Faust

Munchen / Munich: Julius Schroder Verlag, 1921. First edition. Hardcover. Very Good +/very good-. Sepp Frank. #19 of 25 copies printed on fine Holland paper and a beautiful production overall., contents completely free of foxing. This is the deluxe edition of a book that is extravagant in the regular edition of 190 copies. In this edition artist Sepp Frank has signed the limitation page (as in the regular edition) and (only in this edition) each of the 25 full-page intaglio prints (signed on the print, not in the plate). In addition, the actual copper intaglio plate for one of the images is built into the slipcase itself. There are 25 images in the book and this edition is limited to 25 copies because each slipcase has an original Sepp copper intaglio plate embedded in the slipcase. There is an additional small intaglio image that is not signed in either edition. The images (black and gray aquatint etchings) are very Munich-1920 in their intensity This is a massive folio edition: 16.75" tall x 13" wide. 220 pp. + limitation leaf. Bound in full vellum with spine and boards ruled and lettered in gilt, two loose silk bookmarks, in vellum-bound slipcase. The slipcase for this limited edition is unusual: set into the front of box is the actual copper intaglio plate for the second image in the book. Vellum binding by Knorr & Hirth with age toning and one darkened spot, slipcase with moderate soiling and wear, one inch seam split. Book contents excellent overall, pp. 44/45 shadow from a contemporary Julius Shroder publishing prospectus that was laid-in (still present). Those pages are text only, no plates toned. This is a very heavy-paper book, set in gothic type. The sewn binding is starting to give a little from the natural swelling and contraction of the vellum boards.