HORST, Tieleman van der.
Theatrum machinarum universale; of nieuwe algemeene bouwkunde, waar in ... werd voorgestelt en geleerdt het maaken van veelerley soorten van trappen.
Amsterdam, Petrus Schenk, 1739. With engraved half-title, engraved title-page (with engraved device), engraved dedication and 30 double-page engraved plates by Jan Schenk.
With: (2) HORST, Tieleman van der. Theatrum machinarum universale; of nieuwe algemeene bouw-kunde; ...
Amsterdam, Petrus Schenk, 1739. With woodcut vignette on title-page. 2 volumes: Folio (plates) and 4to (text). Contemporary red half roan. [3], [60] ll.; [8], 72 pp.
€ 1,500
First edition of a classic set of architectural construction drawings in 30 large double-page plates primarily showing staircases and their decoration, but with the last five plates covering skylights intended for stairwells, some in the form of elaborate cupolas. With the rare text-volume, providing explanation to the illustrations in the plates-volume. The plates show straight, spiral and more complicated staircases, with their geometrical constructions, as well as many elaborate decorative forms for the posts, railings, skylights, etc.
The leaves of the plates-volume are watermarked: Strasburg bend above VDL = VAN DER LEY, identical to Churchill 433 dated 1724, and differing from the watermarks described in BAL (Strasburg bend above VDL = IV). An undated second edition was published in Amsterdam ca. 1810 by Jan Steven van Esveldt-Holtrop.
The text-volume has the large bookplate of W.A. van der Hidde. Text with a few marginal stains, binding rubbed. Plates with a few minor stains, mostly on first five leaves and the binding heavily rubbed. Internally still a very good copy of Horst's famous staircase book, with the rare text-volume. Ad 1: BAL 3929; Berlin Kat. 2253; STCN (9 copies); not in Fowler; ad 2: STCN (6 copies).
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