Karl Blossfeldt was a quiet, mild mannered professor at a Berlin college for the arts.  He used photographs of plant parts in his classes to illustrate the design elements found in Nature and how they could be related to architecture and other human endeavors.   His photographs were made with a home-made camera and taken over a period of more than twenty years.  They eventually came to the attention of  an Art dealer (Karl Nierendorf) who persuaded Blossfeldt to issue a book of his photographs in the form of high quality photogravures. The book titled "Urformen der Kunst" ("Prototypes of Art")  contained very high quality, hand made and machine press printed photogravures from  the Ganymede presses in Berlin by Wasmuth publishing and was released in 1928.  The 120 images caused Blossfeldt to become an international celebrity almost overnight.  The images were hailed by such visionaries as Frank Lloyd Wright and their influence were an important part of  twentieth century art, architecture and photography. Essentially the world was seeing something new in Blossfeldt's enlargements (from four to thirty times) of plant forms.  Their intricate beauty had a science fiction kind of quality that shocked and astounded. The success of the 1928 edition led to a reissue in 1929 with plates that are thought by many to be of an even higher quality than the originals of 1928.  The 1929 edition was in German, with two English editions (by Zwemmer in the London and by E. Weyhe in New York) and a French editon (La Plant).  The English editions were titled "Art Forms in Nature"- all of the 1929 editions used identical plates printed in Berlin.  Shortly before his death in 1932 Blossfeldt released a second book of an additional 120 high quality photogravures.  This book was released simultaneously in English and German, again with identical plates.  The German edition was titled "Wundergarten der Natur" (Magic Garden of Nature) and the English edition was titled "Art Forms in Nature Second Series". 

 Lesser quality editions of  "Urformen der Kunst" were published by Wasmuth in 1935, 1936, 1941, 1948 and 1953 containing 96 plates which were printed on both sides of the sheet.  No further editions of  "Wundergarten der Natur" were released.  However, in 1942 Schmidt and Gunther publishers  released "Wunder der Natur" with 120 images, printed on one side only, which contained images from both of Blossfeldt's books.  The quality was good but not equal to the 1928, 1929 and 1932 photogravures. 

  Why are the photogravures so desireable?  They are an important part of the artistic history of the twentieth century, they are stunning in their presentation, and they are "real" in the sense of being original and not a copy.  These exact same photogravures are part of the permanent collections of some of the most famous and respected art institutes in the world, and have graced the walls in exhibitions from Berlin to the Smithsonian to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  Blossfeldt's original photographs from which the photogravure plates were made are serious historical artifacts and sell for $100,000 or more.

 Purchasing a Print-

  The prints are removed from copies of Blossfeldt's books so they are all of a standard size and the images are generally well known (some more than others) so authenticity is not  difficult to establish.  If there is any doubt, a microscopic examination will be an immediate way to verify if a print is genuine.  Through my 15 x magnifier there is a cobweb type appearance which is much different from the dots seen in modern inexpensive prints. 

  The books used for the prints sell for from $500 to $3000-$4,000 depending on the book and its condition.  The prints will generally sell for between $10 and $100-depending on the image.  His most famous prints may sell for more- remember there is only one of each image per book. There should be a good photo of the print for you to examine prior to bidding.  The  condition of the print should be stated  and guaranteed.  These photogravures are delicate and should be handled carefully.  The image surface of the print should not be touched.  Because these were valued books,  many from private collections are in very good shape and finding a print in excellent condition should not be a problem.

  Please do some research before bidding.  Certainly I would wish for you to verify the veracity of the information in this guide.  An internet search can inform you on how photogravures are made;  more about Karl Blossfeldt and his influence;  prices of prints and books; and the knowledge to make an informed purchase.