Oh yeah, that one... erm, it's on the tip of my tongue.

edit. in case anybody thinks I was being facetious, (I was), there was no pic when I replied.

Nick Cooke

could it be NixRift ? although that would not fit the 1919 timeline would it.

I don't know, but some forms remind me somehow of a (condensed) Janson(-Antiqua), especially of the ß-form. Maybe this leads you in the right direction.
PS Do you like the font? Me not.

It has elements of Plantin, but is more condensed. It could be a version of Plantin.

Nick Cooke

The W seems wrong for most versions of Plantin, except heavy weights. I think this looks more like Granjon.

- Mike Yanega

.. however, that P doesn't fit Granjon at all. Still searching...

- Mike Yanega

Well, my best hope was the Jaspert 'Encyclopaedia of Type Faces' and I struck out there. The closed P seems popular in some Dutch types, but even some American types in the early 20th century had it. We may not get this one unless someone has some good old German type books.

- Mike Yanega

We may not get this one unless someone has some good old German type books.
I am in San Francisco right now, without my German type books. But it just looks like Stempel Garamond to me, pure and simple.

Stempel Garamond
Trouble is, while it looks like a heavy print of Stempel Garamond (that square bottom on the a), that face was only published around 1924/25. If the book is, indeed, from 1919, then I spoke too quickly. As always.

yes, i had already the same idea, garamond, platin, janson, granjon, van dijck, then garamond again or at least a garamonish type, but somehow there is always something different or the time does not fit. at the moment I think its a revival from an 17th century typeface, or end 16th century. garamond or dutch leads the right way, I think, but I am not sure. Thanks for your help anyway.
Ludwig

Ludwig, I own a couple of «Insel»-books of that time. In some of them, as well as in the mighty tome «Deutsche Buchkunst 1890 bis 1960», the type is simply referred to as Janson Antiqua. I’d imagine that it’s an otherwise unknown (and in my opinion quite ugly) version from the late 19th century. Have you already asked the Bleisetzer Georg Kraus? He might give you further advise.

Florian, I think the typeface has indeed some similarity to the Janson Antiqua, but then some letterforms look more close to forms of the renaissance, like the capitel R or the M. Unfortunately I don't have a comprehensive specimen of the Janson. I will contact the Bleisetzer. Thanks for your help.

The typeface seems to be the Elzevir-Antiqua from Genzsch & Heyse in Hamburg. Georg Kraus mentioned in typoforum that the typeface came originally from Deberny & Cie.