Augsburg, Engelbrecht and Will, 1750-1799.
Oblong folio , quarter-roan. Contemporary binding worn.
300 x 410 mm.
Extremely rare album intended for children of the wealthy bourgeoisie made in Augsburg, in 1799, during the Napoleonic Wars.
It is composed of 34 full-page copper-engravings, colored at the time, mounted on 18 thick leaves on guards.
Measuring 24 x 35 cm, they were produced by the engraver and printer from Augsburg Johann Martin Will (1726-1806).
The large views are in a nice contemporary coloring, are numbered in the top right corner and bear the signature J. Mart. Will A.V. on the lower margin. The album contains:
- 4 leaves with large street scenes (n° 1, 2, 3, 6).
- 3 leaves picturing Napoleon’s regiments that went through Augsburg in 1799 (n° 99,101,102).
- 1 leaf with uniforms (n°75).
- 13 leaves with toys and children’s games (n° 3, 6, 8, 15, 19, 20, 27, 28, 29, 49, 89 and 2 double).
- 2 leaves of rustic and notable farm yard (31 and 32).
- 1 leaf of alphabet pictured with childish images (n°26).
- 3 leaves with the occupations of the twelve months of the year (large portion missing in the month of November and small portion in December: n° 22, 23, 24).
- 1 leaf about the vegetable market in Augsburg (n°74).
- 2 leaves with the pets and wild animals (n° 33 and 35).
- The four ages of life by Martin Engelbrecht each pictured by a 12,5 x 15 cm engraving (with some losses).
Martin Engelbrecht (1684-1756) was an engraver in Augsburg. He illustrated like his brother, Christian Engelbrecht, many works.
A precious volume, one of very few children albums of the XVIIIth century entirely colored at the time that has come down to us. The binding and the engravings have traces of use and some foxing but books from the XVIIIth century intended for children like this one, so often manipulated and consulted, have rarely come down through the ages.
This copy has survived the hazards of time as it remained all the time in the Walch family and it is reproduced in the book dedicated to this family “Chronik der Familien Walch”, July, 20, 1984, Page 15.
