Ridinger – Laifle, J. Ridinger-Album. (A Collection of the Finest and Rarest Deer and Roebuck Abnormities  photographed  after the Original Engravings) of Johann Elias Ridinger (Ulm 1698 – Augsburg 1767). With foreword by F(ranz) von KOBELL. Issue I (of 5). Regensburg, Alfred Coppenrath, 1865. Large 4to. 4-sheet-folder title, foreword + contents of the complete work. With

(16.4-17.2 x 12.9-13.3 cm), each with number, the publishers + “(Photographed by J. Laifle)” on the cardboard. Orig. h. cloth portfolio with unilaterally shortened loop.

Of  superb  rarity

the album already missing at Coppenrath’s own sale with its rich Ridinger stores! And irrespective of the contents listing for the complete work to be published in 5 issues of 10 sheets each – which have been published indeed – and corresponding reference to coming sheet 50 – the predecessors of the German National Bibliography up to the “(Complete Catalogue of German Language Literature 1700-1910)”, vol. 117, list the 1^st issue here only. But even this missing in the large Ridinger collections recorded here. Known to literature as such, but missing in the collections, too, only the competitors’ later Ridinger series published at Berlin in 1867 + 1873/75 resp. by Sandrog & Co. + C. Schauer Nachf. (photographed by B. Kliemeck) resp.

The photographs here after sheets of the “Most Wondrous Stags”, namely

Th. 248 (Brandenburg-Ansbach) – 244 (Wurttemberg) – 243 (Tübingen) – 250 (Tübingen) – 277 (Styria) – 260 (Augsburg/Allgäu) – 256 (Tübingen) – 249 (Wurttemberg/Serbia/Tübingen/Kirchheim).

(per appendix p. 289) commented by Thienemann with the words

“ … after these excellent drawings an engraving had been worked by our master, which  appears  to  have  been  preserved  in  a  few  copies  only  … (The sheet) seems to be fixed by Ridinger to the set of the one hundred sheets”.

What here seems to be quite simple really is considerably complicated. So

this  “46”  ender  of  Coburg-Saalfeld

after most benevolent counting here above all is at best a false 40 ender with 20 : 10 points as overlooked by Thienemann, Coppenrath, Sälzle, and Schwerdt, whose copy of the “Wondrous” the sheet was bound between.

Introducing to Th. 1299 Thienemann then refers back to his pos. 166, the stag from sheet 4 of the “Representation of the Fair Game” with the large traces und two preparatory drawings to this, namely “once the outline in red chalk, the other time finely executed in ink”. The latter one could be plate VII in Sälzle (Corpus of the Drawings to the Fair Game). But this corresponds with the copper 1299 and has nothing to do with sheet 4 of the “Fair Game” in respect of antler and landscape (in reverse and with changed lattice plate X in Sälzle), but it was not thought for the transfer to the copper, for in the same direction like the engraving and also without marks of transfer. That the explanations to the two plates at Sälzle are exchanged with another complicates the sake additionally.

The tread seal of Thienemann 1299 given only in outline with the inscription “(The Scent of the Stag)” points on it that Ridinger originally had thought the sheet for the set of the “Fair Game”, but than redevoted by subtext à la “Wondrous”, added even by 8 lines each on the details of the stag, but without to embody it in this finally.

According to Coppenrath the printing-plate to 1299, coat + antler of the stag along with an oil portraying this, tracked by a hound, in full flight, in Coburg; a proof before the letter, inserted by Ridinger by hand, formerly in the collection of Baron von Dalberg at Datschitz in Moravia.

Without sheet 5, Th. 247, the stag of 66 points in Moritzburg.

Preprogrammed fathers of the rarity proved above especially for the whole, but just already for the 1^st issue here, too, are the expense of the practice + and so costliness of the edition. A comparison of the imprint of the preliminaries added already to the 1^st issue here with that of the complete whole sold here formerly lets assume that the breath for the publisher Coppenrath obviously had become too short already after the 1^st issue, so that he had to secure the aid of a partner in the form of Messrs. Manz. Sounds the imprint on the title here only “Regensburg. / Alfred Coppenrath. / 1865”, so on the said complete copy “Regensburg, 1865. / Alfred Coppenrath. / München. / Hermann Manz.”. In accordance, however, the imprint at the end with “(Printed) by G. J. Manz in Regensburg.” Irrespectively of this also the type area of both titles varies. In the case of the 1^st issue here this measures in the height 25.5 cm, but at the complete copy 26.2 cm. At the plate format, however, values of, here, 33.5 x 25.8 cm stand against only 31.3 x 24.4 cm.

But in spite of this economical support the missing of the issues 2-5 in the bibliographies points that the project could be carried on only on smallest flame.

But even still in the 90s of the century as the late period of this in respect of reproducible possibilities technically revolutionary innovations pushed still further ahead in the meantime photographic gallery works of high qualities, as the ones by Braun or so, caused a price which art historians let lament they would warn “to turn rowdy to a privilege” by imposing scholars and friends of arts living in less easy circumstances downright with “a kind of forced taxes” in contrast to “private circles being able to bring their esthetic wants not quite insignificant sacrifices” (quoted after Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of August 22, 2001). But no less a man than the great Bode in Berlin settled clearly on the photography “after a long test track of proving the maximum output of both practices (the reingravings by artists favored by him above all and just the photography)”.

In contrast to photo papers coated with starch and thereby causing a dull effect of the image Coppenrath already used papers coated with Albumin (albumen) “of high gloss”

“ since  it  reproduced  the  finest  details “

(Meyer’s Conv.-Lex., 4^th ed., vol. XIII, p. 17 as “so now – 1889, thus twenty years later! – favored”).

Highly  interesting

the synopsis of all 50 sheets by reference to, isolated, material copies, paintings (sic, because largely unknown!) + printing plates, and, in many cases, to preparatory drawings + proofs and errors. And

exorbitant  the  information

that from the late thirties exists a one-plate-colour-print to Thienemann 245 as, unknown to literature, „an extremely interesting attempt by Ridinger“ along with another such technical try. In this regard till now known only the unique Stag Hunt Schwerdt III, 132 (ills.), thought to be from about 1725, literature – if known to it at all – regards as the supposedly first German colour print at all.

Finally fascinating also Kobell’s co-operation in this

early  Ridinger  photographicum

(the first Rhine book illustrated with still only merely 14 photographs amongst moreover conventionally numerous woodcuts e.g. was published at Murray in London only in 1868).

Then already in 1842 he has made himself a technical name by his „Galvanographie“, „(a method to reproduce painted washed pictures per printing by galvanic copper-plates)“. Publishing also mineralogically at least he is especially well-known for his hunting publications with his „Wildanger“ at the top. – Back cover slightly agemarked.
Offer no. 28,813 / EUR  998. / export price EUR  948. (c. US$ 1344.) + shipping

“ At this time we are on our boat … I hope you extend the same faith in me as I have in you in paying for this sizable sum in advance (sight unseen) in the expectation of delivery … Best regards ”

(Mr. P. C., July 22, 2002)