Unique Collection of Fifty-Nine Original Renderings & Photographs of Jewish and Christian Cemetery Monument Designs by Fritz Rosenberg and Hans Fink Predominantly for the Weissensee Friedhofs (many with original signature by Fink)
Berlin: NP, ca. 1910's - 1930's. First edition. Softcover. A collection comprised of works in various mediums, including: original multicolored, brown-toned & b/w gouache renderings, photographs, pencil drawings, and sepia-toned crayons. Fritz Rosenberg was a Berlin stonecarver & sculptor who specialized in headstones and grave-marker designs. Hans Fink most likely was a partner and fellow stonecarver/designer in Rosenberg's atelier, creating designs for various Berlin cemeteries such as the famous Jüdischen Friedhof Berlin-Weißensee, which is the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe (since its opening in 1880 over 115,000 people have been buried there).
1) Twenty-six multicolored gouache renderings heightened with crayon, varying in size (15" x 12 1/2" to 5 3/4" x 7 1/4"). Five designs signed by Hans Fink on lower right margin. Majority mounted on thin black card stock. Two different renderings are designs for the gravestone of Clara Putzrath in the Jüdischen Friedhof Berlin-Weißensee.
One design with stamped tissue guard: "Dieser Entwurf ist nach (Paragraph) 1, 81, 82, des Kunstschuttzgesetzes geach. Unbefugte Benutzung, Abänderung, sowie Kenntnisgabe an die Konkur(?) sind strafbar u. werden verfolgt. Bildhauer Fritz Rosenberg, Berlin-Dahlum, Allensteinstr. 60."
Includes small (1" x 2 1/4") laid-in printed paper label: "Fritz Rosenberg, Werkstätte für Friedhofskunst, Berlin-Weissensee, Lothringenstr. 26, Telefon E6 2296."
Edges of 2 larger plates slightly creased with few closed tears. Minor rippling to outer edges of some plates. One signed design with one-inch closed tear on lower area. Some designs detached from card stock (few without card stock).
2) Ten original b/w photographs and two postcards. Four photographs (3 duplicates) show the gravestone of Berthold Traut (24. 6. 1845 - 18. 2. 1918), three are of Friedrich Possel's grave (geb. 31. 10 1916, gest. 31. 3. 1920), and one of each show the resting place of the following: Verwaltungs Direktor Dr. jur. Richard Brauer, geb. 1. Sept. 1869 - gest. 7. Mail 1921. Familie Weyer - Gabriele Weyer (8. 5. 1894 - 27. 2. 1920) & Karl Weyer (14. 12. 1905 - 23. 2. 1920), and Josef Stöberl, Baumeister, geb. 29.9. 1882, gest. 10. 12. 1920. One photograph of Possel's grave is 8 1/2" x 11 1/4", the rest measures between 7 1/2" x 10 1/2" to 4 1/4" x 5 3/4".
Two with original signature of Hans Fink.
Six of the ten prints mounted on light tan card stock. Large photograph with water staining and oxidation, two other prints slightly oxidized but still sharp, rest of photographs in very good condition.
Duplicate b/w postcard (3 1/4" x 4 1/2") depicts Virgin Mary with Jesus, one pasted on light card stock. Verso of card stock with mounted plate listing deceased persons whose graves were (most likely) also designed by Rosenberg & Fink.
3) Eight b/w gouaches on parchment heightened with crayon & two b/w gouaches mounted on card stock. Four signed by Hans Fink. Larger designs measure from 11 3/4" x 23 1/2" to 12" x 18", smaller one's range from 7 1/2" x 11 3/4" to 6 3/4" x 8 1/4". Some designs with handwritten numbers in pencil on front. Gouaches on card stock measure 6 1/2" x 10 1/2" & 5 3/4" x 8 1/2". Minor chipping, closed tears and creasing to edges of few plates.
4) Seven original sepia-toned crayons on artist paper. Five designs signed by Hans Fink, one with Fritz Rosenberg's stamp on lower margin. Sizes vary from 7" x 11 1/4" to 7" x 8 1/2". One design on thin paper with different crayon in a slightly lighter sepia-tone.
5) Three original pencil drawings of Jewish ironwork designs by Hans Fink for the Jüdischen Friedhof Berlin-Weißensee. Drawn on parchment. Large 10" x 15 1/2" parchment sheet with five different designs. Another measures 4" x 5 1/4", signed by Fink. Third 2 3/4" x 4" drawing pasted on thin paper with signature and hand written caption by Fink: "Entwurf für ein Gitter. Jüdischen Friedhof Berlin-Weißensee, (signed) Hans Fink (Design of an iron gate for the Jewish Cemetery Berlin-Weißensee). Two corners of large parchment creased, opposite edge with two punch holes.
6) Three large original sepia-toned gouaches, two mounted on light black card stock. One signed by Fink. Measures 13 1/4" x 18 1/2", the other two slightly smaller. Edge of one design slightly creased with few small closed tears.
7) Two large brown-toned architectural Vandyke prints, 18 1/2" x 22 3/4" & 17 3/4" x 21 1/2" g- to vg. Item #29371
Unique collection in overall very good condition.
Price: $6,500.00