Art Nouveau Luxury Photo Album
Berlin: Wertheim, 1904. Hardcover. Large Folio. (1) 17 boards. Original claret-red leather with ornamental and figurative gilt-stamped design on cover, gilt ruling and decor on spine, and blind-stamped ornamental decor with four resting posts attached to back cover. Decorative brass lock at foredge. Gilt edges. Green endpapers with gilt framed Art Nouveau decor. Title page with gilt outlined green floral decor framing the dedication "In Memory of Ten Years of Service / Zur Erinnerung an Zehnjaehrige Dienste im Hause A. Wertheim", signed Meta Recker, and dated November 1, 1900, marking her entry into the company. Heavy boards with gilt-framed rectangular and arching cutouts for photographs on both sides of each plate.
Contains fifteen photographs, thirteen inserted into frames, three loose, one of those a photo-postcard without descriptor, some with printed info on photographer: Atelier Ostermayr, Atelier für moderne Photography Adolf Haynn, and Globus Atelier. One of the photographs with handwritten note on verso: "Zur frdl. Erinnerung Meta & Fritz Wolff (In cordial memory).
Beautiful example of the work of the famous Art Nouveau artist, designer and architect Heinrich Vogeler who associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. Vogeler also was a central figure in the original artist colony at Worpswede. The album was designed for Wertheim and was given only to longtime employees of the famous German department store. The cover illustration shows an allegorical woman's figure, symbolizing trade, with flowering apple trees to the left and right. Sketches for this design by Vogeler are preserved and were used by him repeatedly. The light green endpapers are decorated with dark green and gilt floral motifs. The dedication page (title) is also designed with dark green and gilt floral motifs. At the lower end of the design the artist's initials are printed into the design.
Text in German. Some light wear along edges of cover and few minor chips to cover. Five paper borders above slots to insert photographs torn at one side. One of the dividing papers in frames missing, another one damaged. Binding in overall very good, interior in good+ to very good condition. g+ to vg. Item #47220
Price: $1,250.00