18 - [BIBLIOGRAPHY - INCUNABULA] - LA SERNA SANTANDER, Carlos Antonio de

[BIBLIOGRAPHY - INCUNABULA] - LA SERNA SANTANDER, Carlos Antonio de "Selected Bibliographic Dictionary of the Fifteenth Century, or An Alphabetical Description of the Rarest and Most Sought-After Editions of the Fifteenth Century, Preceded by a Historical Essay on the Origin of Printing" Brussels, J. Tarte [Volume I], G. Huyghe Press [Volumes II and III], 1805–1807, 3 volumes. In-8°. Contemporary chocolate-colored glazed half-calf. Spine with 4 raised bands accented by a gilt fillet, decorated with panels featuring triple cold-stamped fillets. Author, title, and volume number in gilt letters. Scuffing, stains; back cover of Volume 1 damaged with a loss. Interior fresh. First edition of this landmark work in the history of typography and the science of incunabula, written by the Spanish scholar Carlos Antonio de La Serna Santander, who was the first chief librarian of the City of Brussels. The work is organized in a very methodical manner: the first volume, illustrated with a large, fold-out chronological table (separate from the text) presenting a synoptic list of European cities where printing was established in the fifteenth century, is entirely devoted to a remarkable historical essay tracing the origins of the art of printing, the early techniques, and the spread of printing workshops across Europe up to the year 1500. The following two volumes constitute the alphabetical dictionary proper, describing—with pioneering philological rigor—nearly 15,000 of the rarest and most sought-after editions of the fifteenth century. The large chronological chart on large-format paper—often missing or torn—provides a concise overview that is indispensable for the study of the earliest printing workshops. Provenance: from the Library of Philippe de Volkaersbeke (ex-libris) References: Brunet, V, 303; Peignot, I, p. 206