Helena Bochorakova’s wordless novel, Z Mého Dětství, is believed to be the first wordless novel by a female. It is a memoir of her girlhood in the Moravian region of the Czech Republic.

Dust jacket for Bochorakova wordless novel, Z Mého Dětství
Dust jacket for Bochorakova’s
wordless novel, Z Mého Dětství.
Image credit: JRare
  • Title: Z Mého Dětství: Kniha Dřevoryty (From My Childhood: A Book of Woodcuts)
  • Author and Illustrator: Helena Bochořáková-Dittrichová
  • Introduction: 10 page preface written by Arne Novák, a Czech historian and critic (about 2,774 words when translated into English)
  • Year: 1929
  • Publisher: Orbis
  • Place of publication: Prague
  • Printer:
  • Copyright: artist?
  • Language: Czech titles, etc
  • Unpaginated
  • Images printed recto
  • Description: 95 woodcuts for the story. Woodcuts were also used for the title, front cover, and for the DJ.
    • The title page and the Trade cover were done as a woodcut. One can make out the accent marks over Bochořáková Dittrichová. In the French and English later editions, the accent marks are absent.

Limitation – editions

Limitation for Z Mého Dětství translated as: Printed by the F. Obziny printing house in Vyškov na Moravě for Orbis, Prague, in November 1929. 10 copies numbered and signed on genuine japan, 50 numbered on Ullersdorf and a trade edition. This copy has a number
Limitation for Z Mého Dětství.

TRANSLATION

Printed by the F. Obziny printing house in Vyškov

na Moravě for Orbis, Prague, in November 1929.

10 copies numbered and signed on genuine japan,

50 numbered on Ullersdorf and a

Trade edition.

The edition size is not stated but the German version of this story had 500 trade copies. Later Trade editions by the artist were usually done in print runs of 300 copies.

Z Mého Detství – 10 copies numbered and signed, on true Japan

Z Mého Dětství - limitation page and title page of the ten copies on japan paper numbered and signed by the artist on the title page.
Z Mého Dětství on Japan, numbered out of 10
copies and signed in pencil on the title page.
  • Size: ?
  • Dust jacket: Doubtful – the trade edition has a DJ. Given the paper thickness, etc would be different, it is unlikely the DJ would fit this special edition.
  • Binding: hard cover – but I have not seen a copy
  • On true japan paper
  • this is numbered and also signed in pencil.

Z Mého Detství – 50 numbered, on Ullersdorf paper

NOTE: while some copies may be signed, the edition only needs to be numbered.

  • 6″ x 4.5″
  • Original quarter vellum,
  • grey boards with gilt device based on one of the woodcuts,
  • Fore and bottom edges uncut, with a number of leaves left unopened,
  • With an introduction by Czech literary critic and historian Arne Novák,
  • Limited edition, one of 50 hand-numbered copies on Ullersdorf paper,
  • some may be signed by Bochorakova in pencil on the title page. NOTE: the lack of a signature is not a defect,
  • 14, [194] pages.
Z Mého Detství - one of the 50 numbered copies - showing the front cover with a gold medallion and the spine in quarter vellum.
Z Mého Dětství out of 50 numbered copies.
Image credit: Swann Galleries
Spine of Z Mého Detství - one of the 50 numbered copies - with artist's name and the title in gold on quarter vellum.
Spine of Z Mého Dětství limited to 50 numbered copies.
Image credit: Swann Galleries
Z Mého Detství - one of the 50 numbered copies showing the limitation page and title page (some copies are also signed as is this example).
Numbered and some are also
signed on title page as here.
Image credit: Type Punch Matrix

Trade – 300? copies

  • The Trade edition was not numbered and only some copies were signed. Typically where trade editions are signed it is on an arbitrary basis. It may have been a simple case of owners approaching the artist asking for a signature.
  • Copies were issued with a dust jacket.
  • Slipcase unlikely – I have seen one copy with a slipcase but no dust jacket. It had the title and author’s name written in ink on the spine of the slipcase. For this reason I suspect the slipcase was an aftermarket production.
  • The dust jacket was printed from woodblocks
  • The medallion in the centre of the dust jacket was a separate woodblock that was reused in the French and English editions.
  • paper covered boards with small woodcut on the front cover.
Dust Jacket of Trade copy of Bochorakova's wordless novel, Z Mého Dětství.
Dust Jacket of Trade copy of Bochorakova’s wordless novel, Z Mého Dětství .
Inside dust jacket and cover of trade copy of Bochorakova's wordless novel, Z Mého Dětství.
Inside dust jacket and cover of trade copy
of Bochorakova’s wordless novel, Z Mého Dětství.
Front flap, pastedown and FFEP of Bochoravko's wordless novel, Z Mého Dětství.
Front flap, pastedown and FFEP of
Bochoravko’s wordless novel, Z Mého Dětství.
Front cover, spine, and back cover of Bochorakova's wordless novel, Z Mého Dětství.
Front cover, spine, and back cover of
Bochorakova’s wordless novel, Z Mého Dětství.
Limitation page and Title page of the trade edition for Bochorakova's wordless novel, Z Mého Dětství. This copy is signed but that is not required for the trade edition.
Limitation page and Title page of the trade edition for
Bochorakova’s wordless novel, Z Mého Dětství.
This copy is signed but that is not required
for the trade edition.

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