & Cloppenburg are clothing manufacturers who made uniforms for the Wehrmacht. See below Uniformen und Soldaten, 1942 as this pamphlet is basically a prospectus for the later book, including overlapping photographs, drawings, and with abbreviated text only 'touched up' a bit to advertise and promote the manufacturer.

Uniformen und Soldaten, Ein Bildbericht vom Ehrenkleid der Wehrmacht, Klinghammer Verlag, Berlin, 1942. Small hardbound quarto with dust jacket which appears to have been published for the general public as part of a series of military titles by this publisher. Text by Dr. Curt Ehrlich first covers briefly the history of military uniforms and then the technical specifics of their assembly-line manufacture. This all is done with surprisingly little overt Nazi focus: propaganda is clearly present, as one would expect given the date, but implicit; likely the military subject matter alone sufficed . There are numerous reproductions of drawings of Heer, Artillery, and Luftwaffen personnel in action by one Klaus Wittkugel, and 32 color photos (40 were advertised in the prospectus above) by Dr. Paul Wolff of the Peek & Cloppenburg workshop, several of them photographically interesting shots at very close range of the sewing machine needles being used.

** Der Dom zu Regensburg, Gauverlag Bayerische Ostmark, Bayreuth, ca. 1942. A small softbound octavo on the Regensburg Cathedral with text by the architectural writer Adam Horn, and with 3 graphic 'sketches' and 55 halftones. Only 5 of the photographs are by Dr. Paul Wolff; one is repeated on the dust jacket. Dr. Wolff's images are however more compositionally interesting than the other photographs.

Geh' mit mir durch Mainz, Rheingold, Mainz, 1943. Text by Tilly Filtzinger. A small softbound pamphlet on Mainz with 6 halftone photos by Dr. Wolff. Included is a facsimile of a page from Gutenberg's Bible, and another of a page from a related document.

Zum 85 jährigen Bestehen der Schlegel-Scharpenseel-Brauerei A.G. Bochum. Frankfurt, Hauserpresse , Hans Schaefer, Frankfurt, ca. 1944. An industrial title. Photographs by Wolff & Tritschler §

Frankfurt am Main. Goethes Heimat, Verlag Dr. Waldemar Kramer, Frankfurt, 1946. Published under the authority of the U.S. military regime. Small hardbound octavo with text by Fried Lübbecke and 16 color halftones by Philipp Diehl and Dr. Paul Wolff. The images are not credited specifically to either photographer--more than half look similar to Dr. Wolff's earlier work on Frankfurt and others either do not or picture postwar destruction and therefore are unlikely to be Dr. Wolff's work. Paper and image reproduction are of fairly low quality.

Dunkle Mächte. Ein Buch von Öl und Kohle, Gerhard Hess Verlag, Ulm, 1947. Published under the authority of the U.S. military regime. 11 out of 15 fine-screen halftone photos are by Wolff & Tritschler, text by Adolf Reitz. This is an octavo about oil and coal production, and being published immediately post-war both the low quality paper used for the text and the muddiness of the halftones leave something to be desired.

Vorstoss ins Unsichtbare, Gerhard Hess Verlag, Ulm/Donau, 1948. Published under the authority of the U.S. military regime. Octavo. 8 halftone photos by Wolff & Tritschler of bacteriologic researchers; there are a similar number of photomicrographs. Text is by Adolf Reitz. The same comments on reproduction quality which applied to Dunkle Mächte above also apply to this title.

** Mensch und Metall, Gerhard Hess Verlag, Ulm/Donau, 1948. Published under the authority of the U.S. military regime. Text is again by Adolf Reitz but there is only one halftone by Wolfff & Tritschler. Once again the paper and reproduction quality is poor.

Der Dortmunder Marienaltar des Konrad von Soest, Aldus Verlag, Diez an der Lahn, 1948. Published under the authority of the French military regime. Thin quarto with 21 halftones by 'Atelier Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler, Braunfels', including 4 tipped-in color plates. The images are called "new photos", indicating that they may have originated as part of Dr. Wolff's wartime preservation work (see below at Frankfurter Bürgerhäuser des 19. Jahrhunderts, Ca. 1970). Text is by Helmut May. As in the titles immediately preceding, the quality of paper and images is less than satisfactory, especially given the fine art subject matter.

