Colliniana 2021-22 - Ernst Collin Updates

Today, on Ernst Collin's birthday, I once again share an overview of findings from the past year. For a variety of reasons, things have slowed down around this blog and my ongoing research around Ernst and his family of W. Collin. Reasons include the copyright "wall" that is moving forward a year at a time, but also less time and energy on my part. We'll call it burn out that affects much more than this work. That said, there were some exciting moments. That said, almost none of what I have found and learned would have been possible without digitized collections such as HathiTrust and the Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek.

My article 'Ernst Collin und sein Pressbengel: Eine Spurensuche zum Buchbinder, Schriftsteller, Antiquar und Bibliophilen' appeared in the Marginalien of the Pirckheimer Gesellschaft, a German bibliophilic organization originally based in Berlin. With this article, I formally reintroduced Ernst Collin and his family to those they bound for, and he wrote for. The article also shared some findings "discovered" since Die Collins / The Collins appeared in 2016.

Hier gehts zum Download | Download here

Opening spread of the article. On the right Ernst Collin's exlibris
by  Walter Kampmann. The exlibris was included in the first
volume of Die Heftlade.

We know that Ernst Collin wrote for a very wide range of publications, so I was not surprised by the advertising leaflet for Dornemann I found bound in with several Paul Kersten texts on finishing and tooling that someone had compiled. Also bound in were several more leaflets for Dornemann by Kersten. These kinds of things are rather ephemeral, and I was not able to find the ones I have in the catalog of the German National Library, that has a large collection. Dornemann was one of the largest manufacturers of brass finishing tools and type in Germany, and the pallets and gouges I have were made by them.

Brass type for the hand-finisher. [n.d.] 

However, most of all, I was absolutely surprised to have discovered a copy of the deluxe edition of Ernst's Pressbengel bound in parchment when I really wasn't looking. Ordered and now in my collection of the editions of this work. There were a total of 30 copies of the deluxe that could be ordered in parchment or leather, bindings by Hübel & Denck, Leipzig.

Printed in Didot-Antiqua onto VERY heavy/stiff Zanders ragpaper.
This is number 7. Sadly, they weren't signed.

We'll see if a copy of the deluxe in leather ever appears on my screen...

I also continue to find reference to the Pressbengel, Die Heftlade, and Paul Kersten by Ernst Collin in book trade publications. Below a listing from September 23, 1922 for the Pressbengel in the Wöchentliches Verzeichnis der erschienenen und der vorbereiteten Neuigkeiten des deutschen Buchhandels published by the Deutsche Bücherei. The Wöchentliches Verzeichnis indicated new publications. There was also a review in the Börsenblatt für den deutschen Buchhandel, 30 October, 1922.

Note the prices. This was still relatively early in the period
of hyperinflation. These prices would have reflected the values in
the paper money of the time...

The Zeitschrift für Bücherfreunde published a continuation of the "discussion" around the Pressbengel, as well as a brief "review" of Collin's three publications mentioned above. More about the "discussion" here.

Then, under "this makes me happy", mention on Facebook of my downloadable sheets for binding my translation of the Pressbengel (The Bone Folder). This was shared by a bindery in Whitley Bay, UK:

Just recently I came across a website with a free download of "The Bone Folder" by Ernst Collin. A very readable little book, it was first published in 1922 and takes the form of a conversation between a book lover and a bookbinder. The imposition has already been done, and it folds into five sections. It would make a nice little project for members who have completed our basic course. I have run off some extra labels if anyone would like to bind up their own copy. The website where it can be found is https://pressbengel.blogspot.com/.

That's what the sheets are there for, and I'm very glad to see them being shared. Download link in the left panel or here.

In the Berliner Börsen-Zeitung of April 10, 1924 (a kind of Wall Street Journal) I found a reference to the "hiatus" during 1923 of the Heftlade, the journal Ernst Collin published for the Jakob-Krause-Bund. 1923 was the worst of the period of hyperinflation... The brief article mentions that the Heftlade was back with 2 issues and was looking forward to the future... Sadly, that was it, except for a seemingly random issue in 1925.

Downloading another article from HathiTrust, I was very pleased to discover that a W. Collin binding I have was depicted in Deutsche Einbandkunst im ersten Jahrzehnt des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts by the great German bibliophile and author of the time G.A.E. Bogeng.

W. Collin binding on Adolf von Menzel.

My work around Ernst Collin and W. Collin was also an integral part of my talk, Down the Rabbit Hole: Embracing experience and serendipity in a life of research, binding practice, and publishing, given to the William Anthony Conservation Lecture series at the University of Iowa on September 30th, 2021. The Collins were one of the three rabbit holes I discussed, one I am still glad to be lost in.

