Edgar Ubisch's inventory numbers indicate that it came from Wilhelm Drugulin's collection, which was acquired in 1874/75. However, the sheets may also come from other provenances between 1874 and 1889. But most of the sheets come from the previous possession of Justus Brinckmann. On 8 April 1943 the books in the ornamental engraving collection were removed from storage and on 12 May 1943 the ornamental engraving collection was moved to Sahlis (near Kohren). Exact circumstances of loss and whereabouts unknown.
After the end of the war, the ornamental engraving collection was confiscated on 17/18 December 1945 and transported to the Heerstr. 5 collection point by Soviet military brigades. On 11 March 1946, train no. 176/1760 departed Leipzig for Moscow under the direction of Major S. S. Churakov, arriving there on 29 March. The rest of the collection was returned from the Pushkin Museum to the Grassi in November 1958 as part of the Soviet Union's restitution programme.
