hard-to-find, out of print, profusely illustrated ‘general catalogue’ of l. wolff manufacturing company published in 1908 by the press of john c. burmeister printing co., chicago. l. wolff manufacturing was established 1855, and 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, turn-of-the-century typography and early 1900s graphic design elements in gold and faded-to-green ink. the issue has a highly desirable stippled edge in which the exposed edges of the leaves have been sprayed with plum red dye. the catalog is presently in fragile condition, with the cover, first several pages, and the back cover and endpapers detached. the cover is faded and severely worn on all edges, the cloth chipping away from the bookboard especially near the spine edge. the spine itself is missing, exposing a loose gauze strip and signatures in the sewn and mulled binding. inside the catalog some pages are chipping at the edges or feature old penciled handwriting, but overall, all 730 pages are legible with images and text unobscured by damage. the company trademark wolf head logo is printed in black ink on the green pasted endpapers and the volume’s frontispiece. the coated, glossy interior leaves are loose but mostly intact. 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 ½ x 12 ½ x 2 ½ .