De BRY, Theodore
De BRY, Theodore. "The Big Voyages" Parts I V (of 13), in one volume. All in the first Latin edition. Frankfurt, 1590-1595. Folio (37x26 cm). Original binding in contemporary blindstamped calf over wooden bords. Some worming especially to the end of the volume. With 9 engraved titles, 5 armorial plates, 9 folding engraved maps and 159 engraved plates. This volumes includes a total of 182 copper engravings. Very nice copy in good condition: wide margins, strong impressions & good paper quality. Some pages were missing and have been replaced from another Latin copy (see below). Complete. Provenance: 'Birgittenklosters' in Köln, which was dissolved in 1802 during the secularization. The first five volumes of the extensive work of the De Bry family which shows the discovery of America. Theodore De Bry the elder made only the first six volumes, the work was continued by his sons until 1634. Each volume of the De Bry series was accompanied by graphic illustrations of the events, many made from first hand observations. These very rare prints are some of the earliest authentic images of the New World, for previous accounts either contained no illustrations or their images were crude and mostly imaginary. Thus, De Bry's prints provide an important contemporary view of the history of the nascent days of European conquest and settlement in America. The pictures show detailed scenes of native customs, culture and warfare, and episodes in the history of European contact with these natives and their world. As Michael Alexander said, De Bry's work "brought to the European public the first realistic visualization of the exotic world opened up across the Atlantic by the explorers, conquerors and settlers." (Discovering the New World, p. 7) Theodore De Bry was a protestant born in Liège and was engraver, goldsmith and publisher. He had worked in Liège, Strasbourg, Antwerp, London and finally Frankfurt. 'The Big Voyages' is his most important work. PART I: Thomas Hariot: Admiranda Narratio fida tamen, de commodis et incolarum ritibus Virginiae. 1590. Engraved title-page, vignette coat-of-arms, engraved folding map of Virginia (Burden 76, state 1), and 28 numbered plates after John White by Theodor de Bry, woodcut head- and tail-pieces and initials First edition in Latin (mostly first issue) of Hariot's VIRGINIA, the first eyewitness pictorial record of the American southeast and the first illustrated account wholly dedicated to any portion of what is now the United States. This is without question the most important of the series both in terms of contemporary influence and modern historical and ethnographic value. The text describes the first British colony to be established in the New World and is here united by De Bry with engravings based on watercolors by John White, a member of the expedition. This work offered the first accurate accounts and eyewitness depictions of Native Americans. In 1584, Sir Walter Raleigh received a ten-year charter to establish the first permanent English settlement in Virginia, and over the course of the next five years four expeditions landed at Roanoke for that purpose. The second of those expeditions included mathematician and navigator Thomas Hariot and artist and later colonial governor John White. Upon his return to London, Hariot would privately publish in 1588 A BRIEF AND TRUE ACCOUNT OF THE NEW FOUND LAND OF VIRGINIA (extant in only six known copies), which details the explorations and discoveries during the 1585 expedition. The following year Hakluyt would include the text in his seminal PRINCIPALL NAVIGATIONS. In 1589 master engraver and publisher Theodor De Bry traveled to London, where he met Hakluyt, who told him of the British expeditions to Virginia and shared with him both Hariot's journal and White's watercolors from the expedition. Hakluyt suggested the publication of a series of illustrated voyages to America, beginning with Hariot/White. De Bry returned to Frankfurt and in 1590 published the
Thornton, Dr. Robert John
Set of four original colour aquatints, flowers, by John Robert Thornton. Engravings: aquatint, stipple and line. Sheet Size (not including margins): 58 x 44.5cm (22.6 x 17.4 inches) From: Temple of Flora. London, 1799-1807. The Temple of Flora is the third and final part of Robert John Thornton s New illustration of the sexual system of Carolus von Linnaeus, considered by many to be the greatest of all flower books. It consists of a series of sumptuous depictions of flowers notable for their epic and unusual settings. The first plates were engraved by Thomas Medland in May 1798 from paintings by Philip Reinagle. Between 1798 and 1807 they produced a total of thirty-three coloured plates, engraved in aquatint, stipple and line. Others engravers included Joseph Constantine Stadler working from the painting of Peter Charles Henderson. When he planned the project, Thornton had decided to publish seventy folio-size plates. Lack of interest from the general public spelled disaster for the scheme, and the holding of a lottery could not save it from financial ruin, neither did a page in the work dedicated to the spouse of George III, Queen Charlotte, patroness of botany and the fine arts. The four plates: - Tulips. Engraved by Earlom, after Reinagle. 1798. - The Superb Lily. Engraved by Earlom, after Reinagle. 1799. - Hyacinths. Engraved by Warne r, after S. Edwards. 1801. - A Group of Carnations. Engraved by Caldwall after Henderson. 1803.
Waghenaer, Lucas Janszoon and translation by Anthony Ashley
First English edition printed in London. Two parts in one. Folio, 40 x 29 cm. With 2 engraved title-pages, an engraved dedication, a radial plate and the rare volvelle present in 2 separate plates (uncut). With 35 charts (of 45). Missing charts, in part I: 15, 16 & 17; in part II: 7, 12, 15, 18, 19, 20 & 21. The plates are by De Bry, Jodocus Hondius, Augustine Ryther and Johannes Rutlinger. Bound in a 19th century half leather binding. With some offsetting and some tanning but generally a good copy. Most of the maps and especially the title pages have a good dark impression. Provenance: Johan Harries, London [1590s] (ink inscription on title); M. Naylor (ex-libris) 20th century.
Ortelius A. Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. Opus nunc ab ipso Auctore recognitum multisque locis castigatum, & quamplurimis novis Tabulis atque Commentarijs auctum. Antwerp, Chr. Plantin, 1592. Three parts in one vol. Folio, 46 x 35 cm, Latin text. Engraved allegorical title, engraved portrait and 134 double-page maps, all finely coloured and heightened in gold by a contemporary hand, with a monogram of the colourist (HVS) in gold on the title page. Contemporary Dutch vellum binding. Beautiful atlas printed on large, heavy paper in superb luxe colouring. Origin: from a German noble family. Ref.: Van der Krogt III.A 31:041 This is the first edition of the Theatrum with a clear division into three parts: (1) the atlas itself, (2) the Parergon, and (3) the Nomenclator. The Parergon had, for the first time, its own title page. Printing started in July 1590 but lasted longer than expected because of a paper shortage. The Nomenclator was printed between February and May 1591 (the title page was dated 1591). The rest of the Theatrum was printed in the summer of 1591 The first copies were delivered on 6 August 1591. The colophon, however, has the date 1592. The Plantin Press printed 525 copies of this edition.
