The following has just been sold
(July, 1880) by Messrs. Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge,
in the Dunn-Gardinier collection, lot 1592:--
"TITLEPAGES AND FRONTISPIECES.
_A Collection of upwards of_ 800 ENGRAVED TITLES AND FRONTISPIECES,
ENGLISH AND FOREIGN (_some very fine and curious) taken from
old books and neatly mounted on cartridge paper in 3 vol,
half morocco gilt. imp. folio_."
The only collection of title-pages which has afforded me unalloyed pleasure
is a handsome folio, published by the directors of the Plantin Museum,
Antwerp, in 1877, just after the purchase of that wonderful typographical
storehouse.
It is called "Titels en Portretten gesneden naar P. P. Rubens voor de
Plantijnsche Drukkerij," and it contains thirty-five grand title pages,
reprinted from the original seventeenth century plates, designed by Rubens
himself between the years 1612 and 1640, for various publications which
issued from the celebrated Plantin Printing Office. In the same Museum
are preserved in Rubens' own handwriting his charge for each design,
duly receipted at foot.
I have now before me a fine copy of "Coclusiones siue decisiones antique
dnor' de Rota," printed by Gutenberg's partner, Schoeffer, in the year 1477.
It is perfect, except in a most vital part, the Colophon, which has been
cut out by some barbaric "Collector," and which should read thus: "Pridie
nonis Januarii Mcccclxxvij, in Civitate Moguntina, impressorie Petrus
Schoyffer de Gernsheym," followed by his well-known mark, two shields.
Pages:
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92