Petrarque

1496 · 28938 — Basel: Johann Amerbach 1496. 1496. The first edition of Petrarch's collected works. ISTC ip00365000; Goff P-356; BMC III 757; Fowler Catalogue of the Petrarch Collection Cornell University Library pages 1-2. Margin of the first leaf trimmed and window-mounted at an early period surrounded by relevant marginalia dated 1743; first five gatherings with the bottom margins repaired with occasional trimming type; next four gatherings with lower margin chipped and slightly damp-stained a few other similar repairs throughout including repair to corners of final few gatherings; binding a little soiled and rubbed with early manuscript labels at the head and foot of the spine. Folio 26 x 18.7 cm 18th century blind-stamped pigskin over wooden beveled boards all edges stained red. 388 leaves; without the final blank. Lacking clasps and catch-plates. Decorated initials in red and blue. An important early collection of the letters dialogues tracts and poetry of Francesco Petrarch 1302-74 in Latin with many individual pieces appearing in print for the first time including most notably Secretum Francisci Petrachæ his famous dialogue with Saint Augustine. The text was edited by Sebastian Brant 1458-1521 who was employed by printer Johann Amerbach for whom Brant edited numerous scholarly works. Provenance: Franciscan Minorites dissolved in 1802 Cologne with their bookplate on the front paste-down; in the margins around the mounted first leaf are annotations by F. Adamus Putz dated 1743 about the binding and life of Petrarch; Gymnasium-Bibliothek of Cologne with their duplicate release stamp; collector Estelle Getz 1880-1943 her sale American Art Association November 1936 lot 1255. [Basel: Johann Amerbach, 1496.] unknown