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The Distribution of Books by Catalogue: The Frankfurt Book FairCatalogues, Georg Willer and His Competitors

mailto:jonathan@jonathanahill.commailto:yoshi@jonathanahill.com

By the 15th century, the twice-yearly fairs of the free Imperial City of Frankfurt am Mainhad become international marketplaces. In the 16th century, the fairs increasingly becamecenters for publishers, book wholesalers, and those involved in printing (paper makers, typefounders, bookbinders, etc.) to meet, trade, and settle accounts.

“But the real importance of the fairs was for the exchange of new books, books printedsince the last fair…It was for the use of the reading public and of the booksellers, who did notattend the fair but bought their stock from the printers who did, that Georg Willer ofAugsburg began the long series of Frankfurt Fair book catalogues in 1564. Before that dateprinters visiting the fair must have had to write out by hand countless lists of new books tosend to their customers: thereafter they could send copies of the fair catalogue to the localbooksellers all over Europe, who in turn passed them on to their customers…

“The fair catalogue was a co-operative effort: the printers coming to the fair sent inadvance title-pages of the books they were bringing, so that Willer could arrange them insubject order before printing his catalogue.”–Graham Pollard in The Distribution of Books byCatalogue (1965), pp. 74-77.

These catalogues created a revolution for the book trade. They were the best and, indeed,only source from which scholars and booksellers could discover when and by whom anyparticular book had been published. These “catalogues represent the first internationalbibliographies of a periodic character, attempting to list every six months all new publicationsissued in Europe, and they can be considered the prototype of today’s Books in Print. Thebooks are arranged by subject; for the first time, place, publisher, and date are alwaysmentioned.”–Grolier Club, Bibliography, 24.

The success Willer’s catalogues enjoyed soon attracted competition. We will let GrahamPollard continue the story: “The heirs of Johann Portenbach and Tobias Lutz, also booksellersat Augsburg, started a series at the spring fair of 1577 which continued (with Hans GeorgPortenbach on the title instead of Johann Portenbach’s heirs from spring 1581) until thespring of 1590 when the two partners quarrelled. Tobias Lutz carried on one series alone fromthe autumn of 1590 until 1613…Hans Georg Portenbach did not issue a catalogue for theautumn fair of 1590; but in the following spring he started a separate series which ran untilthe autumn of 1599…

“For the autumn fair of 1577 Matthias Harnisch of Heidelberg, later of Neustedt, broughtout a catalogue which from its title appears to have been an imitation of these series, but theonly issue recorded was destroyed during the last war. Three Frankfurt printers producedfair catalogues of which only single issues remain: Sigismund Feyerabend in 1584, PeterSchmidt in 1590, and the heirs of Christian Egenolph in 1594. In 1595 Peter Brachfeld, abookseller with branches at Leipzig and Frankfurt an der Oder as well as at Frankfurt amMain, started a series of which there were seven issues from the spring of 1595 to the springof 1598…

“Thus by the year 1597 there were at least four independent fair catalogues in progress:those of Elias and Georg Willer, Tobias Lutz, Hans Georg Portenbach, and PeterBrachfeld.”–op cit., pp. 78-79.

Imitators in other cities published catalogues as well. Pollard again: “The Leipzig Faircatalogues started like one of the independent Frankfurt series. When Henning Gross ofLeipzig issued his first fair catalogue in the autumn of 1594, it was described on the title-pageas for both the Frankfurt and the Leipzig Fairs; its content is so described right up to1759…Henning Gross continued his catalogue twice a year until the autumn of 1599.”–op cit.,p. 82.

We list below 15 Willer catalogues and 11 by his competitors and imitators: Portenbach,Lutz, Schmidt, Egenolff, Brachfeld, and Grosse. This is a most unusual opportunity.

1. WILLER, Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Vernalium Francofurti ad Moenum, AnnoM.D. LXXXIX. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omnino novi, partimdenuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqua locupletiores, in lucemprodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [34] leaves. Small 4to, attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1589. $4000.00

The spring 1589 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates only one copy inNorth America. Fine and fresh copy. Minor browning and unimportant marginal worming.

