Dr. Paul Wolff Bibliography
This is a bibliography, a list of published books (and a few ephemera, marked †) 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 printout of his database of Dr. Wolff & Tritschler titles. Leica historians Joseph K. Brown and Pierre Jeandrain have contributed helpful comments and also, emphemera. Several other persons have contributed, and they are mentioned below, under the particular title(s) on which they have assisted.
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 web auctions, and 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 4 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 50 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 whose dates are 1876-1947, especially the book Das
ehemalige Residenzschloß und das Lustschloß Pillnitz. 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. Usually given as 1912 (also 1914 in one list and 1917 in another, but since a signed copy exists with a March 1913 date, 1912 is the most likely publishing date). According to Thomas Sommer, the 30 tipped-in mezzotints (printed by Bruckmann in Munich) 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. There is no text. The book is 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 the reverse of each title sheet in this edition was numbered and signed by the photographer. Two examples have been examined: an undated non-deluxe, unnumbered edition, and No. 54 / 100 in the deluxe run. The quality of the images in identical.
Alt-Straßburg, Neue Folge, Verlag Otto Rasch, Straßburg, 1914. 36 more images of old Strassburg in a format exactly 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. Two separate binds (one
brown and one green) have been reported.
Only the brown one is dated 1919. Just 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: 16
Kunstblätter nach Original aufnahmen von Paul Wolff, again as gravures but not tipped in.
This title was printed in at least 3 versions: 2 with minor variations
by Oscar Brandsetter, Leipzig, and by
Welzel, Dresden; and one with only a partial overlap of
images, by Brockhaus, Leipzig. Yet another such title mentioned in
secondary sources is Dresdner Stimmungen, ca. 1925 §.
While this has yet to turn up, it may be that Dresden Ein Album
und Erinnerungsbuch, Kunstverlag
Bild und Karte Leipzig, 1925 is what is
meant here. Then there is also Dresden,
18 Ansichten in Kupfertiefdruck, Kunstverlag Hans Friedrich Abshagen,
Dresden, ca. 1920 with text by M. Thiele. In
what seems like an unending stream of similar items, there is Dresden,
21 der schönsten Bilder aus der Gauhauptstadt, Welzel Tiefdruck, Dresden,
no date. † This is
a 64mo size packet containing 21 gravure images from Dresden on separate cards.
Most
of the above titles recirculate many of the same images; others do not. Some of these books may be by 'Paul Wolff,
Dresden' and not our Dr. Wolff. As one
can ready see, these early Dresden books present a complicated situation to
sort out.
Erfurt, Brockhaus, Leipzig, no date (? 1921).
A small softbound beige octavo with 10 tipped-in plates after
photographs by Paul Wolff and no text.
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.
Die Sächsische Schweiz, Beutelspacher, Dresden, 1922. 21 copper plates after photographs of Paul Wolff. Text by Paul 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. There is a 1924 edition with the same title, published by Buchabteilung des Residenzkaufhauses, Dresden which has 18 plates as laid-in gravures. All but two of the images overlap with the earlier volume. The texts in the two editions, both by Paul Wolff, are not the same. The physical appearance of this 1924 edition is similar to that of the 'Blau‑Goldenen Reihe' series below, only the covers are mottled green, not blue.
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. As in the earlier books, the gravures are
printed by Bruckmann. 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.
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.
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. This book is almost undoubtedly by “the
other” 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
below).
Wünche contributed graphics--mostly cover illustrations--to several
other Paul Wolff books in the mid-1920's, and illustrated at least one postwar
book on Dresden as well.
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.
Weimar, Müllersche Verlagshandlung, Rudolstadt, 1923. 18 tipped-in copper plates after photographs by Dr. Wolff. Text by Dr. Wolff.
Alt-Frankfurt, Neue Folge, Verlag Englert &
Schlosser, Frankfurt am Main, 1924. Hardbound. Text by Fried Lübbecke, 40
halftone plates by Dr. Wolff.
