An unique entertainment or dinner party organizing tool and/or souvenir album -- we have never seen such a published album before. Unlike a guest log, of which we have seen plenty, this was a book in which the host or hostess would enter in the seating arrangement, the menu, and other details of a party he/she was planning. As to the seating arrangement, there is printed a line drawing that could serve as a template for a variety of tables -- rectangular, T-shaped, two tables, etc. On the facing page is space for the prospective meal to be recorded. The unknown publisher, on a separate sheet, speaks of the virtues of entertaining as an antidote to the rat race of the business world. This being a German publication with ethereal aspirations, there are the mandatory quotations from Goethe, both on the publisher's sheet and in the album itself. Whether the album caught on we can not say, but it is unquestionably attractive in its Jugendstil aesthetic, which also is a means of dating it. The publication states no date, but we are fairly confident it was issued around 1910, and it certainly would not have come out after the First World War began. 4to. 27.5 by 20 cm. Unpaginated, 38 leaves, 31 of which have the printed scheme for a total of 31 parties. On the rectos are the "Tischordnung", or table arrangement, and facing versos have three sections: "Speisen u Getraenke", "Musik u Tanz" and "Bemerkenswertes" -- or food and drink, music and dance, and noteworthy. The Tischordnung pages have illustrations of a chef and a waitress, and all the pages have lovely orange and green decoration. The book itself is unused. The DJ, a plain wax paper, has a few closed tears along the lower edge, a tiny hole, other minor edge wear. Also comes with a slipcase, which has torn edges and other wear but could be restored. Title: Unsere G?ste [together with] a glossy sheet from the publisher explaining the purpose of the book Edition: First Location Published: Germany (assumed), 1910 Binding: Cloth. Blindstamped lettering and decoration. Pap Book Condition: Fine Jacket Condition: Very Good Jacket Item lbs: 2.00 Item lbs Categories: Art Nouveau, Culinary Seller ID: 20696
