
Welser (1558–1614) was an amateur scholar in the original sense of the term whose membership in the extremely wealthy banking family allowed him to pursue his scholarly interests and even to be a patron, as he was of Hoeschel. It was because of Welser's wealth that Hoeschel had his own printing press beginning in 1595.
This volume nicely shows both Welser's wealth (access to the Aldine press) and his antiquarian scholarship (on the history and Roman antiquities of Augsburg, Germany). A good example of the late Aldine press's contract work, it employs the usual mix of roman and italic type and on some leaves demonstrates the art of printing sideways; it does not bear the anchor and dolphin device, but is attributed to Aldus in Renouard, which makes a great deal of sense given the relationship between Welser and Manuzio. It is uncommon in today's market and is little held in U.S. libraries.
Contents include: Antiqua quae Augustae Vindelicorum extant monumenta (pp. 199–244); Antiqua agri Augustani monumenta (pp. 245–258); Antiqua monumenta peregrina (pp. 259–74). Signature D is letterpress and an engraved double page map (upside down); signature Ii is letterpress and an engraved double page folding plate.
Provenance: Signature of Hermanus Conringius, dated 1662.
Renouard, Alde, 252. Vellum over paste boards, lacking ties; old inked title and paper shelving label on spine (minor wear, mild soiling and discolorations). Ex–theological seminary with bookplate on front pastedown and rubber-stamp on title-page engraving; title-page mounted. Early inked writing on front fly-leaf and rear free endpaper; a few instances of inked underlining and marginal notation. First few leaves with evidence of worming in bottom right corners and top right corners of first six repaired; light waterstains at top margins of some later leaves. Edges sprinkled red. Overall, a clean, crisp copy.
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