RICHTER, Johann Salomo

Leipziger National Trachten

Leipzig: Johann Baptist Klein, 1790. Item #05454

Exceptionally Rare Complete with Forty-Eight Hand Colored Engravings
Depicting the Street Vendors of Leipzig in the Late Eighteenth Century

RICHTER, Johann Salomo. Leipziger National Trachten. Leipzig: [Johann Baptist Klein, 1790-1791].

First edition Complete. Octavo (7 3/8 x 4 7/8 inches; 187 x 124 mm.). Forty-eight fine hand colored engraved plates printed on "Dutch paper"

Bound ca. 1930 in full red morocco, covers with single line border, spine with five raised bands, decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments, edges stained red. Some occasional very light spots, still a very fine copy of this exceptionally rare book.

The National Costumes of Leizig contains forty-eight beautifully hand colored engravings depicting street vendors of foods including butter, cheese, fruit, vegetables, fish, & juice seltzer water; household items including brooms, porcelain, sieves & mousetraps; consumer goods including coal, sawdust & flints; printed works including calendars, religious pamphlets, decorative graphics & views; peddlers of various services and any more, all based on original models from the streets of Leipzig.

"Salomon Richter has the gift of unsentimentally depicting the hard labor and the poverty, while renouncing the picturesque effect" (Maurenbrecher I, p. 76; citing this copy in the E. Hauswedell collection sale catalog (item 34).

Pltes 1-36 first appeared in 1791 as part 5 of Richter's Unterweisung für Anfänger beyderley Geschlechts im Zeichnen, which was also published by J.B. Klein.

The present example is numbered 1 thru 48 - they are all inscribed with a short printed description, publisher's note and artist's signature on plates 1 thru 37. Plates 38 thru 48 have only the descriptive phrase on the plate except for plate 48 which also has the artist's signature. Plates 1, 13, 25 , have the heading title "Leipziger National Trachten", "Leipziger National Trachten. 2te Liefrung" & "Leipziger National Trachten. 3te Liefrung" respectively.

OCLC & KVK locate just one complete copy (with 48 plates) in libraries and institutions worldwide: Harvard University (MA, US).

Colas and Hiler knew only of the first two series of 24 plates. Lipperheide had the three series of 36 plates. The final section with plates 37 thru 48 appears to be unknown to the relevant bibliographers, with the exception of Thieme-Becker. These 12 plates are not mentioned in the detailed description of the series by G. Wustmann in Leipziger Ausrufer vor hundert Jahren.

Provenance: Presumably the copy from the 1928 catalog of K.W. Hiersemann , no. 1513 (still unbound, 'wohl unikum' - probably unique); Collection of Ernst Hauswedell, Hauswedell & Nolte auction catalog 252, lot 34 (private collection).

Johann Salomo Richter (1761-1798). German engraver and book illustrator. A series of engravings by him was published in 1793 by Johann Baptist Klein in Leipzig. One of these engravings was a costume design for Mozart's most famous opera "The Magic Flute".

Colas 2552 (24 plates only); Hiler, p. 750 (24 plates only); Lipperheide I, 826 (36 plates only); Thieme-Becker, 4. XXVIII, 296 (48 plates).

The Plates:

1. Leipziger National Trachten.
2. Brezeln, weege, warme, San-Kimel Brezeln!
3. Spennat, Geren! Meine grüne Suppe?
4. Siöft Wacholder Saft!
5. Sallat, Sallat, Redisgen!
6. Aeppel, äppel, äppel, Borfteräppel!
7. Fifche! Meine Nege Tirebse?
8. Bonen, Bonen, wer koft-weide Bonen?
9. Buttermelch, Sane, Buttermelch!
10. Koft Hüdelbeern, Hüdelbeern!
11. Brauchen Se kenen Befen zu Haufe Köchlgen?
12. E. E. Raths Kohlenträger, ruft nicht aus.
13. Kaufmer mein Bükse ab!
14. Stiefelwachs, Schuwachs, Barthwachs.
15. Haben Sie Stiefeln zu wikfen?
16. Sandsiebe, Harsibe!
17. Meine Kirschen sind manguth.
18. Noth-Röhren-Wächter im kalten Winter.
19. Na wie is! Nischt?
20. Limburger Kaes!
21. Lumpen Samlerin.
22. Meine Madam Komt!
23. Schöne Markstorden meine Herren Makro nen, alles frifch!
24. Koft Rulzbutten, koft! – zwe um ae Dreier.
25. Köfen se Sägelpine dort cben troben?
26. Frifch Selzer-Wasfer.
27. Helinrigen zu Fusfbädern, meinen Feibs.
28. Kalender, Chocolade, Brufs-Texte, die Handling gehtgut meine Herren!
29. Sowiediefes mahle ich auch nach dem Leben, wen eines viel bezahlt u:lange sitz.
30. Zum Feierabend ä’Glaszkäftgen, seÿn Se so gütig!
31. Nehm er doch ene mit, er kan sich e’nne rechte Güte thun.
32. Nichts zu Schachern? En’exqufier Stöckgen.
33. Bruder den Reft!
34. Pariser Feuersteine!
35. Meine Herren, der Saal-Eÿer-Mann geht fort!
36. Erdbi’ren! Hingbi’ren!
37. Feztkömt der Porzelmann von Paris!
38. Duglaubst mirs nit Dubist stark kranck!
39. Nehem Sie, was ich Sie gebe! – reibe u: Ziegen Käse.
40. Mir is moch keener entlofen beÿ meinen Scheron bleibt ken Haar!
41. Zwiebeln, Zwibeln, Madam.
42. A sche Stückgen, wegen Kuchen, und é Gläsgen Lustwasfer!
43. Sane und Milch Transport.
44. Schön, und wohlfeil!!
45. Haben Sie kene Pfeifen aurzubrenen?
46. Häkele, Mausefalle, auf viel Persohne!
47. Madam, einen schönen Rest Zilteronen.
48. Gescháftsträger.

Price: $9,500.00