Frankfurt am Main, 1948. According to the bibliography in Frankfurt am Main in Fotografien von Paul Wolff, 1927-1943, 1991, this is 'a portfolio with 30 cardboard picture-prints of Frankfurt which can be pulled out one after the other'. Text by Willy Zschietzmann. (? also spelled Zschietschmann ) §

Germany, A Series of Photos of the U.S.-Zone, Umschau Verlag, Frankfurt, no date (?1949). At least 2 editions. Hardcover, dust jacket. 118 (out of 200) halftone photos by Wolff &Tritschler. Text by Eberhard Beckmann. The first edition of this book is marked 'Produced by Order of the U. S. Army Exchange Service,' and there may well be no totally German-language version of this title, due to its likely intended use as a guide for the American GI on leave in Germany, much like other similar titles (Our Leave in Switzerland, Zur Limmat, Zurich, 1945, which includes some of Werner Bischoff's photos; and Horace Bristol's Korean War Tokyo on a 5 Day Pass, Toppan Press, Japan, 1951, which includes his now famous 'discovery' of Nippon Kogaku lenses for Leica and Contax.) This title's second edition has bilingual English/German picture captions, but Beckmann's essay is still only in English.

** Heimat Schlesien, Elwert Gräfe und unzer Verlag, Marburg, 1949. 25 out of 66 halftones by Dr. Wolff & Tritschler, text by Edmund Glaeser.

Schönheit am Wege, Heering-Verlag, Seebruck am Chiemsee, 1949. Hardbound quarto, dust jacket. 96 gravure close-up photos of plants by Wolff &Tritschler, text by Dr. Erich Walch. The photography may be mostly or totally by Tritschler, according to Thomas Sommer. Tritschler published his own first solo book, Kleiner Wagen in grosser Fahrt, Verlag Dr. Franz Burda, Offenburg, in 1949 also, about the reconstruction of Volkswagen immediately after the war. Photos are monochrome gravures, and the poetic, rather bittersweet text is by Heinz Todtmann. In this book one can see both Tritschler's similarities and differences with Dr. Wolff's viewpoint. While Dr. Wolff's sense of humor is often in evidence, especially perhaps in the 1934 Opel im Sport and the 1939 Meine Erfahrungen, Tritschler has a broader and yet more impish humor. (A statement on the copyright page is illustrative: "'Kleiner Wagen in grosser Fahrt' is a joint production by HEINZ TODTMANN the typewriter and ALFRED TRITSCHLER the operator of cameras"!) The book's layout is similar to Dr. Wolff industrial titles of the 1930's, but the Werkhalle production photos seem more perfunctory. However, in a final section showing Volkswagens on a journey (a concrete "greater journey" as compared to the figurative "greater journey" of the company's rebuilding), the photographic compositions outdo even Dr. Wolff's set-ups in their beauty. In 1952 Tritschler went on to produce yet another major title on the Wirtschaftswunder, Unser Schicksal--Die Deutsche Industrie, Steine, Munich, with color photos and text again by Heinrich Hauser. This latter title covers many German firms of the time and the photos, one or two for a firm, are carefully chosen for their color impact.

Tochter Europas Düsseldorf, Schwann, Düsseldorf, 1951. Over 100 gravure photos credited to Dr. Wolff and Tritschler, text by Heinrich Hauser. The book is illustrated almost entirely with postwar photos, the whole book being a PR exercise aimed at showing how the city had recovered and rebuilt a normal life by 1951. From what we know it is likely that practically all of the pictures originated with Tritschler.

** Ganzglas-Vitrinen, Lembeck Verlag, Fankfurt (ca. 1949). Slim hardboud quarto, essentially a product catalogue of glass display cabinets made by the Heinrich Hahn company, with photos by Wolff & Tritschler and many others.

** Deutschland, Süden, Westen, Norden, and English translation: Germany: The South, The West and The North, Umschau Verlag, Frankfurt, 1950. Multiple editions. Hardcover quarto with dust jacket. 54 (out of 207) gravure photos by Wolff &Tritschler. Text by Eberhard Beckmann and Dr. Harald Busch.

Hundert Jahre G. Haindlsche Papierfrabriken. Eine Gedenkschrift, F. Bruckmann KG, München, 1949. Privately published. An industrial title on a paper maker. Portfolio of 21 halftone images by Wolff & Tritschler.