Finally, while not technically citing Die Collins / The Collins or this blog, I was glad to see both included with paraphrasing, images, and in the references of the Tagebuch der Buchbinderei und Druckweiterverarbeitung (Band 4, 19. Jahrhundert) that was compiled by Hans Joachim Laue. The self-published volume presents events in the history of bookbinding and the book trades with an entry per day. I look forward to Band 5, the 20th century. 

My to-do list includes entering many of these references into my database of Ernst Collin's writings...

Colliniana 2021 - Ernst Collin Updates

I was both thrilled and petrified to have been asked to write an article about Ernst Collin for the historically Berlin-based Pirckheimer-Gesellschaft and its journal Marginalien. It was to be "grundlegend", a general introduction to Collin and his familial background. Thrilled because this is a tremendous opportunity to "reintroduce" Collin to German audiences and share the findings that I have shared here in a more formal way. Petrified, because it was definitely a huge lift for me to write in German at this level and for the journal it represents, in part because of some of the feedback I received for Die Collins (the German edition) – that anxiety was warranted. I was VERY thankful to a German friend and colleague at the University, and the editor of the Marginalien who coaxed me along and made me presentable. The article will appear in the next issue, 2021/2, Nr.241.

Recently, I was also able to acquire two more copies of the "regular" edition of the catalog to Deutsche Einbandkunst (1921) that was published by Ernst Collin. In addition to being the publisher, he had two short essays in the catalog (one uncredited). The wrappers of the "regular" edition were all made from decorated papers provided by several vendors. See the examples in my collection, and all the luscious advertising in the post. The exhibit also included 12 bindings by Georg Collin in the retrospective section. Georg Collin had died on December 24, 1918.

Retrospective (Memorial) component of the exhibit.
Georg Collin at the top of the list.

Now that the copyright wall is moving again, more articles by Ernst Collin, and about him and the Pressbengel have moved into the public domain to become accessible via HathiTrust. Among these a bibliophilic back and forth between a reviewer of the Pressbengel and Paul Kersten who defended the work. Today, this exchange might have happened on social media... There were also a number of advertisements for his Corvinus Antiquariate in the Zeitschrift für Bücherfreunde.

I also acquired a copy of the Festschrift  celebrating 50 years of the Buchbinder-Fachschule Berlin. This was the bookbinding trade school that was led by the bookbinding guild in Berlin. All other districts in Germany would have had an equivalent, either standalone, or as part of a more general trade school. 

The Kunstklasse (Art class) at the Fachschule that Ernst Collin mentioned himself studying at under Paul Kersten and others in the article “Ein viertel Jahrhundert kunstbuchbinderischer Erziehung - 25 Jahre Berliner Kunstklasse“ (Archiv für Buchbinderei, Vol. 29, Nr. 9, 1929. (106-108)) was briefly mentioned in the Festschrift, but Kersten was not in the list of faculty past and current. Re-reading Collins article about a quarter century of the Kunstklasse I learned that it had been a part of the Guild's Fachschule, but that split off after 19 years in 1923. The Kunstklasse then moved to an arts & crafts school in Charlottenburg in the western part of Berlin. According to Collin, the split happened due to differences in pedagogy and philosophy, the Kunstklasse being there to free students from creative constraints, whereas the Guild's more rigid approach was geared to the requirements of the trade. Those differences were also apparent when I visited the Berufsschule (trade school) during my apprenticeship.

Back to the Collins, Georg Collin was listed as having taught there 1893-1896. An added item of interest was that the Festschrift was printed by Paetsch & Collin, the last firm the Collins, in this case Gertrud, were associated with. What was left of W. Collin was aryanized in 1939. Details to this relationship and the history of the firm under Gertrud have not been found. I was also very pleased that my copy of this little publication came from the collection of Werner Kiessig, the [East] Berlin based member of the Meister der Einbandkunst.

Fifty years Buchbinder-Fachschule Berlin in 1938.

Georg Collin taught at the school 1893-1896.

From Paetsch & Collin to Werner Kiessig.
Kiessig was born Berlin in 1924 and started his apprenticeship
there in 1939, one year after this Festschrift was published.
Did he own it since it was published? He would have enrolled at the school.

Finally, 3 more items for the collection, 2 bindings by W. Collin and the complete run of Die Heftlade, the journal Ernst Collin published for the Jakob-Krause-Bund (JKB). The W. Collin bindings include a full cloth publishers binding with another, new to me binder's stamp on the back, and a binding with leather relief, link above.

New Colliniana Acquisitions

I recently acquired several new items connected to the Collins.

First is a publishers' binding, Georg Friedrich Händel by Fritz Volbach, part of a larger series about Berühmte Musiker (Famous Musicians and Composers). The book was published in 1898 and represents the kind of work that W. Collin did as a large trade bindery. On the back W. Collin's stamp in a variant I had not seen until now. You can see other examples here and the Pan after Clavigo here.

