Author: THÜMMEL, Hans Wilhelm von.
Title: Historische, statistische, geographische und topographische Beiträge zur kenntniss des herzogthums Altenburg. Altenburg, 1818. Folio. With 38 hand-coloured engraved portraits (a few with signatures of the subjects), 1 uncoloured engraved portrait, engraved map of the area by L. Michaelis after A. Krehan, small engraved map in text showing the districts Paditz and Kotteritz, and 1 engraved text. Contemporary boards.
Description: 3-112, 8, [4] pp.First and only edition of a description of the Duchy of Sachsen-Altenburg, Germany, by Hans Wilhelm von Thümmel (1744-1824), a minister in the court of Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. With 38 beautifully hand-coloured plates, with portraits of dukes of the area and their spouses, all depicted with detailed costumes, including: Ernest, Elector of Saxony (1441-1486); Frederick William I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (1562-1602), Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1699-1772), Princess Luise Dorothea of Saxe-Meiningen (1710-1729), etc.The pagination implies that there should be an additional leaf (pp. 1-2) before the title-page, which is a singleton leaf [1]1 (pp. [3]-[4]) preceding 21 (pp. [5]-6), but the book appears to have been published in this form (see the uncoloured copy at the Bavarian State Library), and 111 is also a singleton, so that [1]1 and 111 may have been printed together. If a leaf is lacking before the title-page, it was probably blank, rather than a half-title. With owner's inscription on title-page, some occasional minor foxing, a few plates slightly browned and the binding rubbed along the edges. Good copy.l Hiler, p. 845; Lipperheide Da47; not in: Colas; Engelmann; for the author: ADB XXXVIII, p. 176.

Keywords: [04F65CFF5112] ART, ARCHITECTURE & PHOTOGRAPHY|[04F65CFF5112] ART, ARCHITECTURE & PHOTOGRAPHY -> [H9DK8KRLJRV2] Caricature, Costume & Satire|[80CBADC1D9E8] CARTOGRAPHY & EXPLORATION|[80CBADC1D9E8] CARTOGRAPHY & EXPLORATION -> [G2MMG7CAUIT4] Geography, Top