• VIRGIL, OPERA (GIOVANNI ANDREA BUSSI, ED). Rome: Conrad Sweynheym & Arnold Pannartz, [1469]

Collections:
Curatorial Note:
  • The preface to this edition of Virgil’s works introduced it as the first of all editions of classical poetry. Princeton’s copy, the sole American example among the eight survivors, bears three 15th century names, all members of the influential Franciotti family of Lucca. The book may be “the famous first edition of Virgil from 1469” recorded in Lucca’s cathedral library during the 18th century – presumably a bequest of Lucca’s Bishop, Galeotto Franciotti (d. 1507), the son of one of those named within the book.
Author:
  • Virgil
Uniform title:
  • Works. 1469
Provenance:
  • VRG copy has booklabels of James Toovey, of Burnham Abbey, Bucks., and Junius Spencer Morgan.
  • VRG copy has armorial bookplate of the Earl of Hopetoun.
Former owner:
  • Toovey, James, 1814-1893
  • Linlithgow, John Adrian Louis Hope, Marquess of, 1860-1908
  • Morgan, Junius Spencer
Creator:
  • Virgil
Language:
  • Latin
Call number:
  • Oversize VRG 2945.1469q
Extent:
  • 196 leaves ; 35 cm. (fol.)
Format:
  • Book
Description:
  • Edited by Johannes Andreae, Bishop of Aleria.
  • Gathering: [28]
  • 38 lines to a page; early Roman type; printed in black.
  • VRG copy has initials illuminated in blue, pink, green and gold.
  • VRG copy contains a few ms. notes.
  • VRG copy imperfect: the Priapeia, 6 leaves at end, wanting.
  • VRG copy has newspaper clipping from the Morning Post, Feb. 29, 1889, tipped in: Lord Hopetoun's library ... The most expensive book ... was a first edition of Virgil, printed at Rome, 1469; only six copies of this edition can be traced, and these are in public libraries. Mr. Toovey purchased this folio for £590."
Publisher:
  • Rome : In domo Petri de Maximo [Conradus Sweynheym and Arnoldus Pannartz], 28 Feb. 1469.
Title sort:
  • Opera.
Binding note:
  • VRG copy in later black goatskin with French fillet and small corner ornaments in gold; spine tooled in gold; red goatskin spine label lettered in gold; red marbled endpapers; in red straight-grain goatskin pull-off-top box.
References:
  • Copinger 5999
  • Graesse
  • Goff V-149
Contributor:
  • Bussi, Giovanni Andrea, 1417-1475
Printer:
  • Sweynheim, Konrad, -1477
  • Pannartz, Arnold, d. ca. 1478
Created:
  • 1469-01-01T00:00:00Z
Date:
  • 1469
Identifier:
  • ark:/88435/6395wc43z
Location:
  • HSVR Oversize VRG 2945.1469q
Edm rights:
  • No Known Copyright
Range label:
  • Logical
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