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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 the Schneider-Henn auction house) 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 complete except for one known missing title (Schade und Füllgrabe, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf: Eckhardt & Pesch, 1931). There may well be other titles which were never listed anywhere but will turn up in due course. All books not examined first-hand are marked with the symbol: §. 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 bindings (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.
† Bad Lausick Herrmannsbad. 10 Künstlerkarten in echtem Kupfertierdruck nach Aufnahmen von Paul Wolff, Dresden-Zschachwitz, no date. These 10 postcards in a leparello are likely by Paul Wolff, Dresden, not Dr. Wolff.
Bad Sooden Werra und Umgebung. 16 Kupfertiefdruckbilder nach Aufnahmen von Paul Wolff. Johs. Braun Verlag, Eschwege, no date. 16 tipped-in gravures are in this soft-bound octavo.
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 Brandstetter, 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 §, but Thomas Sommer informs me that this book is by Paul Wolff, Dresden, not Dr. Paul Wolff.] 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.
Rudolstadt, Schwarzenberg, Paulinzella und Bad Blankenburg, Müllersche Verlagshandlung, Rudolstadt, 1924. A duodecimo with text and 33 halftones after photos by Paul Wolff. Subtitled”Ein Büchlein aus einem Deutschen Winkel”, there at least two bindings known: a softbound titled “Ein Einnerungsbuch an eine schöne Stadt”, sold by Otto Mark Buchhandlung in Rudolstadt, and a hardcover offering put out by the bookseller Walter Wirth, Bad Blankenburg. Despite the binding and one page of advertising in the hardbound version, the books are the same.
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.
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 Deutsche Kunstverlag, Berlin, 1926. These two editions have major differences. The first is a softbound quarto with 40 tipped in mezzotints of the Vosges mountain area by Paul Wolff, 1/3 being pictures of towns and the rest landscapes. There is no text other than captions. The second edition is a hardbound octavo, with mostly the same images in the same size, alternating with pages of text. 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.
Jena, F. A. Brockhaus, Leipzig, n.d., probably 1925. Octavo with text and 18 copper plates after photographs by Dr. Wolff. Even though this volume carries the same title as the preceeding, only 3 images overlap, and the similar introduction is condensed. The booklet is physically a smaller soft octavo with a cover depicting a bust of Carl Zeiss. Two of the images are not photographs; one if a drawing of a Zeiss planetarium, and another is a painting of glassblowers at work. This edition states: “Alle Aufnahem in diesem Buche sind mit Zeiß-Tessar gemacht unter Zuhilfenahme der Vorsatzlinsen Proxar und Distar.”
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.
** Suhl. Die Welt der Waffe, Kaufmann, Suhl, 1925. This is a large softbound octavo with introduction and two images by Paul Wolff [? which one], then 8 engravings of the town and countryside by Karl Mundt, folled by text and pictures of guns, a gunsmith, and large game kills, amassed byProf. Dr. Erich Haenel. The idea bringing all this together is the weaponry made in Suhl, e.g., one of Dr. Wolff’s images is of a statue and fountain with a gunsmith.
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