Juggling life, liberty and happiness

Schreiber, Heinrich (Mathematiker): Ein new künstlich ... Rechenbüchlin, Erffurdt 1523 [VD16 S 4142]

Times table, circa 1523
Measuring stick or 5's table?
Explaining how to convert fractions to the same base number to be able to subract and add.

---

Distillery book from 1500.
Brunschwig, Hieronymus: Hie anfahen ist das Buch genant Liber de arte distillandi, von der Künst der Distillierung, Straßburg, 1500.05.08 [BSB-Ink B-932 - GW 5595]

Beginning of the equipment section
Beginning of Recipe section

---

Another distillery book, from 1545
Ryff, Walther Hermann: Das new groß Distillierbuch, Frankfurt, 1545 [VD16 R 3978]

A 7 pot still station
Different pot shapes

Amazing to see how much the equipment progressed in 45 years between the 1500 book and this one!

---

Two books, one printed in Augsburg in 1490 and one in Ulm in 1498, with identical woodcuts. They are Calendars (with daily saints), Almanacs and Astrology books. Each month has the calendar of days, the saints for each day, and a set of vignettes of activities for each month.

This one is in b/w, Kalender, iatromathematisches Hausbuch, Augsburg 1490.11.22. [BSB-Ink K-6 - GW M16025]

This one is in color Kalender, Iatromathematisches Hausbuch, Ulm, 1498 [BSB-Ink K-9 - GW M16032]

January: Sitting at table
February: Warming the feet and hands in front of the fire, with sausages hanging over a rod to dry
August: Woman cutting wheat with a sickle

The start of the astrology section, with a couple of interesting instruments, pg 57, pg 58
The parts of the body governed by each sign

Treatments for various conditions, Melencholia the picture looks like depression to me

Thought I'd give my fingers a rest from stitching and post some links to manuscripts on the BSB. These are all ones I collected while I was on vacation.

Mathematics
Ries, Adam: Rechnung auff der Linien und Federn Auff allerley Handthierung, Magdeburgk [1579] [VD16 R 2404]

A mathematics book, teaching number theory I think. It was designed as a workbook, so there will be a lesson and then pages for the student to write one. Many of the pages have notes and figures written in ink on them.

Albert, Johann: Rechenbüchlein, auff der Feder und Linien ..., Magdeburgk 1585 [VD16 A 1282]
More mathematics, and drawings of what looks to be an abacus?

Koebel, Jacob: Das new Reche[n]püchlein Wie mann vff den Linien mit Reche[n]pfennige[n] ... leichtlich reche[n] lerne[n] mage, Oppenheim 1518 [VD16 K 1647]

Mathematics and Roman numerals textbook. People had to learn them back them too. This book also has nice printed decorations and capital letters.

It also has a nice page on money abbreviations and the word equivalent

---

Medicine and Health
Ordnung einer Erbarn Raths der statt Regenspurg die Hebammen betreffende, Regenspurg [ca. 1550] [VD16 R 546]

Regulations from Erban concerning midwives and the child bed. I also think wet nurses are covered too.

Theodorus, Jacobus / Basse, Nikolaus: Eicones plantarum, seu stirpium, arborum nempe, fructicum, herbarum, fructuum lignorum, Francofurti ad Moenum 1590 [VD16 T 829]
A nice herbal book showing good drawings of plants (flowers, leaves and roots) with their Latin and German common names. Also has two indexes in the back by Latin and German common names. It has over 1000 pages, so its quite extensive!

Brunschwig, Hieronymus: Chirurgia, Augspurg 1539
A medical manual, very good scenes of interiors and doctor's equipment. Lots of different views of beds and bedding, and waiting for the doctor in a comfy looking chair
The drama of a snake bite and a kitchen scene
This book reuses a lot of the same woodcuts over and over, I guess they were on a tight budget.

Fries, Lorenz (Arzt): Spiegel der Artzny, des geleichen vormals nie vo[n] keine[m] doctor in tütsch vßgange[n], ist nützlich vn[d] gut alle[n] denen so der artzet radt begerent, auch de[n] gestreiffelte[n] leye[n], welche sich vnd winden mit artzney vmb zegon; In welche[m] du findest bericht aller he[n]del der artzney, gezoge[n] vß den fürne[m]sten büchern [der] alten, mit schöne[n] bewerte[n] stücke[n] vn[d] kürtzwy[li]gen rede[n], Straßburg 1518 [VD16 F 2871]
A medical book, with some anatomy diagrams.

