[Rarebooks] Simplicissimus, 250 issues from the beginning, plus plus.

[Serendipity Books]

SIMPLICISSIMUS

  a weekly[later, monthly] magazine of German satire, edited by Albert Langen

250 issues, including the first year complete and 
the second year lacking only a single issue, the 
rare 1905 calendar, the very rare American issue, 
April 1915 (ten cents); and 10 of the 28 
published Kriegs-flugblätter des Simplicissimus 
[including the first four]. Illustrators include 
Thomas Theodor Heine, Reznicek, “Blix” and many others. The early years.


NB! all edges chipped; brittle, covers usually separated; spines perished

Thicker stock “Album” covers separate some groups 
of numbers, present as indicated

Munich, July 4, 1896 – 1915

Colored illustrations, caricatures throughout; eg by “Blix”

“W.A.F.”

Earlier issues are 4pp, later issues are 8pp. As 
the blank margins are large, the illustrations 
have been preserved intact, in the main.  Many 
colored illustrations are full page, susceptible 
to color scanning and reproduction by that 
method, for sale individually.  This run is not 
susceptible to binding, and condition is not 
justifiable as a reason for return. Please assume 
that every single issue is in very poor 
condition, though in fact that is not the case. A 
print dealer’s treasure box, conceivably.

$2000.00 as a lot, only



I:14  (July 4, 1896 – September 1896) = third 
quarter of 1896  (within “Album covers, decorated 
blue wrappers, labeled: “Zweites Heft), rear 
margins chipped, at the least,  including the 
following (complete); 15 + here a loose, 
separately printed sheet, in fine condition on 
white paper, “Einladung zum Abonnement auf den Simplicissimus”.
16-26.

I: 27-39 = DRITTE HEFT (October-December 1896). 
Original pictorial wrappers. One of the better 
preserved sections (relatively speaking) in this long run.

I:40-52  = VIERTES HEFT.

II:1-14 (3 April 1897 ff).  First internal leaf 
torn across, no loss, cover has a tear. Last issue in poor shape.

II: 16-37

II:38   “Luxus-Ausgabe”.  Better condition.

II: 39  (just cover + 2 leaves); 40-52

III: 1-13  (quarterly gathering, lacks outer 
front wrapper). Extreme corners chipping, but 
better than might otherwise be expected. Printed 
rear “Album” cover present, it and last leaf loose.

III: 23, 26, 27, 28, 29; 33, 34, 35, 38, 39, 
47.  These issues worn at corners, edges

IV: 1-13 (April-Juni, 1899)  With Illustrated 
“Album” covers present, priced 1.25 mark.

IV: 14-26  (Juli-Sept. = Heft 4, complete, 
original Album wrappers preserved, good.

40, 41 (lacks covers), 42, 43, 44 (lacks cover), 
45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 (this lot saddle- stitched together)

V:1; V:1-14  (with outer “Album cover” 
illustration same as 5:1 cover); (loose, worn)

VI:13, 41, 43, 45, 48 (not bound in order). The 
first two issues are divided by the publisher’s 
inserted slip, indicating the magazine has turned 
into a monthly.  The pagination from issue to 
issue is not continuous; each issue is separately 
pagination.  4to, brown wrappers, rear cover 
loose, front cover illustrated by 
Reznicek.  Spine shipped, but relatively 
speaking, this is an exceptionally nice copy.  An 
anthology; arbitrary gathering of single issues. 
The make up of this volume is inexplicable to me.

VII:1, 36 (spezial – nummer  polizei), 41, 46, 47

VIII:1, 6 (split), 15 (split), 18 (page loose). 42

XV : 10, 14, 40 (January 2, 1911); 41, 42, 43

XVI: 19 (August 7, 1911); 51  (6 leaves in these 
later years; four leaves + covers in the earlier years.)

XVII: 1 (April 1, 1912).  “Revolution in München!! Headline. 16pp + covers, vg

XVIII: 18: 38, 41 (nice); 43 (nice); 45 (nice); 
46 (nice); 47; 48, 49, 53 (30 Marz 1914). Stamp: 
“Bruno Mann’s Buchhandlung / 346 6th St, 
Philadelphia.” [& after].  Better condition.

XIX:2  (13 April 1914) (better condition); 13, 
15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 [2cc], 27, 28, 
29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 
40.  (most of these last issues split)


XX:10 (stains)  (slightly better paper from 
here); 11, 15(rumpled), 24 (rumpled), 27 
(rumpled), 28 (split, rumpled), 31 (rumpled), 
34  (rumpled), 35 (rumpled), 37 (rumpled, some tears), 40 (rumpled).


Plus:  SIMPLICISSIMUS KALENDER 1905.  Munich: 
Albert Langen, 1905. quarto, much smaller than 
issues of the weekly/monthly. 55pp (last page 
unnumbered = p. 56), complete. Original 
illustrated (by Reznicek) gray covers, loose, 
pages loos, edges of front cover chipped to but 
not intruding into the cover 
illustration.  Illustrated calendar followed by 
poetry, prose, ads.  With a leaf extracted from 
somewhere, same size as this calendar, offering 
“farbigen Sonderdrucke aus dem Simplicissimus “in 
ihren Passepartouts bilden den schönsten 
Wandschmuck.”  All four of the cover 
illustrations depicted (#s 17, 13, 5, 7) in that order, are by Reznicek


Plus: Simplicissimus  (April 1915) – AMERICAN 
EDITION, in English, printed by Strecker & 
Schroder in Stuttgart, price: ten cents. Self 
wrappers, split, chipping and worn, but complete, (24) pp.


Plus:

Kriegs-flugblätter des Simplicissimus #1 (4pp), 
Richard Thoma on cover, once folded, extremely 
fragile and chipping, split into two, 
laterally.  Undated. Most issues feature a small 
caricature of a German military officer or public 
figure or ship (etc), top left


Kriegs-flugblätter des Simplicissimus #2 
(4pp),  Richard Thoma on cover, once folded, 
extremely fragile and chipping, splitting.  August 12, 1914.


Kriegs-flugblätter des Simplicissimus #3 (4pp), 
cover illus includes S. M. S. Goeben..


Kriegs-flugblätter des Simplicissimus #4 (4pp), 
cover includes poem by Ludwig Thoma.


Kriegs-flugblätter des Simplicissimus #9 (4pp), 
cover illus: “Der deutsche und der englische Neptun.”

Kriegs-flugblätter des Simplicissimus #13 (4pp), 
covers split, edges degenerate.


Kriegs-flugblätter des Simplicissimus #16 (4pp)


Kriegs-flugblätter des Simplicissimus #19 (4pp)


Kriegs-flugblätter des Simplicissimus #20 
(4pp).  “Der Toten von G.M.G. Scharnhorst.”


Kriegs-flugblätter des Simplicissimus #21 (4pp), cover illus: “Im himmel”.




Plus stray pages, to be placed: 99-108 
(gathering); 655/656; a rear cover, “Album” – 
gray paper; another rear cover. “Album”, gray 
printed in red, Heft XII-XV advertised; a front 
cover, “Album”, Sechzehntes Heft (Januar-März 1900).



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5) California Sales Tax charged to California addresses.

************

Peter B. Howard
Serendipity Books
1201 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94702
voice: (510) 841-7455
fax: (510) 841-1920
e-mail: pbhoward at serendipitybooks.com
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