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Schulz, Günther Tordsen. (Under Sail around Cape Horn). A Tale in Pictures. With prologue “Initiation” from “Mirror of the Sea” by Joseph Conrad as well as epilogue “Pictures” by C. Fox Smith. Preferential & ordinary volume. Hamburg, Hans Dulk, 1953. 4to (30 x 22 cm). 239 pp. Paginated with

each loosely in navy blue wrapper with silver tooled Corpus designation in German & English as

5-piece  publisher’s  canon .

Navy blue orig. morocco (blue head edge) and orig. cloth (with ills. orig. wrapper) resp. with gilt and brown stamped four-masted barque with albatross on front cover as well as back title resp., each with (additional) navy blue wrapper with silver stamped title & 2 silver metallic backplates as well as albatros on the back in equal joint cloth slipcase with partition, pull out ribbons and inner book supporters as well as silver-tooled albatros on both outsides and navy blue cloth boxes I-III with silver stamped title together with number & Corpus designation on front cover and albatros on back cover, 2 silver metallic backplates, English title in the front inner cover as well as at the lower edges each the blue series ibid., marine niemeyer in the back inner cover and JayAitchDesign on the back cover, all silver-tooled, resp.

on fly-leaf in German resp. as

“ The collector of the exemplaire enrichi … adds mss. by the author, drawings … the various states of print, the author’s correspondence with publisher and printer, author’s proofs … among other things,

to  document  the  creation …

Done moderately, each of these kinds of completion of the print has its high value for future research ”

(Hans Bohatta in Löffler-Kirchner, Lexikon des gesamten Buchwesens, I [1935], 512 per Erstausstattung/Extra set-up).

The edition itself, however,

“ Dedicated  to  Erich  F.  Laeisz  the  shipowner  of  the  last  great  sailing  ships ”.

And in such a manner then indeed  the  adequate  homage  which  for the last male representative (1888-1958) of this great name of seafaring, standing literally for

Under  Sail  around  Cape  Hoorn

as the title of this object of fascination of a book for which the naval officer-publisher Hans Dulk secured the minutely recorded impressions aboard one of Laeisz’s famous nitrate voyages to Chili by the internationally active Hamburg illustrator & later Creative Director Günther T. Schulz (1909-1979) become famous by his “Macedonian Sketches” (1939):

“ (Schulz) is considered one of the most important German commercial artists. His free and applied works tend between realism close to nature and artistic abstraction ”

(Anne-Catherine Krüger in Der neue Rump, [Dictionary of Artists of Hamburg, Altona, and the Closer Environs], 2005).

built 1926 at Tecklenborg in Geestemünde (Bremerhaven) whose name – encountered respectfully still today as Russian Kruzenshtern – here first washed over by spray in the wrappers illustration of the ordinary edition, then

in the book then titled “‘PADUA’ hoisting a flag-signal” as well as finally, less dominant, at the bow of the ship lying set back at the dolphins on “Painting” (book: “Painting over the side”). First used in the nitrate trade to Chili, later the wheat trade to Australia was added. By her last voyage under cargo 1938/39 from Hamburg to Chili & Australia and back in 8 months and 23 days she established the record

for  the  fastest  voyage  of  a  full  rigged  ship

not broken till today. Quite living up once more to Laeisz’ motto: “My ships can and shall make fast voyages!” Modern and sturdy steel ships built for speed and hard sailing under rough conditions, well-maintained and excellently sailed by small, hand-picked crews, the Flying P-Liners were both famous for their fast and secure voyages – Laeisz lost not one ship because of own fault – and notorious for being “wet ships” as in line with the weather and sailing conditions for a great deal of any voyage the main deck would be more or less run over by the waves.

Another drawing, “Saltpeter Cross” should at the same time provide an indication for dating the voyage at 1934/36, for in it  the  boat  of  the  Joseph Conrad  comes  alongside  for  a  farewell  visit . This, however, the name of the ship the journalist and writer Alan Villiers, who also provided the English blurb for present publication, bought for his circumnavigation in those years. If not based on an actual meeting

the  sheet  still  would  be  a  bow  to  the  daring  colleague .

And just a further one of the impressions recording with precise line the big and small events of the voyage of a tall ship. From embarkation and review of the new crew and the shipboy’s amazement about the height of the masts , the loading and other preparations up to putting to sea with tug boat and pilot , the routine at sea , the passage in fair as rough weather , the work with compass and chart , windlass and anchor , cook as sail maker at their works , the meeting with other ships , but also the quiet hours in the evening on the forecastle and in the quarters , the spare-time occupation at building ships in bottles , the diversion the hunt for shark and porpoise or albatross offered not only for the fare . And of course Splice the mainbrace ! With a bottle post on the beach which ultimately will serve as epilogue .

