A wordless novel by Helena Bochořáková to celebrate the 80th birthday of the liberator and first president of the Czechoslovak nation, T. G. Masaryka.

T. G. Masaryka entering the Brno Gymnasium in Helena Bochoráková's wordless novel Z života T. G. Masaryka.
T. G. Masaryka entering the Brno Gymnasium in
Helena Bochoráková’s wordless novel,
Z života T. G. Masaryka.

Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (7 March 1850 – 14 September 1937) was a Czechoslovak statesman, political activist and philosopher who served as the first president of Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1935. He is regarded as the founding father of Czechoslovakia. (from Wikipedia)

1925 photo of T. G. Masaryka. Image credit: Wikipedia.
1925 photo of T. G. Masaryka.
Image credit: Wikipedia.

Z života T. G. Masaryka was conceived, cut, hand-printed, and privately published by the artist in February 1930 to commemorate Masaryka’s 80th birthday.

Story Arc

The narrative begins with Masaryk’s earliest childhood and follows his education, apprenticeship, intellectual development, and political activities, culminating in his return to Prague and the public celebrations of his presidency. The 24 woodcuts form a continuous visual biography, each depicting a successive episode in his life. The story unfolds through images….

As per Dan Morgan

Bibliographic Details

  • Title: Z života T. G. Masaryka. 24 drevorytu [From the Life of T. G. Masaryk: 24 Woodcuts].
  • Author: Helena Bochoráková-Dittrichová
  • Illustrator: Helena Bochoráková-Dittrichová
  • Introduction: none, except on the colophon stated (in Czech), “To celebrate the 80th birthday of the liberator and first president of the Czechoslovak nation, T. G. Masaryk.”
  • Date of publication: February 1930
  • Publisher: Helena Bochoráková-Dittrichová
  • Place of publication: Brno
  • Printer: ?
  • Copyright: Artist?
  • Dimensions: 9″H x 6″W x 1/4″Thick
  • Dust jacket: unlikely
  • slipcase: ?
  • Binding: hardcover
  • Boards: covered in white vellum (the paper kind, not animal skin)
  • Language: Czech titles, etc
  • Paginated: unpaginated
  • Printed: recto on thin Japanese paper such that the images are fairly clear on the backside of the paper. All three edges are untrimmed.
  • Edition: limited to 50 numbered copies on the colophon. There is nothing stating copies should be signed but at least one copy is signed in the artist’s usual fashion on the title page.
  • Printed from the original woodcuts
  • Description: Gold stamped on the spine (BOCHORÁKOVÁ Z ŽIVOTA T. G. MASARYKA); Gold stamped on the front cover (1850 1930). There is a tissue guard before the title page and before the first image.

Book images

The spine, front, and back covers of Helena Bochoráková's wordless novel Z života T. G. Masaryka.
The spine, front, and back covers of
Helena Bochoráková’s wordless novel
Z života T. G. Masaryka.
Signed title page of Helena Bochoráková's wordless novel Z života T. G. Masaryka.
Signed title page of Helena Bochoráková’s
wordless novel Z života T. G. Masaryka.
2nd image of Helena Bochoráková's wordless novel Z života T. G. Masaryka. All images are printed recto on very thin Japanese paper. The image on the facing page is the back side of the first image.
2nd image of Helena Bochoráková’s wordless novel Z života
T. G. Masaryka.

All images are printed recto on very thin Japanese paper. The image on the facing page above is the back side of the first image.

A list of the 24 image titles in Helena Bochoráková's wordless novel Z života T. G. Masaryka.
A list of the 24 image titles in Helena Bochoráková’s
wordless novel Z života T. G. Masaryka.


Colophon Page

Colophon page of Helena Bochoráková's wordless novel Z života T. G. Masaryka.
Colophon page of Helena Bochoráková’s
wordless novel Z života T. G. Masaryka.

The colophon page is translated as:

TO CELEBRATE THE 80TH BIRTHDAY

OF THE LIBERATOR AND

FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE

CZECHOSLOVAK NATION

T. G. MASARYKA

ENGRAVED ON JAPAN PAPER

WITH 50 COPIES HAND PRINTED

AND PUBLISHED BY

H. BOCHOŘÁKOVA-DITTRICHOVA

IN BRNO IN FEBRUARY 1930

THIS COPY IS NUMBERED

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