Georg Friedrich Händel by Fritz Volbach.

Detail of the stamp.

The other is a book about the artist Adolf v. Menzel bound by W. Collin after 1906. The cover design is in leather relief, and I suspect the binding was created after 1918, and the death of Georg Collin on 24 December of that year,  as the signature in gold on the front turn-in does not include Hofbuchbinder. The monarchy had ended with the end of World War I, so there were no more Court bookbinders.

[Edit: Found the binding depicted in G.A.E. Bogeng's Deutsche Einbandkunst im ersten Jahrzehnt des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts, [1911]. See here for more.]

Adolf v. Menzel bound by W. Collin after 1906

Signed W. Collin, Berlin.

Then from the father to the son, the complete run of Die Heftlade edited by Ernst Collin, printed on rag paper, #15/400, and as published 1922-24 in individual issues. I have had a complete run with all inserts for some time, but it is nice to have them as issued.

The complete Die Heftlade.

In with the Heftlade was also a catalog for the Euphorion Verlag that published the Heftlade, and Ernst Collin's Pressbengel. You can find the Pressbengel on page 2, and the Heflade on the last.

Finally, I was offered a copy of a "Sonderdruck" (special printing) of the Heftlade from 1925 about Jean Grolier. It's printed by the same firm that printed the full run, but I'm finding it hard to place as there is no editorial information... Another mystery.

The Cover.

Imprint.

Detail of Imprint.

 

Ernst Collin und Euphorion Verlag Inserate | Ads

Auch in meinem neuen Exemplar der Heftlade, Inserate für Collins Corvinus-Antiquariat und vom dem Euphorion Verlag für den Pressbengel. Interessant zu sehen das Bücher über Freimaurerei gesucht wurden. War Collin auch Freimaurer? Siehe auch den Inserat aus dem Katalog zur Ausstellung handwerklicher Einbandkunst im Museum des Güstrower Kunst- und Altertumsvereins: 21. Sept. bis 15. Okt. 1924, halbwegs unten hier. Hier zur Mommsenstraße 27 bei Google Maps.

My new copy of the Heftlade also had ads bound in at the back. Among them, for Ernst Collin's Corvinus-Antiquariat and for the Euphorion Verlag that published the Pressbengel. It was interesting to see that Collin was also seeking books on Free Masonry. Was he also a Mason? See also another add for his Antiquariat in the catalog for the Ausstellung handwerklicher Einbandkunst im Museum des Güstrower Kunst- und Altertumsvereins: 21. Sept. bis 15. Okt. 1924, halfway down the page here. Here's a view of Mommsenstraße 27 via Google Maps

Books for the Bibliophile
We have: first editions, rare books, letterpress and luxury editions,
and books in beautiful bindings

Wanted are books by/about the following including free-masonery,
first editions...

Der Euphorion Verlag in dem der Collins Pressbengel erschien hatte zwei Inserate auf dieser Seite. Der untere ist interessant weil der Pressbengel als Band V in einer Serie von "Essays zur Pflege und Erneuerung Moderne Buchkunst" erscheint. In dem Pressbengel selbst sind zu dieser Serie keine Hinweise zu finden... Auch interessant ist das die 30 Exemplare der Luxus-Ausgabe in Leder oder Pergament erworben konnten. Ob dieser aus der Sammlung Max Hettler einer davon ist? Dort steht, daß der Einband von Hübel und Denck ist – Collin schrieb mehrer Aufsätze für deren Festschrift Fünfzig Jahre deutscher Verlegereinband, Festschrift Hübel u. Denck, Leipzig, 1875 - 1925 und den Monatsblätter für Bucheinbände und Handbindekunst.

The Euphorion Verlag, publisher of Collin's Pressbengel translated by me as The Bone Folder, had two ads on this page. The top indicated that it was looking to buy back all out-of-print titles it published and asking for offers (and prices). At bottom, an ad for the Pressbengel, indicating it as vol 5 in a series of essays on the topic of the care and handling of modern book art. There is also a description of the deluxe edition of 30 copies that could be ordered in either full-leather or parchment. Could this one from the Max Hettler collection be one of these? There, it is stated that the binding was by Hübel und Denck – Collin wrote numerous articles for their Festschrift Fünfzig Jahre deutscher Verlegereinband, Festschrift Hübel u. Denck, Leipzig, 1875 - 1925 and the monthly Monatsblätter für Bucheinbände und Handbindekunst.

