Fig and Others. Can You Help with this?

(by: Herman Albert Lindenberg)

It appears to be a "rare" folio. The only other examples I've found so far are held within institutions. None for sale, or none that have sold. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places? Worldcat, abebooks etc.

Thank you!

 

So far I haven't found any, either... but haven't looked very far yet. I did find some information pages that you may or may not have seen yet. You probably know from WorldCat that the artist's full name was Herman Albert Lindenberg.

1) This website is run by his grandson, who is also an artist. There is some information about the grandfather's life on this page. It is somewhat hard to read due to the background on the page: http://descentfromthecross.com/abouttheimage.htm
There's more here (maybe a repeat of the same information): http://descentfromthecross.com/abouttheartist.htm

2) This listing in Amazon UK came up through a Google search. It doesn't give much information because there are none for sale. If it's listed in Amazon does that mean that somebody sold one through that site? http://www.amazon.co.uk/acanthus-leaf-applied-various-styles/dp/B00086LXAW

So far that's all I've found, except for numerous old library bulletins listing it as a title.

Fig

 

Hi Fig and thank you for the above info. Outside of that, that's pretty much what I found. Doesn't appear to be any sold examples or auction records.

I have 3 more of these early-20th C. folios. 2 by Rapin and 1 by Stoll. These I was able to find records on.

Again, thanks for your help.

 

I did look for a while last night and found nothing further. I don't have subscriptions to any sites that show old auctions. Are the plates bound into book form, or are they unbound in a portfolio? Looking for sales of art and sales of books might be the best way to go. (You've probably already done this.)

 

Thanks, Fig, for taking the timeout to help. Much appreciated.

The plates (20) are all unbound and the title is hand written on the cover. All 4 folios are quite large, plates unbound, with the Stoll plates (45 of 47 ) missing its front and back cover.

 

I don't know if this will be helpful (I didn't read all that was said)...

http://www.engraverscafe.com/archive/index.php/t-566.html?s=209639e7bdb21560fa5e57999f1e88d0

 

I believe this means it was offered for sale in a catalog in 1952, or maybe in a "wanted" list, but it doesn't show more than that...

http://books.google.com/books?id=5jRVAAAAYAAJ&q=acanthus lindenberg&dq=acanthus lindenberg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TDD1U_KjDNKzyASh-4LgCg&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAzgU

And in 1962, apparently it was either listed for sale or listed as being wanted...

http://books.google.com/books?id=BhYZAQAAIAAJ&q=acanthus lindenberg&dq=acanthus lindenberg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TDD1U_KjDNKzyASh-4LgCg&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBDgU

Which is interesting to me, because the late 50s through the mid-60s is when my mother bought the bulk of her botanical and architectural books and portfolios, and she would have been interested in this one. I think I have one or more of her catalogs from the same dealers, too. (I think it's two different dealers in the links, anyway.)

As far as I know, though, I don't have this one. It doesn't ring a bell, and I think I've opened all the boxes with similar items.

 

It's listed here, too, in a 1950 catalog probably either as an item for sale or a wanted item...

http://books.google.com/books?id=LGYYAQAAIAAJ&q=acanthus lindenberg&dq=acanthus lindenberg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TDD1U_KjDNKzyASh-4LgCg&ved=0CDUQ6AEwBTgU

 

Here's the final mention I found, other than library holdings...

http://books.google.com/books?id=qb...X&ei=JTP1U5rBFJGcyASEsYGICg&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBzge

I assume this means one or more prints were included in an exhibition in Germany in 2002. Here's a Google translation...

"The Greek Classics: Idea or Reality: an exhibition at the Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, March 1-2. June 2002 and in the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany"

 

The more I think about, the more it seems to me that all of the catalog references in the links above were to "wanted" lists. Otherwise, I think prices would have been shown.

If that's true, I think that would reinforce how rare this portfolio must be.

 

Thanks, Pat, for all of the above info.

I think it's funny how in your first linked reply, the folks in that forum back in 2007 was looking to purchase this folio but couldn't find one for sale.

It does appear that this piece is quite rare, just wondering how does one place a price on such an item without any sold records?

Again, thanks for your replies and help.

 

You have to think how many people want this, how badly and how are you going to find them.

I'd be thinking, not many, not very badly, and with great difficulty, so I'd pick a price that gave me a modest profit and offer it at that.

If you always seek the maximum possible profit, you may never make any actual sales.

 

'Nuff, have you tried scanning some of the prints and doing image searches for them? It could be that one reason the portfolio is so scarce is that it was often broken up and sold as individual prints.

If you do scan the prints, I'd love to see some of them.

I tried looking in my mother's collection of antique book catalogs from the 60s-80s, but the portfolio didn't show up. I think Fig's suggestion of contacting Lindenberg's family is a good one.

I'm new at researching these things, so am not sure what I'd do. I think I might try contacting antiquarian book dealers who specialize in botanical, decorative arts, and/or architectural books.

Good luck with this!

 

Thanks, AF. Great advice as always. Thank you!

 

Hi Pat and thank you once again for taking the timeout to reply and help.

No, we haven't scanned any of the prints and conducted an image search. I'll take some images of the plates a bit later and post a few.

We'll keep digging a little more and see what turns up regarding sales of this item.

Thanks, Pat.

 

The Getty Research Institute lists sources for researching past sales of books...
http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/guides_bibliographies/guide_appraisal.html

Also, the website, American Exchange, has a database of sales. I think all of the online databases require a subscription.

'Nuff, you might want to check with a large library near you to see what they have available. I read that the Boston Public Library subscribes to at least one of these book databases and it's only available in person at the library, not online. I'm planning on going in one of these days to the main branch to look up my scarcer books.

Another possible source is the Boston Athenaeum, which requires membership to use their online resouces.