{"product_id":"rare-and-remarkably-intact-early-20th-century-illustrated-l-wolff-mfg-company-residential-and-commercial-plumbing-goods-hardbound-trade-catalog","title":"rare and remarkably intact early 20th century illustrated l. wolff mfg. company residential and commercial plumbing goods hardbound trade catalog","description":"this hard-to-find and profusely illustrated catalogue of l. wolff manufacturing company was published in 1908 and is presently in very good condition by book collecting standards. the company, established 1855, describes itself on the title page of the volume as “manufacturers of plumbing goods of every description.” the forest green buckram cloth cover is embossed with gold metallic colored, turn-of-the-century typography and early 1900s graphic design elements in gold and black ink. the issue has a highly desirable stippled edge in which the exposed edges of the leaves have been sprayed with plum red dye. there is no evidence of dampstaining. the spine is free of chips and tears, with evidence of very light rubbing at the head and base consistent with age. the spine legibly reads “wolff’s h. - 1908” in  metallic embossed print and features and attractive illustration of a wolf head and prairie flowers. this logo is also printed in green ink on the pasted endpapers and the volume’s frontispiece. the sewn and mulled binding is extremely sound with no missing pages.  the verso cover displays an inkless “blind” embossed version of the wolf head logo. the coated, glossy interior leaves are in very good condition overall. nearly every page is ornately illustrated with the wide variety of plumbing related products sold by the company, including clawfoot bathtubs, water closets, and pedestal sinks. collectors interested in historical architectural bathroom spaces will value the carefully drafted illustrations, which are at times accompanied by interior design renderings of the item installed in a prominent building. ludwig wolff (b. 1836) arrived in chicago in 1854, at the age of 18, and he soon started a small manufacturing operation that made pipe fittings for alcohol and candy producers. within twenty years, his business had grown substantially and he was able to relocate into a large new plant in downtown chicago, which employed about 1000 men and generated approximately $1.5 million in sales annually. indoor plumbing became wildly popular around the turn of the century. around the time this catalog was published, the company had expanded its merchandise range greatly and possessed two plants in chicago, operations in ten other cities, and employed nearly 3500 workers. the great depression hit wolff particularly hard, however, and the company entered a long decline, ultimately folding shortly after world war two. this is one of the last catalogs to be published before ludwig wolff’s death in 1911.  the chicago historical society has a later 1912 edition of this catalogue in their encyclopedic collection. the tome-like issue measures 9-1\/2” x 12-1\/2” x 2-1\/2”.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50672009412906,"sku":"UR-27689-18","price":500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20130726-065z_1_2.jpg?v=1760467029","url":"https:\/\/urbanremainschicago.com\/products\/rare-and-remarkably-intact-early-20th-century-illustrated-l-wolff-mfg-company-residential-and-commercial-plumbing-goods-hardbound-trade-catalog","provider":"Urban Remains Chicago","version":"1.0","type":"link"}