Month: November 2015

August 24, 2010

16th CENTURY MINING IN CONTEMPORARY BLIND-TOOLED PIGSKIN.


PRINTED 1548-1571: A SAMMELBAND OF 5 RARE TITLES

[16th Century Mining and Metallurgy.] [Ordinances and Statues] [Maximilian II (31 July 1527 – 12 October 1576) ] [Ferdinand I (10 March 1503 – 25 July 1564)]
1. Abschiedt der Römischen Kayserlichen Majestat, und gemeiner Stände auff dem Reichstag zu Speyr, Anno MDLXX auffgerichtet.
Gedruckt in der Churfürstlichen Stat, Meintz : durch Franciscum Behem, 1571.  [2; (of 4)]; 103 lvs.., lacking t.p.;. BOUND WITH… 2. [L. Fronsperger, Baron von Mindelheim]. Besatzung. Ein kurtzer bericht, wie Stätt, Schlösser oder Flecken mit kriegs volck soll besetzt sein, dass sie sich für dem Feinde erhalten mögen. Mit einer ausstheylung, was einem Menschen einen jeden tag an Brot und Fleysch, dergleichen was einem jeden Pferd allen tag an Habern soll gegeben werden, dass sie sich nach notturfft erhalten künden. Frankfurt an Main, Feyerabend and Huter, 1563 [2]-16, [2] colophon and final blank present, lacking t.p.; BOUND WITH…. 3. Bergkordnung des freyen Königlichen Bergwercks Sanct Joachimthal, sambt anderen umbligenden und eingeleibten Silberbergkwercken, auffs neue gebessert, Anno domini 1548. Zwickau, 1548. [81] of [82] lvs., with errata and final blank, lacking t.p.. BOUND WITH…. 4. Römischer auch zu Hungern und Behem etc. Kü. Mai. geordente und gebesserte Zinbergkwercks Ordnung der Bergstedt Schlackenwalden, Schönfelden, Lautterpach, sampt derselben zugehörenden gepirgen ; Römischer auch zu Hungern und Behem etc. Kü. Mai. Zinbergkwercks Ordnung auff die Bergkwerck Hengst, Perninger, Lichtenstadt, Platten, Gotsgab, Kaff, Mückenbergk und andern derselbigen orten und enden… BOUND WITH… 5. [Ferdinands I.] Geordente und gGebesserte Zinbergkwercks-Ordnung der Bergkstedt Schlackenu’alden, Schönfelden, Lautterpach, sampt derselben zugehörenden Gepirgen. :[Zwickau:, Wolffgang Meyerpeck, 1548] [22] lvs. t.p., crudely remargined, coat of arms on title page. Ornamental initials and head- and tailpieces. Very Rare. Condition: Handsome contemporary blind-tooled German Pigskin over wooden boards, brass catches, some dampstaining, browning,
marginal repairs, several inserted blanks for notes and annotations as well as contemporary manuscript pages, facsimile bookplate.  [$8500]

Extracting metals from the ground has clearly been a fundamental technology that helped pave the way for advances in human civilization. Besides wealth creation, mining required men and smelters,which led to the founding of many villages and communities that formed a backbone of medieval society. This sammelband of 5 separate and rare works, dated from 1548-1571, is therefore of great scholarly importance to both 16th century German law and the history of technology. It addresses the competing rights and claims of kings, landlords, landowners, as well as the individual miners. Additionally it discusses material covered by Agricola, specifically how a mine can be divided into shares and the roles of various other officials in regulating mines and taxing the production. It should be noted that the two large woodcut illustrations were executed a full eight years before the 1556 edition of Agricola’s De re metallica .

posted in: Uncategorized

August 22, 2010

WITH THE RARE THUMBPRINT- THE FIRST RECOGNITION OF A FINGERPRINT AS A UNIQUE MARK OF IDENTIFICATION

PRINTED 1818: BEAUTIFUL ROYAL ISSUE FIRST EDITION OF BEWICK’S GREAT AESOP FABLES

The Book:

[Thomas Bewick] [Aesop.] The fables of Aesop, and others : with designs on wood. Newcastle : Printed by E. Walker, for T. Bewick and Son, sold by them, Longman and Co., London, and all booksellers, 1818. FIRST EDITION, ROYAL ISSUE, the paper watermarked 1817, additional portrait preceding t.p., “To the youth of the British Isles”–Pref. Includes index of fables. 1st ed. The leaf preceding t.p. has the “thumb mark” receipt of Thomas Bewick, signed by Thomas Bewick and Robert Elliot Bewick and dated 1st October 1818. [2], xxiv, 376 p. : ill. (wood-engravings) ; 23.5 cm., Splendid straight-grained Morocco, signed Zaehnsdorf binding. Occasional minor spotting, A Very Fine copy.  [SOLD]

