The orchids that concern us here are the “sonderbare geschichten”, or strange stories, which comprise Gustav Meyrink’s first story collection from 1905. I’ve not read any of these so can’t vouch for the strangeness quotient but they inspired their illustrator to provide an accompanying collection of head and tail pieces throughout the book, many of which would have been grotesque enough to find a place in Der Orchideengarten magazine a decade later. The illustrator is unfortunately uncredited so if anyone can identify the individual from the monogram (“JT”…?) please leave a comment. The illustrator is Ignatius Taschner. Thanks to Lutz for the identification!
Previously on { feuilleton }
• Der Orchideengarten translated
• Le Golem, 1967
• Gustav Meyrink’s Prague
• An unseasonable bloom
• Covers for Der Orchideengarten
• Der Orchideengarten illustrated
• Der Orchideengarten
• Hugo Steiner-Prag’s Golem
it’s I.T., Ignatius Taschner
Prost! to Lutz with the i.d.
A monograph also exists:
Ignatius Taschner: Ein Ku?nstlerleben zwischen Jugendstil und Neoklassizismus (German)
TjZ
Lutz: Thanks! I’ve updated the post. Some of those initials do look more like an I than J.
Joe: Yeah, I think I may have seen something of his before in one of the Jugendstil magazines. He illustrated Heine as well as Meyrink.