Large woodcut on title of an astronomer studying an armillary sphere in front of a starry sky by Hans Burgkmair & nine woodcuts in the text. 40 unnumbered leaves. Small 4to, cont. limp vellum, title written in a contemporary hand on upper cover, with the orig. nine-link chain attached to the lower cover with the orig. chain swivel & ring at other end, orig. deerskin ties. Augsburg: V. Otmar, 1548.

A fine copy of the “first German encyclopedia” of general knowledge, here bound in a very remarkable chained binding. Most surviving chained bindings are substantial folios; our example is a smaller format book with... More

Title printed in red & black. 18 p.l., 679 pp.; [24], [92] leaves. Two parts in one vol. Large folio, cont. blind-stamped panelled pigskin over boards (light browning). [From title-page of second part]: Lyon [but really Geneva]: P. Santandreanus, 1582.

An excellent edition of Pliny’s Natural History, the greatest general scientific and encyclopedic work of antiquity, a storehouse of physical, geographical, and historical knowledge which profoundly affected the Western world’s thought for more than 1500 years. It deals with mathematics, physics, geography, astronomy, medicine, physiology, zoology, botany, geology, mineralogy, mining, metallurgy, pharmacology, anthropology, philosophy, history, agriculture, the arts and letters, etc.

This edition contains the valuable Castigationes of Sigismund Gelenius (1497-1554), the eminent Greek scholar and humanist, who used two ancient manuscripts in the preparation. Adrianus Turnebus (1512-65), professor of Greek at the College Royal, Joseph Justus Scaliger (1540-1609), Justus Lipsius (1547-1606), and others have provided notes and variant readings. More

Added finely lithographed frontis. & title, one folding lithographed map of Bavaria, & one folding printed genealogical tree. xx, 222 pp., one leaf of errata. 8vo, cont. red sheep maroquiné, sides decorated in gilt, flat spine gilt, a.e.g. Weilheim: “Auf Kosten des Verfassers,” 1827.

First edition and very rare; this privately printed book was intended for students. Wöstermayr, described on the title-page as a teacher in Weilheim, provides a detailed account of the geography of Bavaria as well as descriptions and histories of all the villages, towns, and cities of the region.

Pages vii-xx contain an extensive list of subscribers. The folding printed table portrays a genealogical account of the royal house of Bavaria from 1120. The border of the lithographed map depicts women’s costumes from each area of Bavaria, and views and maps of the major towns. More