Geschichtsblätter.

Obl. 4to; 177 hand-coloured engr., 10 ff. letterpress (some sm. stains, tear at bottom of 1 text f.).

Contemp. calf (rubbed, used, rudimentary restor. at spine).

Very rare and important album with 177 double-page engraved hand-coloured plates from 6 (of 11) series of the "Geschichtsblätter" or history plates with scenes of rebellion and military events (2 portraits) during the 80 Years' War, published between 1570 and 1610 by the Flemish printmaker and publisher Frans Hogenberg (Mechelen 1535-1590 Cologne), and his son Abraham. Depicting contemporary events and showing views of cities, battles and battlefields, naval battles, tortures, executions, etc. during the Wars of Religion in and around towns, villages and harbours in the XVII Provinces as Antwerp, Brussels, Cambrai, Courtrai, Mechelen, Tienen, Valenciennes, Zichem, Briel, Campen, Delft, Maastricht, Middelburg, Rotterdam, Zutphen and Dutch sea towns. Parts I-IV and the first half of the Vth series with captions in German engraved at the bottom of the plates and French captions printed on separate leaves; the second half of the Vth series and part VI with German and French captions both engraved. Pl. numbered except 1 in part I and those of the second half of the Vth series, 3 pl. of part VI as well as the portraits of the prince-elector of Cologne and of Ernest of Bavaria. Our copy without title pages. The prints of Hogenberg, who fled from Mechelen to Cologne for religious reasons, were reused in the work of Aitsinger and, in a reduced format, in the later publications of Baudartius and Pieter Bor. They had, and still have, a great influence on how the historical events during the Dutch Revolt took shape in the minds of people. Probably around 450 prints were published by Hogenberg and because they relate by image and by text to contemporary events, all mentioning place and date, they can be seen as the precursors of newsprints and newspapers.
Prov. Lauwers, 1799 (ms. entry).