Between 1927 and 1928, Kurt Wolff published Masereel’s wordless novel, Die Idee, in a Trade edition with 9,000 copies. It was initially published in French in 1920 as Idée: sa naissance, sa vie, sa mort.

  • Title: Die Idee
  • Author and Illustrator: Masereel
  • Introduction: Hermann Hesse
  • Date of publication:
    • 1927 in an edition of 4 thousand copies
    • 1928 in an edition of 5 thousand copies
  • Publisher: Kurt Wolff
  • Place of publication: Munich
  • Book Dimensions: 6 1/4 x 4 7/8 Inches; 15.7 x 11.8 cm
  • Dust jacket: Yes
  • Binding: hard cover
  • Cover: paper covered
  • Language: German titles, etc
  • Paginated: unpaginated
  • Printed: recto
  • Edition: Trade, not limited
  • Images: reproductions of the original
  • 15.5 x 11.5 cm, 174 + (2) pp. reproduced the 83 original engravings.
  • References: Avermaete 9.Ib

1927 Die Idee Trade edition 1 – 4 thousand copies

Images of the 1st trade edition greatly appreciated with image credit being given.

1928 Die Idee Trade edition 5 – 9 thousand copies

book and dust jacket
Title page for the 1928 edition.
Copyright page for the 1928 edition of 5 – 9 thousand
copies, and the half-title page.

Comparing image dimensions; Trade edition to the original prints

  • This is the first image of the book. Presumably it depicts Masereel with “writer’s block”.
  • Dimensions of this image from the Wolff Trade edition were compared to 1920 French publication, which was printed from the original woodcuts. They were both the same size, ie 9 x 6.5 cm.
  • Having said this, it is assumed the Trade editions were printed from reproductions or electrotypes and not printed from the original blocks.

Ads at the back of the book

Trade editions were sold for RM 3.50
Back flap of DJ

COMMENTS

If you disagree with something on this page, have an improvement, or have a comment please contact me
wn at wordlessnovels.com

Any information used will be given a credit line.