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.
Eisenach und die Wartburg, Verlag der Baereckeschen Buchhandlung, Ernst Martinue, Eisenach, 1924. 18 tipped-in mezzotints.
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. This book 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) above 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.
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.
Ruhla.18 Kupfertiefdrucktafeln nach Aufnahmen des Verfassers, Verlag Ruhlaer Buchhandlung, Bruno Eppelin, Ruhla, 1924. Tipped in mezzotints and text by Dr. Wolff.
Schwarzburg, Müllersche Verlagshandlung, Rudolstadt, 1924. 18 tipped-in copper plates after photographs by Dr. 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.
Bad Thal-Heiligenstein.
Luftkurort im Thüringer Wald zwischen Eisenach und dem Inselberge
gelegen, Ein kleiner Führer,Verlag Ruhlaer Buchhandlung, Bruno
Eppelin, Ruhla, no date (1924). As with
the title immediately proeceeding, this is a softbound duodecimo tourist guide
with 32 sides, 7 pictures and a map.
Text and halftones after photos by Paul Wolff. One image again overlaps with Ruhla.18
Kupfertiefdrucktafeln nach Aufnahmen des Verfassers.
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.
Ruhla im Thüringerwald, Ein kleiner Führer, Verlag Ruhlaer Buchhandlung, Bruno Eppelin, Ruhla, no date (1924). Softbound duodecimo tourist guide with 40 sides, 7 pictures and a map. Text and halftones after photos by Paul Wolff. One image overlaps with the preceeding Ruhla volume.
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.
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.
Die Ski-Schule. Ein Wegweiser für alle Freunde des
Ski-Sports, Dieck & Co. Sportverlag, Stuttgart, 1925. Hardbound
octavo with 180 halftones by Dr. Paul Wolff and 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. There is an ad in the back of the book for ICA and their Kinamo
home movie camera; since this is the only photographic ad amoungst various ads
for ski equipment and the like, the Kinamo was possibly the apparatus
used. 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
neither composition nor lighting is 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Der Dom zu Frankfurt am Main. Ein Führer durch seine
Geschichte und seine Kunstwerke, Verlag
Peter Kreuer Nachfolger, Frankfurt am Main, 1929. Soft-sided octavo tourist
guide to the Cathedral, 64 pages, with 16 brown halftone images after photos by
Dr. Paul Wolff. Text is by Josef
Dillmann. Only one of the images
appears in the other Frankfurt books.
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.
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.
Gegenlauf-Dampfturbinen Bauart Ljungström, Nürnberg,
1930. An industrial title on MAN, AG
(Maschinenfabrik Augsberg-Nürnberg) an engine and steam turbine manufacturer,
very important later in Germany's war
effort for work on the Panther tank.
It was at their Nürnberg shop in 1897 that Rudolf Diesel perfected the
engine that bears his name. This title
is about their steam turbines: the Ljungström-type steam 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 MAN depicting various
turbine types has been examined, and may contain 2 or 3 Dr. Wolff images §
60 Jahre Riekerschuhe, Tuttlingen in Schwarzwald, 1930. An industrial title on a manufacturer of footwear: ski boots and ? other types §
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.
** 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'.
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.
HOH - Fotos helfen
verkaufen, published by H. Osterwald, Hannover, ca. 1930. † A
thin softbound quarto advertising brochure illustrating via 6 of Dr. Wolff's
photos, two of Gorny, and one unidentified, what this firm could produce. Images are deeply printed gravures, monochrome
but in several different tones from image to image. Dr. Wolff's subjects here are mostly those of still life (one
from Was essen? above), but
there is the well-known soft-focus image of a woman holding her little dog, and
one of part of an Opel roadster.
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.
