Catalogue of a Collection of Early German Books in the Library of C. Fairfax Murray [2 volumes, complete set ]

Davies, Hugh William

Published by Holland Press, London, 1962

About this Item

2 volumes 4o (28.5 cm), [4], XXII, 462 pp, 18 plates; PP. 463-818, LXII pp, 12 plates. Publisher's cream and maroon cloth, gilt-lettered spines (bindings somewhat dusted). This is a facsimile reprint of the 1913 edition, initially published in 100 copies. The catalogue pertains to the "German" section of the collection amassed by Charles Fairfax Murray (1849-1919), a British painter, dealer, collector, and art historian affiliated with the second generation of the Pre-Raphaelites. Focused on illustrated books printed in what is now the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany, the catalog emphasizes the distinct "style of printing and illustration essentially different from those of Latin countries." The period covered by these books spans from approximately 1455 to 1680, encapsulating the Blockbooks, Gutenberg's specimen, and concluding with the book containing Rembrandt's etching to Jan Six's Medea. The catalogue meticulously describes 495 editions. Notably, the detailed bibliographical descriptions and critical notes by Davies, who was the cataloguer and subsequent owner of the London bookselling firm J. & J. Leighton (from whom many of the books were acquired), contribute to the catalogue's status as a selective bibliography. It is considered one of the best reference works on the subject of French and German 15th- and 16th-century illustrated books, according to Breslauer/Folter 147.

Seller Inventory # 006264

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Catalogue of a Collection of Early German Books in the Library of C. Fairfax Murray [2 volumes, complete set ]
• Publisher: Holland Press, London
• Publication Date: 1962
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Near Fine
• Seller catalogs:
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