Frankfurt book fair--Willer, Georg

Estimate

4,000 - 5,000 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

Collectio in unum corpus, omnium librorum hebraeorum, graecorum, latinorum necnon germanice, italice, gallice, & hispanice scriptorum, qui in nundinis Francofurtensibus ab anno 1564 usque ad nundinas Autumnales anni 1592 partim novi, partim nova forma, & diversis in locis editi, venales extiterunt (Catalogi librorum germanicorum alphabetici... Secunda pars; Collectio in unum corpus librorum italice, hispanice, et gallice... pars tertia). Frankfurt: Nicolaus Bassaeus, 1592
Paper

3 parts in one volume, 4to (208 x 165mm.), woodcut printer's device on title-pages, contemporary German blind-stamped pigskin over wooden boards, portrait of Maximilian II on upper cover, slight browning throughout, damp-staining towards end, a few holes in title-page and text of preface to third part, last few leaves damaged with a few crude repairs, pigskin torn and defective, lacking two clasps

Provenance

Joh. Porphyrius, bought in Wittenberg in 1606 for 1 Reichsthaler 18 Groschen, inscription on title-page; Johann Conrad Feuerlein of Nuremberg (1720-1788), jurist and bibliophile, armorial bookplate

Literature

VD16 W3198

Condition

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

This catalogue, produced by the Augsburg bookseller Georg Willer, is a fascinating insight into the books available at the Frankfurt fair from 1564 to 1592; the largest section lists the books in Latin, followed by the books in German and the smallest final section contains the books in romance languages. Willer issued a catalogue each spring and autumn from 1564 onwards which have here been collected into one cumulative listing.

The Frankfurt book fair was just one of many across the whole of Europe which gradually gained prominence as the most important book fair, held for a fortnight each spring and autumn; while Frankfurt was not an important place of production for books in the early years of printing, it had the tradition of being a major trading centre situated on important trade routes.

"By the last four decades of the sixteenth century Latin titles made up on average 65 per cent of the books traded in Frankfurt, and German books around 30 per cent. Most of the Latin books were published outside Germany; the largest proportion of the German books came from Frankfurt itself, or other south German cities. Frankfurt thus served two largely distinct, though interlocking markets: an international Latin trade, and a trans-German market in vernacular books" (A. Pettegree, The Book in the Renaissance, 2010, p. 80).