Hugo Steiner-Prag’s Golem
Der Golem, first edition (1915) and Dover reprint (1986).
Illustrations by Hugo Steiner-Prag.
Before leaving Prague (for the time being), it’s worth mentioning the lithograph illustrations by Hugo Steiner-Prag (1880–1945) for Gustav Meyrink’s The Golem. These atmospheric drawings always remind me of the production sketches Albin Grau created for Murnau’s Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens in 1922. Grau was an occultist as well as a horror aficionado and would certainly have read Meyrink’s book which was a Europe-wide bestseller when first published. The success of the novel inspired Paul Wegener’s first Golem film (now lost) which in turn helped fuel the demand for horror films that led eventually to Nosferatu.
Nosferatu poster by Albin Grau (1922).
There’s little of Steiner-Prag’s work available on the web but the Dover paperback above contains all the illustrations. The novel has been re-translated recently but I’ve yet to read one of the more recent editions to see how it compares with Dover’s 1928 Madge Pemberton version.
The Golem by Hugo Steiner-Prag (1915).
Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The illustrators archive
Previously on { feuilleton }
• Nosferatu
• Barta’s Golem
4 comments or trackbacks
#1 posted by Ian
Sep 4th, 2007
I believe the original Golem film you’re talking about is available on DVD from Kino here:
http://www.kino.com/video/results.php?search_type=Genre&search=Horror&genre_id=12
#2 posted by John
Sep 4th, 2007
Thanks but that’s actually the third (!) Golem film, The Golem: How He Came Into the World from 1920. Paul Wegener’s first one, simply titled The Golem is from 1915 and is generally counted a lost work; the two are often confused. Between these he also made a horror/comedy called The Golem and the Dancing Girl in 1917.
#3 posted by Loyd
Feb 25th, 2009
Originally released in 1922 as Nosferatu, Eine Symphonie Des Grauens, director F.W. Munarau’s chilling and eerie adaption of Stoker’s Dracula is a silent masterpiece of terror which to this day is the most striking and frightening portrayal of the legend.
You can download the movie at the wonderfull Archive it’s public domain
http://www.archive.org/details/nosferatu_ipod
#4 posted by John
Feb 25th, 2009
Thanks Loyd, I’d noted that Archive.org had Nosferatu earlier.
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