Königinnen der Meere:
S.S. Bremen- S.S. Europa,
Norddeutscher Lloyd advertising pamphlet, ca., 1930. † 28-sided
softbound square octavo with embossed cellophane dustjacket. Many halftone illustrations after photos by
Dr. Paul Wolff. While this brochure is
ephemera and not a book, it is rather physically substantial and the
sort of object one might be likely to keep after a passage on one of the
ships. Dr. Wolff’s firm held the
commercial account for images with Norddeutscher Lloyd, but many of these were
travel posters and the like, and not that many have apparently survived. Dr. Wolff mentions (elsewhere) that he
successfully used a Leica for many of the large posters.
** 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.
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.
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. In early 2002 the publisher issued a new printing of the first
edition in duotone, together with new additional written material. Das
Werk. Technisches Lichbildstudien, above,
was also reissued at the same time.
** 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 (likely on its 50th anniversary), which, because of Jewish ownership, was later a target of Nazi persecution. Likely the Nazi’s changed the ownership and perhaps the name as well. Propaganda and supression may also explain why an example of this 1931 title has yet to be located for this bibliography. The company’s buildings were then heavily bombed on October 4, 1943. It is not clear that the firm’s rightful owners survived WWII, but there is a chain of supermarkets in Frankfurt with this name in the last 20 years §
Das schöne Frankfurt, Klimschs Druckerei, J.Maubach
& Co. Frankfurt, perhaps 1931. † 12 postcards, halftone views of Franfurt, 11
of 12 marked "Dr.P.Wolff Phot. (one arial view marked " Hansa
Luftbild phot". The cards are in a
small portfolio stamped with the city's coat of arms. Dr. Wolff's images are familiar from his Frankfurt books.
** 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).
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 shortly following published by Velhagen und Klasing are part of a series of travel books by this publisher, but apparently the only three with Dr. Wolff as the sole photographer.
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, known 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. A 1952 edition § published by Hans Dulk, Hamburg has 20
images; these additions are by other photographers.
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.
Im Spiegel des Rheins. Westdeutsche Fahrten,Frankfurter Societäts Druckerei, Frankfurt, 1933.
Small hardbound
octavo, a travel book by Kasimir Edschmid with 16 gravures, 10 by Dr. Paul
Wolff.
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-scientist, geographer
and writer Sven Hedin, dated 7 December, 1940.
Of interest to Leica affectionados is that Hedin had previously been
awarded Leica Nr. 25,000 for his explots and accomplishments.
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.
Badische Schlösser und Burgen zwischen Neckar und Schwarzwald, C. Schmitt, Heidelberg, 1934. † Published by the Landesverkehrsverband Baden. Almost folio-sized soft-bound quarto with text by Otto Ernst Sutter in 4 languages, with 6 mounted color pictures after watercolors by Wilhelm Nagel (1) and Franz Huth (5), as well as 12 heliogravures after photos by Paul Wolff (6), Max Herzberg, and others. This is a deluxe production, probably aimed at the toutist market.
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 Leitz, July 1933. † This is not Dr. Wolff's famous book (which is next in this list), but rather a 32 page catalogue from the E. Leitz exhibition of large images from Leica negatives with the same name. This title is a softbound octavo with 10 images (including the cover image). The images are halftones but so fine they appear to be gravures. Three of these images do not appear in the later book, and similarly, while 207 images are listed as being in the exhibition, by no means do they comnpletely overlap the 203 photos which were chosen for the hard-cover edition below. Dr. Wolff says there explictly that 100 of the images were replaced with those by Tritschler and by Dr. Wolff's students, to show that any serious photographer could accomplish similar results. There were at least two variants of this catalogue with differing type fonts. (Leica historian Joseph K. Brown kindly sent in a partial xerox of the other one of these.) There is also an identical English version † dated November, 1934, called Practical Leica Photography: since this exists, versions in other languages possibly do also (various books by Dr. Wolff through the years have been documented in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, and Swedish). Of considerable interest is another very similar (same size, number of pages, general layout) catalogue in French, entitled Exposition de Photos 1935, prises avec he Leica de Leitz par M. Le Dr. P. Wolff et M. Person. † This is the catalogue of yet another exhibition of photos, with some overlap to the above, but with different Dr. Wolff images plus images by Alfred Person (whose book Bildmässige Leica-Photos durch Tontrennung, well known to Leica historians, also came out in 1935). According to Pierre Jeandrain who supplied this item, the exhibition in question was organized from 1 to 10 March, 1935 at the Porte de Versailles, Paris, within the general "Photography Salon", and the French translation of Meine Erfahrungen (Douze Années de Pratique du Leica, see below) was also launched on the same occasion. Of the 8 images within the exhibition catalogue itself, only one overlaps with the earlier cataloges.
