Ifflands mimische Darstellungen f r Schauspieler und Zeichner. W hrend der Vorstellung gezeichnet zu Berlin in den Jahren 1808 bis 1811. Heft 1-19 (von 20).

Large 4to. 19 (instead of 20) issues. With engraved title-page (using an original wrapper cover) and altogether 114 (instead of 120) etched plates by Wilhelm and Moritz Henschel and 2 pp. of subscription ads. Contemporary boards with ms label to spine. First edition of this series of performance sketches, published in 20 separate issues. Iffland himself is depicted in the roles of King Lear and Shylock, of the Miser in Moli re's eponymous play, and of Nathan the Wise. Extremely rarely encountered thus near completeness, lacking only the final issue ("Der arme Poet"). German auction records since 1950 list a single complete copy (Bassenge 1990) and one separate issue only (D rling 84, 24 Nov. 1975, no. 792 [issue 19 with 6 plates, DM 240]). Even a dedicated exhibition held at the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin in 2005, which focused exclusively on the present work, was able to present only an incomplete copy acquired the previous year. - From the collection of the director and actor Franz Sto (1909-95) with his bookplate on the front pastedown. A fine copy with largely clean, spotless interior. - Kippenberg coll. 5082 (only 15 issues with a total of 90 plates). Lipperheide Uce 9. Hiler 456. Thieme/Becker XVI, 430 (dated 1808-1819). Not in Colas or Ornamentstichslg. Berlin. Not in Kayser or Goedeke.