ZESEN, Philipp von.
Beschreibung der Stadt Amsterdam: Darinnen von derselben ersten ursprunge bis auf gegenwärtigen Zustand, ihr unterschiedlicher anwachs, herliche Vorrechte, und in mehr als 70 Kupfer-stükken entworfene führnehmste Gebeue, zusamt ihrem Stahts-wesen, Kauf-handel, und ansehnlicher macht zur see, wie auch was sich in und mit derselben märkwürdiges zugetragen, vor augen gestellet werden.
Amsterdam, Joachim Noschen, 1664. 4to. With a richly engraved allegorical frontispiece, a large engraving in the text showing two prisoners at work in the Amsterdam penal institution, the "Rasphuis", and 73 (one added twice) engraved plans and views of Amsterdam (1 full-page, 68 double-page, 4 folding). Contemporary overlapping vellum. [8], 398, [22] pp.
€ 7,500
Very rare complete first edition of a richly illustrated description of Amsterdam and its history, with the almost always missing "List of plates", which Nijhoff and Van Hattem have found in only one other copy, bound at the end. Considered "one of the nicest town books of Amsterdam" (Faber du Faur), it includes numerous detailed maps, plans, and cityscapes, which beautifully show the city as it was in the middle of the seventeenth century. They are accompanied by excellent factual descriptions of the most important buildings, as well as the streets and embankments. As the author was a Lutheran, he was very interested in the Lutheran community, making the work a particularly important source for this aspect of the history of Amsterdam.
Philipp von Zesen (1619-1689), was a German poet who moved to Amsterdam in 1661. As a newcomer he was very interested in the history and recent expansions of the town. He describes everything the city had to offer at his own time, such as the famous buildings, churches, gates and bridges, the shipping, the stock- and commodity markets, the VOC and WIC (the East and West India Companies), but also the amusements, like the theatres and the labyrinth. Although the work was written in German, it was issued twice in Amsterdam in 1664, by both Joachim Noschen and Markus Doornik. The present issue by Noschen was the first of the two. It is printed in a larger size and includes more plates than the Doornik issue.
With a later ownership annotation on the first free flyleaf ("Ex libris H. Lubonchese Lo. 189"), and a partially crossed out contemporary ownership annotation on the title-page. The vellum is somewhat soiled, the end bands have been replaced by modern end bands, the front joint is starting to split, but the structural integrity is still intact. The work is lightly browned and foxed throughout, with small marginal tears in some of the plates. Otherwise in good condition. Faber du Faur 824; Nijhoff & V. Hattum 350; STC German Z154; STCN 84415198X (17 copies); USTC 1801649 (25 copies); VD17 23:230336C (14 copies).
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