From the maritime point of view thus recording

at the hardship , but also beauty of which the training ship operation , even more so , however , the tall ship events of the traditional and nostalgic sailing ships with their casual crews driven by today’s event “culture” have to stand far aside :

“ The book is more than a collection of drawings, excellent as these are … The book is a piece of maritime history. Guenther T. Schulz was able to study the ships at first hand, and the sailing; that can be done no more. He has turned his opportunity to excellent advantage ”

(Alan Villiers in the English blurb).

In  detail :

Prologue in German translation – actually only the second part of Conrad’s narration, and also without its last paragraphs – , epilogue in English, the here and there also more comprehensive designations to the plates printed on the left side each in German & English, likewise the blurb. – The leather of the preferential publisher’s binding paled to green at the back as well as – most slightly – at upper & lateral margins particularly of the front cover.

The drawings on strong drawing carton monogrammed G. T. S. throughout and mostly designated lower left in fine writing and numbered upper left (by other hand?) in pencil, at which two sheet remained without number (77 and 90 resp.?), one number was issued twice, sporadic others were added and corrected resp. partly later. Verso repeatedly sketches in pencil. In deviation from the others the here first plate on mounted tone paper and heightened with white as well as margin limitation together with measurements for the engraving establishment for the compared with the size of the drawings ultimately determined  smaller  printing  format  in pencil and red crayon:

“ 15.5 x 22 cm / all other drawings in relation ”.

Missing the harpooning of a big porpoise, the feeding of the live provisions, the building of a ‘bottleship’ in the forecastle, and “Call the ‘watch below’”.

The engraver’s proofs on ordinary paper numbered in pencil upper left, at which “39a” was inserted, 7 skipped and 8 remained unnumbered. Missing 18, the steward in his sanctuary. The plate designations analogously to the finished book each mounted on the back of the preceding sheet as typescript clipping, with the sequence generally corresponding neither to that of the drawings nor that of the book. Only the text to 8 in writing in red pencil verso of 6. Conceivable that for 7 a blank page was planned as the six plates masts & rig, constituting the conclusion with both the drawings and the later print, are placed in front here. The cover sheet with the mounted text to 1 on the back inscribed in writing “Günther T. Schulz / Unter Segeln rund Kap Hoorn” as well as “47 selected”. – Isolated mostly small tears in the white margin backed acid-freely.

The printing of the clean sheets appropriately not of outmost quality and on slightly inferior paper:

“ Clean sheets, designation for a work’s first fair proofs which are produced after given imprimatur before the real production run and delivered by the publisher on the author separately to inform him about the progress and outturn of the reproduction … Such clean sheets are also used to make a work available to particularly interested parties even before its publication, e. g. for the purpose of reviews. In the early period of letterpress printing the display of the first prints offered an alternative to the advertisement. Of works one had indeed included in the fair catalog, which, however, had not been completed, one asked the printers for the ready sheets, especially the title sheet, to display them before the stalls. From this custom the term likely originates ”

(Löffler-Kirchner, op. cit., p. 108).

On the time-stained-fox-spotted cover sheet notes in pencil on other air journey from Tokyo to New Zealand with return alternatives via South Sea (i. a. Fiji, Tonga, Tahiti), Panama/Mexico/California and Cuba to Hamburg. – Two sides uncut. – P. 189 cut out, but joined again. Its text on the back, belonging to the plate on p. 191, crossed out with ballpoint pen.

The red pencil note “47 (?) selected” on the cover sheet to the engraver’s proofs presumably connected with the each 47 sheet marked lower right by one or two crosses and as a rule at the same time show horizontal lines in the upper and/or lower part of the subject, all likewise in red pencil, which obviously document a considered reduction of the plates to a more square format. However, even with the sheets marked in such a manner not exclusively spreading or yet unessential marginal parts would have fallen victim to the red pencil, so that these considerations have not been pursued any further.

While already the side-by-side and vis-à-vis of drawing – engraver’s proof with first layout draft – finished book in moreover preferential and ordinary edition is of rare charm,

The least in this the repeated adjusting marks and measurements as well as other notes of technical nature by the engraving establishment, mostly regarding the etching of the stereotypes like “peaked etching of paper ground at light places” or marking per “New” or “Replacement” a repetition of the stereotype.