2. WILLER, Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Autumnalium Francofurti ad Moenum,Anno M.D. LXXXIX. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omnino novi,partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqua locupletiores, inlucem prodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [24] leaves. Small 4to, attractive antiquecalf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1589. $4000.00

The autumn 1589 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates only one copyin North America. Fine and fresh copy. Natural paper flaw to title obscuring two letters.

3. WILLER, Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Autumnalium Francofurti ad Moenum,Anno M.D. LXXXX. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omnino novi,partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqua locupletiores, inlucem prodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [28] leaves. Small 4to, attractive antiquecalf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1590. $3500.00

The autumn 1590 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates no copy inNorth America. Fine and fresh copy. Two leaves with minor staining.

4. WILLER, Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Vernalium Francofurti ad Moenum, Anno

M.D. LXXXXI. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omnino novi, partimdenuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqua locupletiores, in lucemprodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [28] leaves (final leaf a blank). Small 4to,attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1591.

$3500.00

The spring 1591 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates no copy in NorthAmerica. Fine and fresh copy.

5. WILLER, Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Autumnalium Francofurti ad Moenum,Anno M.D. LXXXXI. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omnino novi,partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqua locupletiores, inlucem prodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [30] leaves. Small 4to, attractive antiquecalf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1591. $3500.00

The autumn 1591 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates no copy inNorth America. Fine and fresh copy. Title with small and pale marginal stain.

6. WILLER, Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Vernalium Francofurti ad Moenum, AnnoM.D. LXXXXII. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omnino novi, partimdenuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqua locupletiores, in lucemprodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [32] leaves, of which the final leaf is blank.Small 4to, attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1592.

$3500.00

The spring 1592 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates no copy in NorthAmerica. Fine and fresh copy. Title with small and pale marginal stain.

7. WILLER, Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Autumnalium Francofurti ad Moenum,Anno M.D. LXXXXII. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omnino novi,partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqua locupletiores, inlucem prodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [24] leaves. Small 4to, attractive antiquecalf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1592. $3500.00

The autumn 1592 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates no copy inNorth America. Fine and fresh copy. Trivial worming to a few leaves in lower blank margin.

8. WILLER, Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Vernalium Francofurti ad Moenum, AnnoM. D. LXXXXIII. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omnino novi, partimdenuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqua locupletiores, in lucemprodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [28] leaves. Small 4to, attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1593. $3500.00

The spring 1593 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates no copy in NorthAmerica. Fine and fresh copy.

9. WILLER, Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Autumnalium Francofurti ad Moenum,Anno M. D. LXXXX III. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omnino novi,partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqua locupletiores, inlucem prodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [28] leaves. Small 4to, attractive antiquecalf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1593. $3500.00

The autumn 1593 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates only one copyin North America. Fine and fresh copy.

10. WILLER, Elias & Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Vernalium Francofurti adMoenum, Anno M.D. XCIIII. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omninonovi, partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqualocupletiores, in lucem prodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [22] leaves. Small 4to,attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1594.

$3500.00

The spring 1594 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates no copy in NorthAmerica. Fine and fresh copy.

11. WILLER, Elias & Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Autumnalium Francofurti adMoenum, Anno M. D. XCIIII. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omninonovi, partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqualocupletiores, in lucem prodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [20] leaves. Small 4to,attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1594.

$3250.00

The autumn 1594 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates one copy inNorth America. Fine and fresh copy.

12. WILLER, Elias & Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Vernalium Francofurti adMoenum, Anno M. D. XCV. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omninonovi, partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqualocupletiores, in lucem prodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [20] leaves. Small 4to,attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1595.

$3250.00

The spring 1595 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates no copy in NorthAmerica. Fine and fresh copy.

13. WILLER, Elias & Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Autumnalium, Francofurti adMoenum, Anno M.D. XCV. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omninonovi, partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqualocupletiores, in lucem prodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [16] leaves. Small 4to,attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1595.

$3000.00

The autumn 1595 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates only one copyin North America. Very good copy. Minor worming in lower blank margin.

14. WILLER, Elias & Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Autumnalium, Francofurti adMoenum, Anno M.D. XCVI. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omninonovi, partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqualocupletiores, in lucem prodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [18] leaves. Small 4to,attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1596.

$3250.00

The autumn 1596 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates no copy inNorth America. Fine and fresh copy.

