Das Vogel-Album. 1950

Sometimes there are antiquarian finds that touch something special within us. This is particularly true for the "Bird Album" by Karl Wenzel in multiple ways. The author handwrote this over 500-page work for his granddaughter Renate and adorned it with hundreds of his own illustrations. The album is an intimate one-of-a-kind piece created by a bird lover and still captivates today with its expressions and attention to detail. When antiquarian bookseller Joachim Ratz came across it in the 1990s, he was immediately taken with it and knew he had discovered a culturally significant work. Wenzel used Otto Fehringer's "Birds of Central Europe" (1926–1931) as a reference for his drawings, which was very popular among nature enthusiasts at the time. He lovingly complements the factual knowledge from this source with his own observations. The "Bird Album" provides a wonderful snapshot of the bird world from 80 to 100 years ago, but it is especially distinguished by the loving and elaborate work of a grandfather for his granddaughter. An identical reprint of the entire work is being published by Favoritenpresse, printed on high-quality Munken paper and featuring an introduction by Christiane Habermalz. Unfortunately, despite extensive efforts, little can be found about Karl Wenzel. He seems to have lived in Berlin, as there are some references in the text. There is also a mention of his Silesian origins.