A yet more distinct look at the development from the idea to the finished book then the sequence of the plates changed in each of the three phases documented here permits, which by no means is limited to just optical rearrangements, but

completely  rewrites  the  story  of  the  voyage  told  in  pictures :

While  the  drawings  still  start  with embarkation and review of the new crew including the shipboy , the loading , various repairs and other preparations for the voyage to lead then under insertion of the most varied activities and circumstances aboard across the Atlantic , the line , through the dead calm of the doldrums and the storms of the Roaring Forties and off Cape Horn to the west coast of South America, to continue then ,

after taking over the nitrate cargo there in, avoiding repetitions, necessarily few sheets with departure as well as return through the channel into the meanwhile wintry harbor of Hamburg to the conclusion , so

in  the  finished  book  the  voyage  back  is  dropped  completely ,

the story rather ends with the finishing of loading ! In the course of which then also plates were not only inserted into other contexts , but

were  utterly  converted !

So for instance the “Departure West Coast” comes down to the harmless “Four-masted barque in a light breeze and ocean-swell” , “Homeward bound – In the Channel” mutates to “Heavy going in the mouth of the river” during departure , tug boat and pilot are found in irritating duplicity at the beginning of the voyage !  And  the  shipboy’s

“Passing the Line” becomes – it hardly could be any triter at this moment – a plain “Birdseye-view of a four-masted barque”!

Just as then generally in consideration of the green hand audience the concise, frequently nautical designations of the drawings frequently are, in all shortness, explaining-simplifying in print, quite also dropping the reference to the represented detail. In which the print, marginalia aside, follows the typescript, yet with the exception worth mentioning of “The ridge rope” (drawing) – “Rough weather in the North Atlantic” (proof) – “Rough weather in the South Atlantic” (book). Remarkable also the change from the “Saltpeter Cross” of the drawing to the “Shining ‘Southern Cross’” as the signal that loading has finished. The German blurb by the way talking of the saltpeter cross again.

Of  particular  charm , however ,

the numerous annotations both on the use of drawings generally as also in regard of details considered worthy of improvement – “blacken back stays / w(hite). rag in the hand” – , in which beside such by presumably third hand those by Schulz himself and, deviating from the other, the ones verso in blue ink and in such a manner doubtlessly by the publisher Hans Dulk, as naval officer in the first world war himself able-bodied, are to be mentioned. Among them Schulz’ remark “should have been starboard side! See no. 22 to wit!”, complemented by “counter” in black ink, as also carried out so by the engraving establishment, not least discernible by the now reversed monogram. However, the reference to no. 22 remaining unclear, both the two suitable sheets – each their numbering changed from 22 to 21 and 23 to 22 resp. – have no obvious reference. However, his remark to The Flying Dutchman

“ Would  rather  drop  it!  Sch. ”

found no takers. This plate was included unchanged, just as generally presumably only very few other modification requests/suggestions were considered.

From the bibliophile point of view, however,

the  extraordinary  occasion

Down the River: “should have been starboard side!” — “counter” … and countered in the clean sheet
Down the River: The countered clean sheet … and the finished plate in the book
Down the River: The plate in the book … and the reversed drawing: “should have been starboard side!”

to  be  able  to  tangibly  experience  the  creation  of  a  book .

Analogously to Herwig Guratzsch’s statement on occasion of the 350 years older Antwerp publishing house Plantin-Moretus in his 1980 Lazarus book (vol. I, pp. 103 f., spacing not in the original):

“ … also the depictions of the (theme) pile up. Sometimes  preserved  so  that  one  can  follow  the  path  from  the  first  drawn  sketch  via  the  engraving  up  to  the  repeated  print . ”

Here then also, it shall be repeated, from the drawing via the engraver’s proof with layout & draft of text finally to the finished book in the moreover different bindings of ordinary edition in cloth & preferential publisher’s binding in navy blue morocco. An edition besides

After half a century as a Sleeping Beauty in the publisher’s archive now presented to you as

grangerized  copy  in  adequately  bibliophile  design

for the just as comfortable continual access in the library case as the opportunity to hang up at liberty the loosely boxed, yet in their respective wrappers as protected as compactly manageable originals and/or – also confronting each other – their engraver’s proofs for both personal joy and instructive guest information as grandiose ambience

Offer no. 28,944  /  price on application