Anonymous: "Winterzeitvertreib oder Anweisung zum Modelliren ..."

Author: Anonymous

Title: Winterzeitvertreib oder Anweisung zum Modelliren aus Pappe, Stroh und Papier, nebst Materialien, woraus Kinder sich allerley Spielsachen, als: Jagden, Gärten, Wachtparaden, Tische, Stühle und mehreres verfertigen können.

Publisher: Kunsthändler Dreyßig, Halle

Year of publication: not given (about 1802)

Size: 18 x 11 cm

Volume: 31 pages with 11 illustrations

Source of facsimile (text): Collection Felix Oppenhoff

Source of facsimile (illustrations): Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – PK unter https://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/werkansicht/?PPN=PPN823196488. (Please note that the link given in the ZGK magazine 20, p. 12 is slightly wrong.)

Download: Content (PDF, 21 MB)

Download: Illustrations I (ZIP, 93 MB)

Download: Illustrations II (ZIP, 18 MB)

The first book we know of that dealt explicitly with card modeling was “Anweisung zum Modelliren aus Papier oder aus demselben allerley Gegenstände im Kleinen nachzuahmen. Ein nützlicher Zeitvertreib für Kinder” by Heinrich Rockstroh, published in 1802. You can download a facsimile of this book from the AGK website.

In 1810 Rockstroh published an extensively edited second edition with the shortened title “Die Kunst, mancherlei Gegenstände aus Papier zu formen“ (a reprint of this book was published by the AGK). In the preamble to this 2nd edition Rockstroh mentions a plagiarism of the 1st edition – he is talking about this small book “Winterzeitvertreib” that was published only 6 months after his original book.

“Winterzeitvertreib” was published in the small octavo size (about 18 x 11 cm). It has only 32 pages which are an almost exact copy of two passages of Rockstroh’s 1802 book. A copper engraving of the original book is reproduced as a woodcut. You will find a more detailed comparison between the original book and the rip-off in vol. 20 of our annual magazine "Zur Geschichte des Kartonmodellbaus", along with further information about the plagiarized version.