1493 First Edition Nuremberg Chronicle at Heritage Auction Galleries, Oct. 16

Rare early book comes with one of the earliest obtainable printed maps of the world

DALLAS, TX - When a 1493 first edition of the Nuremberg Chronicle comes up for auction at Heritage's downtown Dallas headquarters, as part of the Grand Format Rare Books Auction on Oct. 16, bidders will be competing for a monumental work from a period of history that shook the western world.

This early secular history of the world was printed at a time when the Western world's idea of itself was rapidly expanding. Christopher Columbus had sailed for the Americas only a year before. The printing press was a relatively new invention, and the educated population of Europe was just beginning to experience the power of the printed word and what access to printed materials would mean. The world was no longer flat and the population of Europe gaining in literacy. This book is one of the earliest and most ambitious printed histories of civilization to that time, and it reflects the intellectual quickening in Europe.

"Most people probably don't realize that printed books from this period even still exist, and that they can be purchased for relatively reasonable prices. A typical belief is that all books of this stature are only to be found in museums and institutional libraries" said James Gannon, Director of Rare Books at Heritage. "A book like this is called an incunable, meaning literally from the infancy of printing, in other words, a book printed in the first 50 years of printing."

The edition, with its classic gothic type, features more than 1,800 woodcut illustrations by Michael Wolgemut, Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, and their workshop, which purportedly included the young Albrecht Dürer. Included are Biblical images and identified views of famous cities, as well as a series of charts illustrating the Ptolemaic geocentric view of the universe. It was one of the first secular histories of the world ever printed. The Nuremberg Chronicle is generally considered one of the most important illustrated books of the incunable period.

The text is a year-by-year account of notable events in world history from the Creation up to the year of publication, including the invention of printing at Mainz, the exploration of the Atlantic and of Africa. It includes references to the game of chess and to medical curiosities, including what is believed to be the first depiction of Siamese twins. It carries an estimate of $75,000 - $100,000.

"Opportunities to buy such a rare book are few and far between," Gannon said, "and, considering the weight of the history attached to it, this would be the centerpiece of any collection."

To view this auction online, Click Here, or for more information, call 800-872-6467.

To download hi-res images and captions, control-click on the following links:

• The Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493

Joining the Nuremberg Chronicle in the Heritage rare books auction on Oct. 16-18 will be a host of other rare and valuable books, including:

• Inscribed first edition, first issue of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind with a Typed Letter Signed and an Autograph Note Signed
  (estimate $30,000 to $50,000)
• First American edition of Moby Dick
  (estimate $40,000 to $60,000)
• Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language, first edition
  (estimate $20,000 to $30,000)
• Lewis and Clark's first edition Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean
  (estimate $12,500 to $17,500)

Media contact
Kelley Norwine
Heritage Auction Galleries
www.HA.com
3500 Maple Avenue, 17th Floor
Dallas, TX 75219
(800) 872-6467 x 1583
KelleyN@HA.com

Please direct photography requests to:
Cindy Brenner
(800) 872-6467 x 1289
CindyB@HA.com