Bewick’s art is considered the pinnacle of its medium. “Bewick is also noteworthy for having used his fingerprint as a form of signature, in conjunction with his written name to denote individuality in his publications. The significance of this happening nearly 200 years ago lead some to believe that Bewick is among the first to recognize the uniqueness of each individual human fingerprint. [Ref: Lee, Henry C and Robert E.Gaensslen. Advances in fingerprint technology ]

posted in: Rare Books

August 22, 2010

PRINTED 1606: HIGHLY IMPORTANT ITALIAN BOTANICAL

109 BEAUTIFUL  FULL PLATE ETCHINGS

The Book:

COLONNA, Fabio (1567-?1650). Minus cognitarum stirpium aliquot ac etiam rariorum nostro coelo orientium [in Greek: Ekphrasis], Rome: Faciotti, 1606. 4to., 215 x 163mm., title in red and black with woodcut printer’s device, engraved portrait of Colonna on verso, woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces, 109 etched full-page plates of 114 of which 97 are botanical and 12 are molluscs, marine creatures and a hippopotamus set in type ornament borders. 19th century Italian boards with vellum spine,  old repair to t.p., some marginal dampstaining, some marginal tears and occasional old repair, some occasional staining, wanting signatures p4, q4 (i.e. 297-312) and 1 leaf, kkk4 of index.),  needless to say a Rare and an Attractive Copy; the etchings struck with fine plate-tone.  Ref: Brunet II, 173; Nissen BBI 385   [$6000]

The  Minus cognitarum stirpium is not only an important book in the history of botany, but also typifies the furious pace of scientific advancement in  17th century Rome, despite the historical setback of Galileo’s censorship. “Fabio Colonna, a leading botanist and botanical illustrator, was a member of the Accademia dei Lincei, founded in Rome by Prince Federico Cesi whose own botanical interest Colonna encouraged. Colonna’s interest in describing and illustrating hitherto unknown plants extended to local as well as exotic specimens.   The new scientific society Accademia dei Lincei (“academy of the lynx- eyed,” so-called from the keenness of sight of its members) gave a powerful example of collective study of scientific problems– the beginning of something like modern laboratory work.”
[Ref: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/vatican/nature.html]

Interestingly,  it is recorded that Colonna suffered from epilepsy and his interest in botany was peaked by his desperate search for a cure, eventually discovering the therapeutic herb Valerian through Dioscorides. That pharmaceutical intent encouraged a very careful scientific approach to his undertaking, with Colonna collecting mostly wild specimens for study- a Kunst und Wunderkammer with clear scientific purpose.  A very high standard  of illustration was thus reached with this publication, depicting details of plant parts decades before their taxonomic importance was recognized.  Colonna is believed to have executed all the etchings himself;  the original drawings for which are preserved in the Biblioteca Nazionale, Naples.

Price Ref. of the 1616 2nd edition:  Christies, June 4, 1997.  $7475.00    [Ref: http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=228261&sid=2a257c48-0d49-4272-9e56-e59ba2148e2f]

posted in: Rare Books

August 22, 2010

PRINTED 1585: The Missing Year Book of Richard II

A Law Book described as “as so exceeding[ly] rare, — the pride and the joy, the infinite good fortune and raritas raritarum of libraries of law-books”

The Book:

[Richard Bellewe]; [Nicholas Statham]; [Anthony Fitzherbert[; Robert Brooke, Sir]. Les ans du roy Richard le Second : collect’ ensembl’ hors de les abridgments de Statham, Fitzherbert et Brooke. London : Imprinted by Robert Robertson, dwelling in Fewter lane neere Holborne, [1585]. [8], 326 , [6] p.; In Law French. Title within ornamental border. TEXT COMPLETE, though lacking corrigenda leaf, albeit there were up to three impressions of this 1585 ed. without priority and very few copies appear to possess this leaf (if it was issued in all). Full reports of cases for the reign of Richard II were never printed. This collection consists of all cases and scattered notes found in print in reports and abridgements. Some worming present in blank gutters of quire M to end, Contemporary English calf, centers with oval blind-stamp flanked by initials “T.C.” Marvin, J.G. Legal bibliography, p. 110. ; STC 1848a; Beale R478.  [$4500]

Provenance:

Thomas Carleton, of whom there are few biographical details, but this is likely the Thomas Carleton, Upper Warden, that appear in a famous 1632 painting in the Painter’s Hall in Little Trinity Lane, which has been studied extensively for its connections and revelations related to the mysterious Chandos Portrait of Shakespeare; Also Bookplate of Hugh Cecil Lowther, fifth Earl of Lonsdale. (see bigraphical info below)

Background:

This Year Book of Richard II, compiled in 1585, has been described by 19th century legal bibliophiles as “as so exceedingly rare, — the pride and the joy, the infinite good fortune and raritas raritarum of libraries of law-books.” The main reason that it was so sought after is that it filled a missing gap in a continuous run of Year Books that every lawyer required or wanted in his library. Additionally, modern law owes a great debt to the later part of the 14th century, during the reign of Richard II, since many of the forms of actions of modern times emanated from this period. [Ref: Wallace, J.W. The reporters: arranged and characterized with incidental remarks, Soule and Bugbee, 1882 .]