Volkmar Muthesius: Zur Geschichte der Kunstfaser, Verlag Hoppenstedt & Co., Heppenheim, 1949. Privately published. Octavo, supple binding. An industrial book on the 50th anniversary of a synthetic textile manufacturer. 15 halftones, by Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler, Braunfels, and others. This title, the following four books, Gustav Spangenberg Maschinenfabrik, 1951, and Heyligenstaedt & Co., 1951 below could be considered part of a series specially published by this publisher, entitled 'Das Spezialarchiv der deutschen Wirtschaft.'

G. V. Hackethal-Draht-und Kabel-Werke AG Hannover, Verlag Hoppenstedt & Co., Heppenheim, 1950. Privately published. An industrial title, wire and cable. 16 halftones by Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler, Braunfels, text by Gert von Klass.

50 Jahre Gummiwerke Fulda AG, 1900 bis 1950, Verlag Hoppenstedt & Co., Heppenheim, 1950. Privately published. An industrial title on a tire manufacturer, text by Peter Lucken and Fritz Wagner. There are about a dozen high quality halftone photos by Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler, Braunfels, and a smaller number of other photos from archives and news services.

75 Jahre Julius Kleemann. Blechemballagenfabrik, Eisenwarengrosshandlung,. Verlag Hoppenstedt & Co., Heppenheim, 1950. Softbound octavo of a sheet metal producer with halftones after photos by Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler, Braunfels.

75 Jahre Zangs. 1875-1950. Maschinenfabrik Carl Zangs Aktiengesellschaft, Krefeld. Verlag Hoppenstedt & Co., Heppenheim, 1950. Nearly square octavo with a portfolio of halftones after photos by Dr. Wolff & Tritschler, Braunfels.

75 Jahre Henkel & Cie. GmbH, Düsseldorf, 1951. Privately published. The text focuses on what the Henkel Company, manufacturer of detergents, has done over the years for its employees. Interestingly, this book's publication may have resulted from media focus on Henkel as an industrial polluter and the consequent need for it to "clean up its image." There are 14 color halftones not attributed but presumably by Wolff & Tritschler (one is very similar to plate 45 in My experiences in Color Photography, the photograph of the man being given infrared heat therapy). In addition there are 3 out of 9 black and white halftones by 'Dr. Wolff & Tritschler (Tritschler) OHG.', likely implying that Tritschler alone was responsible for these. Tritschler was definitely responsible for all but one of the photos in an accompanying volume: Henkel. Eine Bilderfolge zum Gedenktage des 75 jährigen Bestehens der Henkel & Cie. GmbH, Düsseldorf 1951.

75 Jahre Bau von Werkzeug Maschinen, Heyligenstaedt & Co., Verlag Hoppenstedt & Co., Heppenheim, 1951. Privately published. An industrial title on a machine tool concern. 24 high quality halftones by Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler, Braunfels.

So entstand ein Weltbegriff: Gustav Spangenberg Maschinenfabrik Mannheim 1871?1951, Verlag Hoppenstedt & Co, Heppenheim, 1951. Slim softbound octavo on a pigment grinder with text by Gert von Klass, and 9 (of 13) halftones by 'Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler Braunfels an der Lahn'.

50 Jahre Stocko Metallwarenfabriken Hugo und Kurt Henkels 1901-1951, (Die Grosse Welt der 1000 Winzigkeiten), Verlag Hoppenstedts, Darmstadt, (1951). Slim hardbound octavo with text by Gert von Klaß and about 15 halftone photos by 'Wolff & Tritschler, Braunfels / Lahn', on a company in Wuppertal-Elberfeld which makes small metal parts: hooks, electrical terminals, film spools, snaps, buckles, etc.

IV. Since Dr. Wolff's death on 10 April, 1951 the following books have been published of his photographs. Most are hardbound.

100 Jahre Hensoldt 1852-1952, Verlag Hoppenstedt & Co. Darmstadt, 1952. A privately published thin softbound octavo on the Hensolt optical works in Wetzlar. Eight halftone photos by Wolff & Tritschler.

100 Jahre Theodor Groz & Söhne & Ernst Beckert, 1852-1952, Ebingen, 1952. A needle and pin manufacturer. Privately published. Wolff & Tritschler are not credited but, the halftone photos here are in their style, and Wilhelm Hohmann lists this work as theirs in his database.

