Renger-Patzsch, Wolff, Gutschow, Finsler - Das Werk ('The Factory', FIRST PRINTING, ORIGINAL DUSTJACKET, VERY FRESH) - 1931

HIGHLY UNDERRATED AND RARE GERMAN PHOTOBOOK.
EXTREM BEAUTIFUL AND ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ONES of the famous German book series "Die Blauen Bücher" ('The Blue Books').

With 13 (!) wonderful photos by Dr. Paul Wolff, 3 by Arvid Gutschow, 1 by Hans Finsler and 3 by Albert Renger-Patzsch ('Die Welt ist schön'; Martin Parr, The Photobook, vol 2, page 186), among others.

THIS IS THE LAST EXCLUSIVE PHOTOBOOK AUCTION by 5Uhr30.com in 2025 -
with more than 100 great lots from my personal collection and from recent acquisitions.

WITH THE VERY RARE ORIGINAL DUSTJACKET.

TRUE FIRST ORIGINAL PRINTING from 1931 (!).
Not to mix with later printings (often the case with "Die Blauen Bücher") and not to mix with the much more later reprint from 2002.

Like always 5Uhr30.com guarantees detailed and accurate descriptions, 100% transport protection, 100% transport insurance, and of course, combined shipping - worldwide.

Karl Robert Langewiesche Verlag, Königstein im Taunus and Leipzig. 1931. First edition. First printing.

Paperback with dustjacket. 190 x 265 mm. 80 pages. Photos: Dr. Paul Wolff, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Arvid Gutschow, Hans Finsler and others. Text: Eugen Diesel. Text: German.

Condition:
Book inside and outside excellent, fresh and flawless; clean with no marks (often with marks) and with no foxing (often foxed). Dustjacket impressive, much more better and fresher than usual, complete with no tears, with no taped tears, with no missing parts; light trace of use. Overall very fine, much better and fresher than usual condition.

Beautiful, widely unknown and still underrated book with photos by some of the most famous German photographers ever - in wonderful fresh condition.

5Uhr30.com says MANY THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT THIS YEAR -
making our single-seller photobook auctions on Catawiki so successful.
Ecki Heuser & team are wishing ALL THE BEST TO YOU AND YOURS for 2026.

'Karl Robert Langewiesche (1874–1931) founded his publishing house in Düsseldorf on 5 May 1902 with the aim of producing ‘elegant mass-market items at the lowest possible prices’ in order to ‘serve the broad masses, those who are called the uneducated, through my work.’ His innovative marketing methods quickly led to success.
Initially, he devoted himself to the topics of lifestyle and worldview. In 1907, he created a group of art books and photo books, for which he developed a new type of inexpensive, yet high-quality illustrated book. From 1909 onwards, he used the brand name ‘Die Blauen Bücher’ (The Blue Books), after his books had been equipped with blue dust jackets since 1902, on which advertising texts were printed – a novelty in the industry in 1902.
In 1913, Langewiesche moved to Königstein im Taunus. On the 25th anniversary of the publishing house in 1927, he founded the even cheaper book series ‘Der Eiserne Hammer’ (renamed ‘Langewiesche Bücherei’ in 1949) with red dust jackets under the motto ‘Das Gute für Alle’ (Good for Everyone).
After the founder's death in 1931, the publishing house was continued by his widow, Stefanie Langewiesche (1878-1956), assisted by Hans Köster (1902-1996), who had been with the publishing house since 1927. In 1954, he became co-owner and designated successor. In 1973, Hans Köster handed over the publishing house to his eldest son, Hans-Curt Köster, born 1939, but continued to oversee the series of building monographs he had established until 1986.'
(Wikipedia)