Despite the appearance of printed Year Books that included cases of every reign from Edward I to Henry VIII, the very important Year Book of Richard II was lost or omitted. “Why this period was selected for oblivion, history makes no attempt to unravel. There was no dearth of litigation, in this most troubled of reigns, as the huge records of the various terms bear witness. Nor is there even now any great scarcity of manuscripts. Why a system of law built upon history stepped time after time, day after day almost, indifferently across a chasm in which lay great masses of decided cases is beyond comprehension. To this riddle there is no answer.” [Ref: Deiser, G.F. Year books of Richard II: 12 Richard II, A.D. 1388-1389 . Ames Foundation Harvard University Press, 1914]

The Author, Richard Bellewe:

“Richard Bellewe, the author of this work, very little is known beyond the fact that he was a member of an Irish family, and was admitted into the Society of Lincoln’s Inn, 5th June, 1575; there is however no entry of his call to the bar by that society. That Bellewe was a diligent student is evidenced by his collection of Brooke’s ” New Cafes,” temp. Henry VIII., and this volume, which has been designated the Year-book of Richard II. …The numerous inquiries for ” Bellewe’s Cases,” the rarity of the book, and the exorbitant price which copies have realized, led us to believe that a reprint would be acceptable to members of the legal profession and to librarians who desire to possess a complete and perfect series of English Law Reports. (Ref:http://books.google.com/books?id=wg89AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA823&dq=the+rarity+of+the+book,+and+the+exorbitant+price&hl=en&ei=59JdTLCPFoO78gbh67y1DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=the%20rarity%20of%20the%20book%2C%20and%20the%20exorbitant%20price&f=false]

Hugh Cecil Lowther, fifth Earl of Lonsdale:

“Bookplate of Hugh Cecil Lowther, fifth Earl of Lonsdale. After his father’s death Hugh became one of the richest men in England, with estates which included the Whitehaven collieries, and this enabled him to lead an ostentatious lifestyle, employing yellow-liveried footmen and a special train for his household. He also used his wealth to pursue his various sporting passions, including hunting, boxing (he became the first president of the National Sporting Club), horse-racing (as the first president of the International Horse Show at Olympia), and cars (being the first president of the AA). His flamboyant style also led him into associations with famous actresses, such as Lillie Langtry and Violet Cameron, who bore him a daughter after he took her opera company to New York; to an Arctic expedition, during which he collected a huge number of Inuit artefacts which he donated to the British Museum; and to entertaining European royalty, including the Kaiser, on his estates.” [Ref: http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/library/special_collections/early_books/pix/provenance/lonsdale/lonsdale.htm]

posted in: Rare Books

August 12, 2010

UNIQUE FOLIO CONTAINING THE ORIGINAL DRAWINGS OF W.H. BARTLETT


Likely Bartlett’s Earliest Surviving Work

The most beautiful Norman Cathedral in England.

The book and drawings:

Britton, John., 1771-1857 . The History and Antiquities of the Abbey, and Cathedral Church of Peterborough. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, 1828. Illustrated with engraved title, wood-engraved printed title vignette, and 15 engraved plates and plans, extra-illustrated with the original drawings and plans for the engravings. 4to.,  re-mounted as a grand folio (37 x 26 cm).  Full brown crushed levant, covers with elaborate gilt panels and gilt turn-ins, by Riviere & Son.  Joints rubbed, cracking to upper joint, beginning separation of one board, light circular stain to front board, overall Very Good. A magnificent architectural work on what is perhaps the most beautiful Norman Cathedral in England.  Extra-illustrated with the original pen and sepia ink washes, drawings in pencil, and plans including eight renderings by William H. Bartlett and two by George Catermole, and others by Henry Ansted and E. Blore.  The original renderings also include an additional alternate central vignette for the engraved title.  Only a detail plate for the cathedral’s circular windows is not paired with its original. [$9500]

Wiliiam Henry Bartlett was born in Kentish Town, London in 1809.  He was apprenticed to John Britton, and became one of the most beloved and widely copied topographical illustrators of his generation. His depictions of America in his American Scenery (1840),  his great commercial success, became iconic 19th century images which never lost their seductive qualities despite the advent of photography which largely replaced his art-form. The 8 original drawings by W.H. Bartlett present here  are no doubt among his earliest surviving work, having been published when he was merely nineteen years old , and no doubt executed in the year before that.

His precocious talent, seen now in these drawings,  was also evident at the time of publication.  As Britton himself  states in his Auto-biography,  remarking about the passage of twelve years from the original conception of the book until its publication, “A new set of drawings was then prepared by W. H. Bartlett, who has since acquired deserved celebrity as a landscape illustrator of oriental and other foreign scenery. That gentleman was assisted by Henry Ansted, and Penry Williams; and two or three of the drawings originally made by the former artists were also used for the work. Mr. Bartlett, although then comparatively inexperienced, displayed so much taste and feeling in his sketches and finished drawings, that the plates executed from them are among the most successful of the series.

[Ref: The Auto-biography of John Britton: in three parts. By John Britton, T. E. Jones Published by Printed for the author, as presents to subscribers “The Britton Testimonial”, 1849 Original from Harvard University Digitized Aug 26, 2005].

posted in: Rare Books