Es war einmal

First edition. An elaborate example of late Viennese Jugendstil book illustration, combining Franz Karl Ginzkey's Old-Viennese ballads with twelve mounted colour illustrations by Heinrich Leffler and the extensive decorative book design of Bernd Steiner. Lefler (1863–1919), a leading representative of Viennese book and decorative art around 1900 and co-founder of the Hagenbund, had died several years before publication, hence the unusual wording “illustriert von weiland Heinrich Lefler” on the title-page. The colour plates are individually mounted and surrounded by Steiner's ornamental designs; the title and parts of the decoration are printed in gold. First published by M. Munk in Vienna in 1922.