1916 edition with embossed front
1921 edition with embossed front and back!
These images were scanned from my private collection
NO TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY- I happened across the first tatting book of Emmy Liebert and its later expanded version for a reasonable price and in great condition. The covers are really lovely, with the tatting embossed so that you can feel it if you run your fingers across it! This was done on the front and back of the revised edition(black cover to left). I've never seen this done before and it is beautiful. I'm as impressed with the publisher, who took so much care, as I am with the designer. For that alone I was really happy to have found the originals of the first book. Emmy Liebert provides a lot of classic patterns and is generous with the photos to show how they might be used. The contrast of her threads shows she was a big fan of colored threads. Unfortunately, the black-and-white photography doesn't allow her to show this to as good effect. She used half-closed rings for a shell effect instead of chains in many of her patterns - a technique she liked to use a lot. There is also a photo of Queen Elizabeth of Romania and a brief written note from her - I presume praising the book - in the front of the revised edition(but not in the first edition). The patterns are in written (German) notation and there are no diagrams, so you would have to translate the instructions before using them if you are an English speaker.
She published during that sweet spot in American history when the needle arts had a small renaissance of designers putting out a huge volume of new designs. I believe these lovely books are proof that was also happening in other parts of the world. Lacis publications put out a paperback of Frau Liebert's collected works that is really well done. Unless you're a serious collector, I'd focus on trying to find that rather than the original German editions, but the originals are quite exquisite.
Schiffchen-arbeiten (Frivolitaten), Band 36 (1916)
Schiffchen-arbeiten (Frivolitaten), Band 36 (1921)expanded edition
Schiffchen-arbeiten Heft II, Band 40 (1920)
Schiffchen-arbeiten Heft II, Band 40 (1922)expanded edition
Becky of Craftree fame did some sleuthing, and as she is familiar with Danish, was able to put together excel spreadsheets of tatting books published in Denmark, Sweden and Norway! She also came across further editions of Emmy Liebert's books, which were apparently also published in Swedish and Danish as well as the original German! Here's the proof:
and
In 1994, a hardcover reprint of both the 1921 expanded edition of Schiffchen-arbeiten (Frivolitaten), Band 36 and the 1920 edition of Schiffchen-arbeiten (Frivolitaten), Band 40 were published together in one volume by Weltbild Verlag GmbH, Augsburg, Germany. The ISBN: 3804302890
The Cover for the 1994 reprint:
Cover Scan courtesy of Carolyn Kotlas' private collection...