---

Calendars and Scribal Stuff

Formular allerlei Schrifften, Instrumenten, und Brieffe, So in hohen Cantzleyen der Keyser, Fürsten und Herren Höfe, Auch anderer Stände und Stätt, Schreibereyen und Consistorien gefertigt und gestellet werden, Zu sampt den gebür und gewönlichen Titel Formen, Einem jeden seiner Geburt, Ampts, Stadt, und wesens, rechtmessig Titel, Ehrwort und Ehrerbietung, zustellen und zugeben ..., Franckfurt am Meyn 1575 [VD16 F 1885]
A scribal formula book, just in case you ever wanted to write a formal letter to a Nurnberg Burgher, you could look up the proper form of address for them.
The opening pages has a nice picture of a scribal shop with scribes at work at their desks.

Regiomontanus, Johannes: Eyn newer Kalender von allerhandt artznei, Straßburg 1537 [VD16 M 6545]. A new calendar for 1537, saints days and phases of the moon.

Kalender mit Underrichtung Astronomischer wirkungen, Franckfort am Meyn 1547 [VD16 R 2868]
A calendar for working astrology for 1547. It also has nice little woodcuts of people at work.

---

Other
Meyer, Joachim: Gründtliche Beschreibung des Fechtens, Straßburg 1570 [VD16 M 5087]
Nice woodcuts of men's clothes in action. Great view of a fighting school interior too.

Bidpai: Das Buch der Weyßheyt, oder der Alten Weisen von anbeginn der welt, und von geschlecht zu geschlecht, Mit Holzschnitten, Straßburg 1539 [VD16 J 381]
I think this is a book on manners, I'm not exactly sure of the meaning of the word, 'Weiszhent'. Although the title appears to be spelled "Das Buch der Weißhent' on the title page, if you look at the top of the latter pages, you can see that what appears to be a 'ß' is formed with a s and z. Perhaps the printer had more s's and z's than he had ß's, but I still don't know what that word is exactly.

In any case, although the date on the book is 1539, the clothing styles on the woodcuts date to around 1495ish, so its most likely a reprint of an older title, or they reused earlier woodcuts.

Colombo, Cristoforo: Eyn schon hübsch lesen von etlichen inßlen die do in kurtzen zyten funden synd durch den künig von hispania, Straßburg 1497.09.30. [BSB-Ink C-472 - GW 7179]
Christopher Columbus' book on his travels.



Sachs, Hans: Ein nützlicher Rhat eines Weysen Manns und Jungen Gesellen dreyer Heyrat halben, Nürnberg 1574 [VD16 S 517]
A poem by Hans Sachs

I'm still getting caught up from being on vacation, but here are a few links to some interesting looking books.

Brunschwig, Hieronymus: Destilierbuch, Frankfurt [ca. 1565] [VD16 B 8730]
A book on distillery with detailed drawings of the equipment and furnaces used in the process. The cover of the book is quite interesting too, as its dark velum with white text!

Bock, Hieronymus: Verae, atque ad vivum expressae imagines omnium herbarum, Straßburg 1553 [VD16 B 6027]
An herbal book, with detailed drawings of plants with their Latin and period German common names

Georgijevic, Bartolomej / Herold, Johannes: Türkey, oder von yetziger Türken Kirchengepräng, Sytten und leben, Basel 1545 [VD16 D 3043]
I think this is a Turkey travel guide for merchants. It has a section containing a Turkish-German glossary, as well as Turkish sentences and German translations. Very interesting.

Regiomontanus, Johannes: Kalender, Straßburg 1532 [VD16 M 6542]

Astrological calendar for 1533.

Goldwurm, Kaspar: Kirchen Calender. Ein Christlich vñ nützlich Buch Jn welchem nach Ordnung gemeiner Calender die Monat Tag vnd die fürnembsten Fest des gantzen jars mit jrem gebrauch Auch der Heiligen Apostel vnd Christlichen Bischoff Leerer vnd Martyrer Glaub Leben vnd bestendige bekantnuß ... kürtzlich verfasset vnd mit schoenen Figuren gezieret ... Caspar Goltwurm Athesinus., Frankfurt/Main 1559 [VD16 ZV 26109]

Church calendar for 1559

Cranach, Lucas (der Ältere) Rhau, Georg: Hortvlvs animae, Mit schönen lieblichen Figuren ; 1547, [Wittemberg] 1548 [VD16 R 1687]
Printed Book of Hours, illustrations done by Lucas Cranach the Elder.