Kramer, Rudolf
Kramers Taschenbuch der Rassegeflügelzucht
1908, Würzburg, Stűrtz
Second Edition
An expanded second edition of Rudolf Kramer’s authoritative handbook on German pedigree poultry, issued posthumously in his honor and conceived as a tribute to his decisive role in the scientific definition and advancement of poultry breeding in Germany. Enlarged to include 107 chromolithographic plates (an increase from the 90 plates of the 1899 first edition), this volume incorporates the most recent developments in breed classification and standardization, reflecting the state of the discipline at its most mature and systematic phase. The work recognizes Kramer’s foundational contribution to the modernization of poultry breeding, not merely as a practical activity but as a structured, comparative science grounded in observation, typology, and standard definition. The handbook embodies the transition from traditional husbandry to a rationalized, uniform system of breed description, in which visual representation and textual characterization operate together to establish shared criteria and common language. Particularly distinguished is the chromolithographic program, which elevates the volume beyond utilitarian literature. The plates are executed with exceptional precision and clarity, serving as visual standards rather than decorative images. As a result, the book functions simultaneously as a technical instrument for breeders, a document of agricultural heritage, and a refined and delightful example of chromolithography applied to scientific and naturalistic subjects.
The structure of the volume is organized around the systematic pairing of image and description. Each chromolithographic plate presents a specific breed type, rendered with close attention to form, plumage, coloration, and posture. The corresponding descriptive text, printed on the facing page, provides the defining characteristics and comparative notes that transform each image into a reference model rather than a simple illustration. The book was conceived in particular as a practical support for breeders at poultry exhibitions and shows. Its purpose is comparative and diagnostic: to allow breeders to understand official standards, to distinguish between closely related types, to compare specimens across breeds, and to evaluate their own birds against shared visual and descriptive criteria. In this sense, it operates as a tool of standardization, helping to create uniformity and consistency in the way poultry is observed, described, and judged.
Chromolithography at its finest, precise yet playful, illustrating 107 chicken breeds (!) and turning this serious breeding handbook into a genuine delight to leaf through.
Pp. [1] f.e., 32; [1] portrait of R. Kramer on leaf out of pagination. [1] intro leaf, 107 chromolitographic plates.
Solid original green cloth binding, with the title and a vignette impressed in a lighter color on the upper cover and in black on the spine; decorative endpapers. A black-and-white portrait of Rudolf Kramer, printed outside the pagination, is inserted between pp. 8–9. The chromolithographic plates remain vibrant, though some rare minor losses with rubbing to the text on the opposite page. Overall fresh and in very good condition.
Dimensions (inches): 7 1/2 x 5 x 1
Rudolf Kramer (1844-1904), German poultry expert and agricultural authority, pioneered systematic poultry breeding methods in late 19th-century Germany.
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