The Unknown Halutz by Hoenich is a wordless novel in 10 linocuts depicting the journey of a pioneer to Israel and the establishment of a kibbutz.
Paul Konrad Hoenich was born in Czernowitz, Austria (today Ukraine). From 1925-1928, he studied art in Vienna, Florence, and Paris. In 1929, he served in the Romanian army and from 1930-1935, he lived in Bucharest, Roumania. In 1935 he immigrated to Palestine with his wife and settled in Haifa. He established the “Art Studio – Haifa” and was known for his printmaking.
1938 החלוץ האלמוני The Unknown Halutz (The Unknown Pioneer)
In 1938 (the year the book was published) the area of settlement was referred to as Eretz Israel (in Hebrew “The Land of Israel” i.e. the land promised by God to the Jews) before the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.
- Title: החלוץ האלמוני
- Author and Illustrator: P. K. Hoenich
- Foreword: by the artist?
- Date: 1938 – The title page states 5698 (in the Jewish calendar) ie sometime between October 1937 and September 1938 in the Gregorian calendar but the copyright page states 1938.
- Publisher: there does not appear to be a publisher noted ie I assume it was self-published.
- Place of publication: Haifa
- Printer: Hador Publishing (not stated but an inference from the wording of the limitation page)
- Copyright: P. K. Hoenich
- Size: 30.5 x 30.5 cm.
- Binding: soft cover – designed by the artist
- Language: Hebrew titles, etc
- Paginated: unpaginated
- Printed: verso/recto ????. NOTE: as I understand it, books in Hebrew are printed opposite to Western convention ie the front cover is on the back and the book is read from back to front (from a Western perspective). In this case the images are printed verso (from a Western perspective).
- Edition: Trade only.
- Numbered copies: 500 numbered copies printed from the original woodcuts.
- Signature: some copies are signed others are not. The lack of a signature is not a deficiency as the publication only required copies to be numbered.
- Description: Booklet of ten woodcut prints. Some copies have a pencil notation under each image. I am unsure as to who added the notations or when this was done.
condition with evidence of staining on the covers.
I saw with my eyes and felt in my heart”
(a very loose translation with Google).
Limitation Page translated:
The Unknown Halutz was published in a trade edition of 500 numbered copies. Special printings by Hador Publishing as is customary with graphic works, were not made, because this would contradict the fundamental idea of the work. This copy was made from the original plates. This is copy # 127
Other books by Hoenich
1943 The Road of Suffering – this is not wordless as all the images have printed titles
1948 David, King Of Israel – A Song In Black And White – this is not a story; it is more like a cycle.