15. WILLER, Elias & Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Vernalium, Francofurti adMoenum, Anno M. D. XCVII. celebratarum, eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omninonovi, partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqualocupletiores, in lucem prodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi. [16] leaves. Small 4to,attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: N. Bassée, 1597.

$3250.00

The spring 1597 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair; WorldCat locates no copy in NorthAmerica. Fine and fresh copy. Some worming in outer lower blank margin.

16. PORTENBACH, Johann Georg & LUTZ, Tobias. Catalogus Novus nundinarumVernalium, Francoforti Ad Moenum, Anno M. D. LXXXIX. celebratarum: eorum scilicet librorum,qui hoc semestri, partim omnino novi, partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi,vel accessione aliqua locupletiores, in lucem prodierunt, & his Nundinis venales sunt expositi.Woodcut arms of Frankfurt on title. [16] leaves. Small 4to, attractive antique calf-backedmarbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: P. Schmidt, [1589]. $3500.00

The spring 1589 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair issued by Portenbach and Lutz;WorldCat locates no copy in North America.

The first to issue rival fair catalogues were the Augsburg booksellers Portenbach andLutz, who published a series from the spring of 1577 until the spring of 1590, when the twopartners fell out.

Fine copy.

17. PORTENBACH, Johann Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Vernalium, Francofurtiad Moenum, anno M. D. XCIIII. celebratarum: eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partimomnino novi, partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqualocupletiores, in lucem prodierunt, & his nundinis venales extiterunt. Woodcut arms of the city ofFrankfurt on title. [16] leaves. Small 4to, attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards.Frankfurt am Main: J. Saur, [1594]. $3000.00

The spring 1594 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair issued by Portenbach; WorldCatlocates two copies in North America.

Fine copy.

18. PORTENBACH, Johann Georg. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Autumnalium Francofurtiad Moenum, anno M. D. XCV. celebratarum: eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri partim omninonovi, partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqualocupletiores, in lucem prodierunt, & his Nundinis fuerunt expositi. Typographical device on title.

[12] (of 14) leaves, lacking the final two leaves. Small 4to, attractive antique calf-backedmarbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: J. Saur, [1595]. $1500.00

An incomplete copy, lacking the final two leaves, of the autumn 1595 catalogue of theFrankfurt Book Fair issued by Portenbach; WorldCat locates no copy in North America.

Fine copy.

19. PORTENBACH, Johann Georg. Catalogus Hornodinus nundinarum AutumnaliumFrancofurti ad Moenum, anno M. D. XCVII. celebratarum: eorum videlicet codicum ac librorum, quihoc semestri, partim omnino novi, partim denuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionib. diversi, velaccessione aliqua locupletiores, in lucem prodierunt, & his Nundinis venales prostituti suerunt.Woodcut printer’s device on title. [18] leaves. Small 4to, attractive antique calf-backedmarbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: J. Kollitz, [1597]. $3000.00

The autumn 1597 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair issued by Portenbach; WorldCatlocates no copy in North America.

Fine copy. Some unimportant worming to blank portion of outer lower corner.

20. LUTZ, Tobias. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Vernalium, Francoforti ad Moenum, AnnoM. D. XCVI. celebratarum: eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri partim omnino novi, partimdenuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqua locupletiores, in lucemprodierunt, & his Nundinis venales fuerunt expositi. Woodcut arms of the city of Frankfurt ontitle. [18] leaves. Small 4to, attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main:J. Saur, [1596]. $3500.00

The spring 1596 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair issued by Lutz; WorldCat locatesno copy in North America.

Fine copy. Some worming in blank portion of gutter.

21. LUTZ, Tobias. Catalogus Novus nundinarum Autumalium, Francofurti ad Moenum, annoM. D. XCVI. celebratarum: eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri partim omnino novi, partimdenuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqua locupletiores, in lucemprodierunt, & his Nundinis venales fuerunt expositi. Frankfurt city arms on title. [18] leaves. Small4to, attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: J. Saur, [1596].

$3250.00

The autumn 1596 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair issued by Lutz; WorldCat locatesone copy in North America.

Fine copy.

