Gramatika on the title looks like Century Book Condensed.

> Century Book Condensed

I think that Century was cut in 1894; Schoolbook — 1896; Century Roman — 1898

> I think that Century was cut in ...

I said “looks like ...” ;-)

don’t you think how this is quite mysterious?

Makes me think of Storm’s Hercules... though there are obvious differences.

—Michael.

———————————————————————————
// love what you do or do something else. //
Michael Ebert — graphic designer, jazz saxophonist, horror movie devotee
———————————————————————————

but don’t you think that it’s highly unusual that a typeface appears four years before its release?

Most book type around that time was still set by hand using foundry type. There were numerous foundries, often catering to a limited geographical area, and type styles that were popular elsewhere were often copied or imitated. ATF, which manufactured the Century types, mainly supplied type in North America, so the type in your example is not likely to be Century, even if the dates fit.

Century was not an entirely original design, but one instance of a style of type (modern) that had been around for a while. So, looking at old books like this you’d think it was Century, but that’s only because it’s one of the few of in style that is still in use.