Unten die Preisangaben für den Pressbengel. Leder oder Pergament für Mark 85, Pappband für Mark 4,50. Dies war während der Inflationszeit, also war Rechnen angesagt da man mit Notgeld zahlte (siehe unten). Eine Webseite die historische Währungen umrechnet kalkulierte, daß 85 Mark (1922) einen Kaufwert von $3931.93 heutigen Dollar haben könnten, 4.50 Mark den von $208.16. Ob das stimmt?

Below the pricing for the Pressbengel, leather or parchment for 85 Marks, paper for 4.50 Marks. This was during the period of hyper-inflation so need to do some real math as hyperinflation currency was printed at ever greater denominations (see below). A website that converts historical currency values calculated that 85 Mark (1922) has a value of $3931.93 current dollars, and 4.50 Mark (1922) $208.16 current dollars. Can that be right?

Wie viele Scheine von diesem Notgeld wären 1923 benötigt gewesen?

How many of these bills of Notgeld (Hyperinflation currency) would have been needed in 1923?

Friedrich Meink, Berlin

Ich habe in dieser Woche noch ein gebundenes Exemplar von der Heftlade die unter der Schriftleitung von Ernst Collin für den Jakob-Krause-Bund 1922-24 produziert wurde. Ich war sehr froh dieses Exemplar zu erwerben da die zwei Hefte des 2ten Jahrganges (1924) mit eingebunden waren. Auch dabei waren alle Beilagen ausser einer, sowie die Werbung die so oft in diesen Zeitschriften erschien. Mein erstes Exemplar der Heftlade hatte Wasserschade, die meisten Beilagen fehlten, sowie die zwei Heft vom 2ten Jahrgang. Aber, das es nur 400 Exemplare der Heftlade gab kann man sagen, daß die Hefte selten sind – unentbehrlich für ernste Collin Sammler und diesen Bibliographen.

Unter den Beilage war dieses schöne Zeichen für die Werkstatt von Friedrich Meink aus Berlin. Leider konnte ich bis jetzt keinen abgebildeten Einband von Meink finden, aber wie viele seiner Kollegen schrieb auch er Aufsätze in Fachzeitschriften und Ausstellungskataloge. Ein Beispiel der letzteren Kategorie war der Meinks Aufsatz "Die Zunftsprache des Buchbinders," daß in dem Katalog Ausstellung Handwerklicher Einbandkunst im Museum des Güstrower Kunst- und Altertumsvereins - 21. September bis 15. Oktober 1924 erschien. Meink war auch mit einem Einband an Collins Pressbengel in der Ausstellung vertreten. Ernst Collin schrieb auch einen Aufsatz in dem Katalog.

Unten zwei Abbildungen aus der Heftlade – Meinks Zeichen und ein Inserat für seine Werkstatt. Der Holzschnitt ist von Friedrich Schult aus Güstrow.

Just acquired another bound volume of Die Heftlade, a "modest" journal published by Ernst Collin for the Jakob-Krause-Bund 1922-24. Very glad I acquired this as it mentioned that the two issues of Vol 2, 1924 were bound in, as well as being described as missing only one of the inserts. My original copy of this journal only included vol 1, had water damage, and was missing most inserts... Still, considering that it had been published in an edition of 400 copies a rare find - essential for the Ernst Collin collector/bibliographer.

One of the inserts was this beautiful logo for the bookbinder Friedrich Meink from Berlin. While have not been able to find a binding image, like many of his peers, Friedrich Meink also wrote articles and essays that appeared in journals and exhibit catalogs. An example of the latter was the essay, "Die Zunftsprache des Buchbinders" ("The Trade Language of  Bookbinders") that appeared in the catalog Ausstellung Handwerklicher Einbandkunst im Museum des Güstrower Kunst- und Altertumsvereins - 21. September bis 15. Oktober 1924 that Ernst Collin also wrote an essay for. The catalog indicated that Meink exhibited a binding on Collin's Pressbengel.

Below two items from Die Heftlade – the first Meink's logo, the other an advertisement for his bindery in Berlin. The woodcut is by Friedrich Schult in Güstrow.

Meinks Zeichen | Logo for Friedrich Meink, Berlin
Holzschnitt von | Woodcut by
Friedrich Schult

Meink advertised his workshop for hand bookbinding as producing simple and fine bindings in leather, parchment, linen, and paper with hand-tooling, leather and inlays and mosaic, and Batik. Also portfolios, mats, and the restoration of old bindings.

Inserat für die Werkstatt von | Advertisement for the workshop of
Friedrich Meink

An der selben Addresse war der Lette Verein, eine Berufsbildungsstätte wo Paul Kersten und Maria Lühr die Buchbinderei unterrichteten. Der Lette Verein wurde 1866 gegründet.

At the same address is the Lette Verein, a technical school originally just for women where Paul Kersten and Maria Lühr taught bookbinding. The Lette Verein was founded in 1866.