There is something wonderful when you pick up a well-used book. I always feel a direct connection to the past, thinking of who also turned the pages and read the text. I guess that is why I am so passionate about preserving physical libraries. For me, reading a text or looking at artwork from a computer screen creates a “disconnect” for my from the past. I would much rather see and hold the artifact in person. And with this personal context for my post…
A few years back, another surprise package arrived from my friend in Chicago. It was another reference book from Andrew Geis’ estate, previously owned by Jim Maronek of Chicago: “Die Baustyle.” This educational book presented Greek and Roman building characteristics.
Having never encountered this book before and being extremely limited with my knowledge of the German language, I did a little digging. If you are looking for this publication online, the closest version that I encountered is “Die Baustyle und die Säulen-Ordnungen. Griechischer und römischer.”
Geis’ copy was written by Dr. Leo Bergmann, edited by Carl Busch, and is a second edition copy from 1864 (published in Leipzig by Otto Spamer). Originally published in 1854, this eight volume set contained 162 illustrations. There are some beautiful illustrations and I will share a few today. This book is currently in my possession, so should note “Private collection of Wendy Waszut-Barrett” if you decide to share my images.
Here are two more images depicting information from purple stamps. It looks like the book was once sold from a book shop in Vienna (Wien). To date, I have not successfully tracked down the names stamped on the book below. Any help would be appreciate from those in the European or Scandinavian countries if this is a familiar name to you!
I will share more images from the book tomorrow!
Author: waszut_barrett@me.com
Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD, is an author, artist, and historian, specializing in painted settings for opera houses, vaudeville theaters, social halls, cinemas, and other entertainment venues. For over thirty years, her passion has remained the preservation of theatrical heritage, restoration of historic backdrops, and the training of scenic artists in lost painting techniques. In addition to evaluating, restoring, and replicating historic scenes, Waszut-Barrett also writes about forgotten scenic art techniques and theatre manufacturers. Recent publications include the The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018), as well as articles for Theatre Historical Society of America’s Marquee, InitiativeTheatre Museum Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand, and various Masonic publications such as Scottish Rite Journal, Heredom and Plumbline. Dr. Waszut-Barrett is the founder and president of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a company specializing in historic stages and how to make them work for today’s needs. Although her primary focus remains on the past, she continues to work as a contemporary scene designer for theatre and opera.
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