Rare first edition of a description, illustration, and full explanation of the use of a newly invented instrument for artists and draftsmen, invented by Andreas Albrecht. He was a German military engineer, inventor, and author on technical drawing, active in Nürnberg ca. 1620 to 1628. The instrument, with all its components is depicted on the title-page. It is less sophisticated than a pantograph and resembles a modern drafting machine, but is designed primarily to help artists and draftsmen enlarge and reduce drawings of any kind. The key component is what was later called a "proportionalzirkel": two straight-edges attached so that they could be set at any angle to each other. The plates demonstrate its use with columns as examples. The illustrations on the plates are numbered 1-9, the first five (model drawings for the five orders of columns) together on one folding plate. In 1625 Albrecht published his better known two treatises in one volume, devoted to perspective and to shadows respectively, but the present small treatise on his drafting instrument seems to be almost unknown. A second edition appeared in 1673.
With a small tear in the folding plate and it and the title-page very slightly shaved. Otherwise in very good condition. Berlin Kat. 1721; VD 17, 23:233429N (9 copies); cf. Vagnetti EIIIb14 (Albrecht's treatises on perspective and shadows); Poggendorff I, col. 25 (idem); Honeyman Coll. 55 (idem).