Richter's Bauvorlagen No. 3 – Model Booklet for Anker Stone Building Sets – Vintage 1890–1905

Booklet Richter's Bauvorlagen No. 3 (1890–1905)

📚 Exceptional museum piece! Dive into the golden age of German construction toys!

An absolute historical treasure: the original booklet "Richter's Bauvorlagen No. 3 neue Folge" (Construction Models No. 3, new edition), published between 1890 and 1905 in Rudolstadt, Thuringia, Germany. This precious bilingual document (German/French) contains detailed architectural plans for building structures with the famous Anker stone blocks by F. Ad. Richter & Cie.

Richter’s Anchor Stone Building Sets (Anker Steinbaukasten) were the world’s most popular construction toy from the 1880s until World War I. These architectural blocks made of colored artificial stone (a mix of quartz sand, chalk, and linseed oil) were manufactured in Rudolstadt, with branches in Vienna, New York, and Rotterdam.

The booklet features hand-painted watercolor illustrations of elaborate constructions (gate castle, monument, etc.) along with detailed assembly plans. Each page bears the mention "Leipziger Lehrmittel-Anstalt von Dr. Oskar Schneider" (Leipzig Educational Institute) and "Nachdruck verboten!" (reproduction prohibited). The maritime anchor, symbol of the "Anker" brand, is proudly displayed.

Fascinating historical context: In 1894, Richter applied his "Anchor" brand to the stone building sets known as Richter's Anker. Over 600 different sets were produced across several decades. These toys were inspired by the educational principles of Friedrich Froebel, founder of the "kindergarten" concept.