Vogelbuch : darinn die art / natur unnd eigenschafft aller Vöglen / sampt jrer waren Contrafactur / angezeigt wirdt : allen Liebhaberen der künsten / Artzeten, Maleren, Goldschmiden, Bildschnitzeren, Seydenstickeren, Weydleüten unnd Köchen / nit allein lustig zů erfaren / sunder gantz nutzlich und dienstlich zebrauchen / erstlich durch Doctor Conradt Geßner in Latin beschriben ; neüwlich aber durch Růdolff Heüßlin mit fleyß in das Teütsch gebracht / unnd in ein kurtze ordnung gestelt. · Centre for Renaissance and Reformation Studies (CRRS) Rare Book Collection

Author

Conrad Gessner

Title

Vogelbach : darinn die art / natur unnd eigenschafft aller Vöglen / sampt jrer waren Contrafactur / angezeigt wirdt : allen Liebhaberen der künsten / Artzeten, Maleren, Goldschmiden, Bildschnitzeren, Seydenstickeren, Weydleüten unnd Köchen / nit allein lustig zů erfaren / sunder gantz nutzlich und dienstlich zebrauchen / erstlich durch Doctor Conradt Geßner in Latin beschriben ; neüwlich aber durch Růdolff Heüßlin mit fleyß in das Teütsch gebracht / unnd in ein kurtze ordnung gestelt.

Date

1581

Place

Getruckt zů Zürych [Zurich]

Publisher

Christoffel Froschouwer [Christoph Froschauer]

Language

German

Translator

Rudolf Heusslin

Note

BINDING:
Rebound. Artificial wood veneer over pasteboards. Hollow backed. Cased-in (possibly perfect bound). Headband and tailband present. Green leather label with gold stamping on spine reads: GESSNER │ VOGELBUCH │ 1583.

CONDITION:
Binding -- Rebound: wood veneer over boards.
Pages -- large sections of the book are missing. The leaves that are present are heavily damaged. Some restoration effort has been made, but some of the text has been lost.

Generally poor condition.

DEDICATIONS:
To the Burgermeister of Zurich, to Rudolf Heusslin, to the Church of Jesus Christ (2a2v)
To the Reader (2a4v)

FORMAT:
2°: 2a⁶ a-z⁶ A-T⁶ V⁴ X⁶ (-X6) [$4 signed (-2a1, -V4)]. Missing due to mutilation: gathers B6, C6, S6; leaves R4, R5, R6, T1, T2, T3, T4. Collation reflecting condition: 2°: 2a⁶ a-z⁶ A⁶ D-Q⁶ R⁶(-R4, -1R5, -R6) T⁶(-T1, -T2, -T3, -T4) V⁴ X⁶(-X6). Leaves: 242, ff. [6] I-XLVII, XLVIII, XLVIIII-LI, LII, LIII-CXLIIII, CLVII-CCXXXVII, CCLI-CCLXI [=238 ff.]. Boards measure: 34 x 22.5 cm. Leaves measure: 33.8 x 22 cm.

ILLUSTRATIONS:
Some woodcut decorated initials, 215 woodcuts of various sizes depicting birds.

MARGINALIA:
Printed Marginalia: Light explanatory note and only in the preliminaries.
Handwritten Notes: There are few handwritten notes, however there are 12 fully coloured and 2 partially coloured woodcuts in this copy. The coloured image on ff. XVIr has what appears to be a signature that reads: Angel. All of the woodcuts in this copy have been numbered in red pencil crayon. This may have been done before this copy lost some of its gathers, as the sequence is interrupted when a missing section occurs (alternatively someone could have been using a completed copy to number the illustrations).

OTHER:
Inserted loosely at the beginning of gather N6 there is a half leaf of text. This seems to be the replacement text for 6M6, which is missing due to damage. However, the inserted half leaf, while the correct text, has not been typeset the same. It also bears a signature mark of N, but that would place it one leaf to early. What edition this text comes from is unknown.

PROVENANCE:
Inscription on the inner pastedown in graphite reads: £ 5-5-0/. Inscription on the flyleaf reads: “F.D. Hoeniger London 1956 Det. of English Victoria College University of Toronto. See library of congress copy dated 1581 QL 41.g41.
In this copy pp. 145-56 and 238-250 are missing. These pages had (?) with the Falcon and with Doves Bought from Ossining.”
Two pieces of paper have been inserted between the front board and the flyleaf. The first appears to be an identification slip that reads: “Gesner, Conrad. Vogelbuch. Froschauer, 1581”. The second slip is from a rare book catalogue describing this copy and listing its price as $40.00. No date is on the slip.
There is a monogram stamp on several preliminary leaves that looks like a combination of progressively smaller letters on top of each other. The letters are: TMAR.
There are two inscriptions on the title page. They appear to be in two different hands. The first is located at the top of the page written in script. The language is German, but the text is illegible.There is a clear date on the inscription however: 1592. The second inscription (above the falcon on the title page), which is German written in script is also illegible. It looks as if someone has written over a previous inscription.
Gift to Victoria University Library (CRRS Rare). Hoeniger, David. 2017.

RELATED:
Date on this edition is questionable. VD16 lists two printings of this edition; one in 1581 and another in 1582. Both are related back to an edition printed by Froschauer in 1577.

TITLE PAGE:

[Bold denotes blackletter]Vogelbůch │ Darinn die art natur vnnd eigenſchafft │ aller bögel/ ſampt irer waren Contrafactur/ angezeigt wirdt: │ allen Liebhaberen der kunſten/ Argeten/ Maleren/ Goldſchmiden/ Bildſchnige- │ ten/ Seydenſtickeren/ Weydleiiten vunnd Köchen/ nit allein luſtig zů erfaren ſun- │ der gantz nutzlich vnd dienſtlich zebrauchen. Erſtlich durch Doctor Con- │ radt Geẞner in Latin beſchriben: neüwlich aber durch Růdolff │ Heüẞlin mit fleyẞ in das Teütſch gebracht/ vnnd │ in ein kurge ordnung geſtelt. │ Wit Keyſerlicher Waieſtat freyhe [rest of line missing] │ Getrutkt zů Zurych bey Chriſtoffel <Froschauer>│ im iarlas man zalt M. D. LXX<XI>

TABLES/INDEXES:
Register (2a4r)

TYPE:
Blackletter with some Roman.

WATERMARK:
None found.

IMPRINT:
Getruckt zů Zürych : Bey Christoffel Froschouwer, im Jar als man zalt, 1582.

CITATION/REFERENCE:
VD 16 ; G 1736
Vischer ; C 990

FORMAT:
[10], 261 [i.e. 522] pages : Illustations (woodcuts) ; 36 cm (folio)