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. This title in whatever language is Dr. Wolff's
seminal work on Leica photography and technique.
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.
50 Jahre Wertarbeit, Ernst Kratz, Nadelfabrik, Frankfurt, 1935. A self-published Festschfift with text by Paul G. Ehrhardt. This is a thin, softbound quarto but a deluxe presentation. Dr. Wolff's many gravure images detail the production of curved (surgical) and hypodermic needles in detail. There are many closeups, as well as the workers at their machines. A classic.
Helfer am Sozialwerk der Deutschen Wirtschaf,. Hannover, 1935, published by Continental Gummi-Werke AG, Hannover. Square large octavo, hardbound, with gravure images after Dr. Wolff & Tritschler, and several others. Most of the images are indeed those of Wolff and Tritschler, as they appear very similar to those in other books: workers at work and at play, all with a National Socialist propaganda flavor.
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.
Novelle der Heimat. Von rheinischer Landschaft und ihren Menschen, Zaberndruck, Mainz, 1935. A slim octavo whose author is Dr.Wilhelm Ruthe; there are 12 halftone images, part by the author and part by Dr. Paul Wolff, but they are not specifically identified.
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!
Zwei Jahre Arbeit an der Reichsautobahn, Volk und
Reich Verlag, Berlin 1935. A Festschrift on the opening of the first
section of roadway in the Frankfurt am Main region. Approximately 150 press photos (predominantly 24 x 18 cm, and many
maps also. The images depict the
construction from the early extensive earth movement with excavators, to the
finished, completed roadway including government support and monitoring
functions, as well as scenes from the workers camps. Dr. Paul Wolff, among others, "participated in the
photography." [This was one of
several such books in this series, others are: 3 Jahre Arbeit an den Straßen Adolf Hitlers, Volk und
Reich Verlag, Berlin, 936; 4 Jahre Arbeit an den Straßen Adolf
Hitlers, Volk und Reich Verlag, Berlin,1937; and 5 Jahre Arbeit
an den Straßen Adolf Hitler,Volk und Reich Verlag, Berlin,1938.] §
Das ist Idar-Oberstein. 2000 Jahre Edelsteinkultur, Solm & Co, Wiking-Verlag, Berlin, ca. 1935. † Softbound quarto, 16 sides with 6 photographs in gravure by Dr. Paul Wolff, Frankfurt, and 6 from Archiv Idar-Oberstein. The cities of Idar and Oberstein, near Trier, are the age-old center of the German gem indusry. This is an informational brochure on the area, with images of gem production.
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.
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.
** 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).
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,
in English as The Olympic Year
1936, and in Italian as Germania
Anno Olympico 1936,with images which
are identical to each other and similar
to the French version. It is possible
that editions in yet other languages exist.
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.
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.
Neue Kräfte wirkt die Kraft, Erlebtes Heilbäd, Verlag A. Schaller, Bad Elster, 1936. Small hard-cover quarto with test by Herbert Duckstein and a dozen high quality halftones by Dr. Paul Wolff on the spa of Bad Elster.
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.
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.