Hundert Jahre Gebrüder Laurenz, Ochtrupt 1854?1954. Werden und Wirken, E. Gundlach, Bielefeld, 1954. Privately published. An industrial title on a cloth weaver. Text by Paul Casser, halftone photos mostly by Wolff & Tritschler, including 12 in color.

Vom Lastträger zum Fernlastzug, F. Bruckmann KG, München, 1956. Hardbound octavo, dust jacket. Text by Wilhelm Treue. A brief overview of the history of transport 'from porters to long-distance trucking', with numerous halftones by Wolff & Tritschler. A charming little book.

Ein Band durch fünf Generationen, Martini & Cie - gestern und heute, Verlag Mensch & Arbeit, Munich, 1957. Thin hardbound octavo with Text by Karl Otto Pöhl, 3 pictures by Paul Wolff & Tritschler and a similar number by others on a fabric / dyesuff concern.

Vogel-Verlag, Vogel-Verlag, Würtzburg, 1958. Softbound square quarto, privately published. An industrial title on a publisher of technical books and periodicals. Numerous halftones, credited to Wolff & Tritschler.

** Ilseder Hütte Peine 1858-1958. Ein Unternehmen der esienschaffenden Industrie, F. Bruckmann KG, München, 1958. Privately published. An ironworking concern. 11 photos by Wolff & Tritschler; many photos by others. Text by Wilhelm Treue.

Norderney. Bezaubernde Insel. Flensburg, Christian Wolff Verlag, ca. 1960. Slim hardbound octavo with text by Christian Sibbersen, and half of the halftones by Dr. Wolff or Wolff & Tritschler. Several of the photos look like images that could have been out-takes from Sonne über See und Strand, 1936, above. See also the 1936 title above on Norderney.

** Magie oder Technik? Die Industrie der Zauberer. Ein Porträt der Textilveredelungsindustrie, Verlag Mensch und Arbeit, 1965. Both black and white and color halftone photos by Wolff &Tritschler, and others. It is again unclear how many may be by Dr. Wolff, (or even by Wolff & Tritschler).

Bad Kreuznach. Tradition und Fortschritt, Ferd. Harrach, Bad Kreutznach, 1970. Octavo published by the town government under the direction of Kurdirektor Dr Werner Küstermann; many halftone photos by Dr. Wolff & Tritschler, about 75% of the book. Text is in 3 languages.

Frankfurter Bürgerhäuser des 19. Jahrhunderts, Societäts-Verlag, Frankfurt. No date (c. 1970). Hardbound, dust jacket. 141 halftone photos by Dr. Wolff; several authors, edited by Günther Vogt. During the last half of WWII Dr. Wolff photographed buildings, murals, frescos and decorated ceilings for preservation purposes, sometimes in color. The monochrome photos here of historic houses were taken in late 1942 for the Societäts-Verlag, Frankfurt, but not published as a book until 1970!

Dr. Paul Wolff. Pionier der Kleinbildfotografie. Fotografien 1927-1939, Rüsselsheim, Opel AG, 1989. A limited edition (2000 copies) softbound octavo published to accompany an exhibition of the same name. Text by Paul Simsa; many small halftones by Wolff & Tritschler on all aspects of Dr. Wolff's Opel work. Images are courtesy of the Bildarchiv.

Frankfurt am Main in Fotografien von Paul Wolff, 1927-1943, Hügendubel, Frankfurt, 1991. Hardbound, dust jacket. Almost 200 gravure photos by Dr. Wolff. Included in the introduction are pictures of Dr.Wolff at work.

** Die Brennet: Kontinuität im Wandel, G. Braun Buchverlag, Karlsruhe, 1999. A history of this textile firm, with at last 30 high quality halftone images of the werkhalle by Dr. Wolff & Tritschler in 1941; a larger numer of other images are also present. Text is in 3 languages.


Les Jeux Olympiques Berlin 1936, Dr. Paul Wolff Pionnier du Leica, Éditions Ronald Hirle, Strasbourg, 1999. A new book on Dr. Wolff's Olympic pictures, including photos not in the 1936 book. Dr. Wolff's entire text from the earlier book is included. 85 high quality halftones. Editions in German and English are promised.

December, 2001

 
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