His Only Frankfurt Fair Catalogue

22. SCHMIDT, Peter. Catalogvs Novus nvndinarum Vernalium, Francoforti ad Moenvm, annoM. D. LXXXX. celebratarum: eorum scilicet librorum, qui hoc semestri, partim omnino novi, partimdenuo vel forma, vel loco, à prioribus editionibus diversi, vel accessione aliqua locupletiores, in lucemprodierunt, & his nundinis venales fuerunt expositi. Woodcut Frankfurt city arms on title. [20]leaves. Small 4to, attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: P.Schmidt, [1590]. $3750.00

The spring 1590 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair issued by Schmidt; WorldCat locatesno copy in North America.

The Frankfurt printer Peter Schmidt, who had printed a number of the Portenbach and

Lutz catalogues, decided to try his own luck and issued this fair catalogue. Clearly it was nota success, as he never issued another one.

Fine copy.

Their Only Frankfurt Fair Catalogue

23. EGENOLFF, Christian, Heirs of. Katalogos o kainos [:in Greek] Librorum, qui hocsemestri, vel omnino novi, vel denuo aut forma aut loco a prioribus editionibus diversi, aut etiamaccessione aliqua locupletiores in lucem prodierunt, atque hisce quadragesimalibus nundinis,Francoforti ad Moenum anno M. D. XCIIII. celebratis, venales sunt expositi. Woodcut printer’sdevice on title. [20] leaves, the final leaf blank. Small 4to, attractive antique calf-backedmarbled boards. Frankfurt am Main: “Christ. Egen. Erben,” [1594]. $3750.00

The spring 1594 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair issued by the heirs of ChristianEgenolff; WorldCat locates no copy in North America.

The Frankfurt printers, the “Heirs of Christian Egenolff” decided to get into the game andissued this fair catalogue. Clearly it was unsuccessful, as they never issued another one.

Fine copy. Rare.

24. BRACHFELD, Paul. Catalogus Novus eorum scilicet Librorum, qui nundinis PaschalibusAnni M. D. XCV. partim, omnino novi, partim auctiores: vel deniq; loco, aut forma à prioribuseditionibus diversi, vel prioribus Catalogis non inserti fuere: tana latino & germanico. Woodcut cityarms of Frankfurt on title. [18] leaves. Small 4to, attractive antique calf-backed marbledboards. Frankfurt am Main: J. Kollitz, 1595. $3500.00

The spring 1595 catalogue of the Frankfurt Book Fair issued by Brachfeld; WorldCatlocates no copy in North America.

Brachfeld, a bookseller with branches in Frankfurt am Main, Leipzig, and Frankfurt ander Oder, sensed that there was room for another Frankfurt Book Fair list. This is his firstcatalogue. He continued the series through the spring of 1598 before giving up.

Fine copy. Rare.

The Leipzig Book Fair

25. GROSSE, Henning. Catalogus Novus Omnium Librorum, qui nundinis AutumnalibusFrancofurti ad Moenum, & Lipsiae anno 1597. celebratis, noviter impressi venales expositi fuerunt,Ex tribus Catalogis diversis Francofurti editu, concinnatus. Title within woodcut border.Typographical device on title. [26] leaves. Small 4to, attractive antique calf-backed marbledboards. [Leipzig]: sumptibus H. Grossii Bibliopolae, [1597]. $3500.00

The autumn 1597 catalogue of the Leipzig and Frankfurt book fairs issued by Grosse;WorldCat locates no copy in North America.

Imitating the Frankfurt Book Fair lists, the Leipzig bookseller Henning Grosse began toissue fair catalogues for his hometown fair in the autumn of 1594, continuing until theautumn of 1599. The Leipzig Fair served the northern German market.

Fine copy. Blank margins of outer lower corners with some worming (one cornerrenewed touching one number).

26. GROSSE, Henning. Catalogus novus Omnium Librorum, qui nundinis VernalibusFrancofurti ad Moenum et Lipsiae anno XCVIII. celebratis, noviter impressi venales expositi fuerunt,Ex tribus Catalogis diversis Francofurti editu, concinnatus. Large publisher’s device on title. [30]

leaves. Small 4to, attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards. Eisleben: H. Grosse, 1598.$3500.00

The spring 1598 catalogue of the Leipzig and Frankfurt book fairs issued by Grosse;WorldCat locates no copy in North America. Our copy has the rare “Appendix” of four leaves.

Fine copy. Paper lightly browned.

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