There was also a DJ over the spiral binding, but one has not been
located for examination so far. 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 with trilingual captions,
text by Dr.Wolff, and closing commentary by H. Windisch. It includes a memorial to Oskar Barnack who
had died 16 January, 1936.
There is also a special edition of this book with a different, deluxe binding (black pebbled corners and spine), numbered and signed by Dr. Wolff. Then, according to Joseph K. Brown, there is an advertisement for a English-language title Sun, Sea, Shore § in Leica Photography Dec. 1936, p. 18. Publisher is B. Westermann Co., Inc., New York. It is not clear if this title actually exists, but there is a version of Sonne über See und Strand (3 examples either inspected or described in detail by their owners) where the binding of the German edition (H. Bechhold Verlag) was printed with this English title. Inside everything is in German except the trilingual picture titles in (German, French and English), just as in the more common edition. Since this German Sun, Sea, Shore examined lacked its dustjacket, what language this carried cannot be commented upon.
Triberg Schwarzwald, 1936. † There exist at least three such pamphlets with images by Dr . Wolff. The largest is the 1936 one at 16 pages, listed above; there are different ones from 1934 and 1937, each having its own publisher, and with some overlap of images.
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
quarto, dust jacket. A book length
photo-essay. A rare edition for release
in Japan exists: What I Saw at
the Olympic Games, Maruzen Company, Ltd., Tokyo, 1936. This is a German-printed edition with the full text and otherwise
identical, but in English! Published
also is a commoner Italian translation: Olimpiadi 1936, Bompiani, Milan (? 1936), with text by Bruno Roghi, but printed in
Germany; this too is laid out like the German edition. These editions probably represent Germany
sharing its triumphal games with the other Axis powers, but it is a puzzle why
the one from Japan is not in Japanese.
There were two American editions issued, both by William Morrow
& Company, New York: the first is Sport Shots, 1937, basically identical but with only a portion
of the original German text; the
latter is entitled Champions in Action, 1938. The 1938 book has an entirely
different text (by equestrian writer Frank A. Wrensch with an introduction by
Grantland Rice), fewer images, and is in octavo. The title is quite rare and an
example had to be sought on inter-library loan. Rather than an account of the Games, it gives commentary on the
skills and attributes necessary for many of the various sports depicted, with
repeated praise for Dr. Wolff's photographic efforts. Communication with the Archiv has indicated that the book was
previously unknown to them and probably to Dr. Wolff as well! It is likely that the publisher, having the
images simply used a portion of them again in a new title. See also below Les Jeux Olympiques
Berlin 1936, Dr. Paul Wolff Pionnier du Leica, Éditions Ronald Hirle,
Strasbourg, 1999.
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.
Uniformen am laufenden Band, Ein Bericht aus der
Rhein-Mainischen Industrie, Hauserpresse, Hans Schaefer, Frankfurt, no date
(1936) Square quarto with text by Paul G. Ehrhardt and many gravure
illustrations after photos by Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler of the process of
making uniforms. The company depicted
is UNAG (Uniform-Aktiengesellschaft, Frankfurt am Main), and most of the images
are moderate close-ups of the manufacturing process. Propaganda is present in the text as the date would imply, but
there are no overt Nazi images. Two
later publications of similar nature are included in this bibliography: Arbeit für die Wehrmacht, 1941, and Uniformen und Soldaten, 1942,
although these depict a different firm.
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.
E. Merck Chemischefabrik, Darmstadt, 1937. Privately published. An industrial title on the Merck Co. with
gravure photos by Dr Wolff. Text by
Wilhelm Michel.
Festschrift zum 75jährigen Bestehen der Firma Franz
Clouth Rheinische Gummiwarenfabrik
A.-G. Köln-Nippes 1862-1937. DuMont
Schauberg Verlag, Köln, 1937. Privately-published Festschrift on a rubber
products firm, with gravures after photos by "Dr. Paul Wolff &
Tritschler, Frankfurt a. M.", as well as by W. Matthäs and H.
