The story of this book is a story of superlatives. Hartmann Schedel, a medical doctor in Nuremberg who owned the most important private collection of books in all of Europe was the author. His library made the writing of this book possible. The writing and production of this book was teamwork. Among the more famous cooperators were Wilhelm Pleydenwurff and the painter and expert woodcutter Michael Wolgemut (1434-1519) who became the first noted book illustrator.

Schedel, Astronomy, Grasshopper, Portraits

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"Sexta etas mundi Fol.CCLV" Page 255

Front page:

"Johannes de monte regio astronomus" Regiomontanus. Johann Mueller - also Johannes Molitor 1436 - 1476). Regiomontanus = Latin for Koenigsberg in Franconia). He was a famous astronomer, mathematician and publisher. A co-member of the so called Vienna School of Astonomy.

No title. Niklashausen in Franconia. Crowd gathered aroung Hans Boehm (Hans Behem, a herdsman and preacher in Niklashausen, promising his numerous followers indulgence drum their sins. He was also preaching a sort of socialism (common property). He was considered a heretic by church authorities. And the bishop of Wuerzburg let him be arrested, taken to Wuerzburg and burnt at stake.

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Verso:

"Galeacius maria mediolannen dux" - Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milano (1444 - 1476), known as a patron of Art and Music.

"Carol burgundionum dux" . Charles I. (the Bold) of Burondy (1433-1477)

No title. Locust plague in northern Italy

Outstanding original hand coloring. Superb quality!

Upper right, respectively upper left corner has water stain with small repaired holes in paper. The image of Sforza has lost much of much of its original hand coloringSee scans. Generally aged paper, age and use showing. See scans.

Page size 42 x 28,5 cm (ca. 16.5 x 11.2")

The Nuremberg Chronicle, Nuremberg 1493

In May of 1493 appeared in the Latin language one of the earliest voluminous books, fully illustrated with 1809 woodcuts printed from 645 woodblocks: The Nuremberg Chronicle.

The story of this book is a story of superlatives. Hartmann Schedel, a medical doctor in Nuremberg who owned the most important private collection of books in all of Europe was the author. His library made the writing of this book possible. The writing and production of this book was teamwork. Among the more famous cooperators were Wilhelm Pleydenwurff and the painter and expert woodcutter Michael Wolgemut (1434-1519) who became the first noted book illustrator. His most famous apprentice up to 1489 was Albrecht Dürer who is supposedly contributed two woodcuts to the Chronicle. Poet Konrad Celtis contributed the German text which was published in December of the same year

Sebald Schreyer (1446-1520), a wealthy merchant in Nuremberg, financed the enduring and long lasting preparations which went into the production of this book which is a "History of the World" from Genesis to the date of printing. The double page size woodcuts of city views are, with the exception of Lübeck, the first ever printed views. Large sized and sometimes in bold, bright hand coloring they are considered the crowns of city view collections.

Columbus had already "discovered" America when the Schedel Chronicle appeared on the book market. But no news of this stunning discovery had reached the editors in time to be included in this remarkable book, so that, alas, there is no mention of "The New World" in it. However it remains a fact that the Nuremberg Chronicle is one of the most noted and valuable incunabila.