Schmölz. The 40 or so images are not
themselve specifically identified as to their source, but the large majority of
these are in the style of Wolff & Tritschler: dramatic and wide-angle
close-up Leica shots of workers at their work stations. The others images are rather static and
appear to be made by larger format cameras.
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 gravures of photos by Wolff & Tritschler, and others. Text
is by Fritz Faiß and Ewald Schmitz.
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.
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.
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.
Herbert Lindner. Fabrik für Werkzeugmaschinen zur
Feinstbearbeitung. Druckschrift Nr. 116. (Hauptkatalog), Berlin-Wittenau, 1937. Privately published hatdbound quarto,
dustjacket. An industrial title, heavy
machine tools: srew-making, polishing, drilling and testing. Dr. Wolff's name
appears nowhere in this volume, but the Archiv states the halftone photos of the
workers at their machines are his. Being the main company catalogue, there are
a profusion of product shots; these are presumably by others.
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.
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 Schichau, 1937. A quarto, a privately
published festschrift on the company Schichau Werke in Elbing, West Prussia,
which built locomotives and steam turbines, and also warships, U-boats, and
steamships at its Danzig works, Schichau-Werft. (The locatations are of course now in Poland and the company is
now called Elzam Holding). There are
reproductions of 6 paintings in 5-color printing and many photographs printed
as gravures. 25 of the photographic
images, about 50% of the total, are in a portfolio of the works by "Dr.
Paul Wolff & Tritschler, O.H.G., Frankfurt a. M". This is a scarce title, perhaps because it
is of interest to WWII buffs as well as photographic historians.
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.
Moritzburg bei Dresden, Landesfremdenverkehrsverband,
Sachsen, 1937. † A 12-page illustrated
brochure with selenium-toned halftone images by Paul Wolff. Dresden. Several of the photos also appear in Jagdschloss
Moritzburg, ca. 1925 above.
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.
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.
** 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.
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.
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.
125 Jahre Franz Garny KG, Frankfurt-Niederrad,
Frankfurt, 1938. Wolff & Tritschler, text
by Hans Schaefer. Privately published,
small hardbound quarto, 38 pages. The Wolff
& Tritschler images are in a photogravure portfolio sction. There are other images, perhaps by them, of
antique safes and vaults. This is an
industrial title on a company which pioneered the development of the German
safe and the building of safe deposit rooms.
The gravures possess a sense of intimacy with the workers, even more
than the usual Wolff & Tritschle efforts.
This is a very rare title.
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.
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.
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.
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.
40 Jahre Messer & Co. GmbH, Brönners Druckerei
und Verlag (Inhaber Breidenstein) Frankfurt 1938. Privately published
hardbound quarto, text by Edmund Hampel, many photographs in halftone. H. & H. Schaufler and Dr. Paul Wolff
& Tritschler are listed as the sources for photos; in actuality there are
also images from the company archives, and it is difficult to assign authorship
for many images. In the 1930's, Messer
& Co. made welding, soldering and flame cutting tools, large machines for
industrial welding processes, and gases for industrial use.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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,
Dresden (!) and the Welzel Bildarchiv; exact attributions of the 18 images are
not given.
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. According to the researches of Shoichiro "Fritz" Takeda, the existence of an edition in Japanese of this 1939 Meine Erfahrungen was confirmed, then obtained. It was published divided into two separate books, the first being Leica Shashin (Leica Photography) published in 1941 by Bancho Shobo. This publisher is an affiliate of Schmidt Shoten, the sole agent of Ernst Leitz in Japan. The other book was called Leica Shashin no Kansei (The completion of Leica Photography) which came out in 1942 by the same publisher. Allegedly, the negatives were imported from Germany for publication of these books. Images in the two Japanese books are identical to the German edition, except that they are printed sometimes in a different order, size, or tonality. The dustjacket photo (the famous reversed image of Dr. Wolff with his Leica) a