Albinus, Historia Musculorum Hominis, 1734
Bernardi Siegfried Albini Anatomes & Chirurgiae in Academia Batava quae Leidae est Professoris Historia Musculorum Hominis. Laidae Batavorum, Apud Theodorum Haak & Henricum Mulhovium. 1734.
Quarto in original 18th century full brown mottled calf with gold boarders. Raised bands, red title label, and gold fleurons on spine. Mild shelf wear. Some mild cracking and scuffing. Rear hinge cracked interiorly and middle of exterior, holding strong at head and tail. Red page edges. Marbled end papers. Ink owner’s inscription on first blank (Pfitzner, Strassburg, 1890, see below). Prior dealer’s penciled notes on ffep and first blank. First several leaves with marginal toning. Small tear at bottom of title page. Scattered foxing and mild toning, but otherwise clean, bright, and tight throughout. 8 plates (4 engraved; 4 diagrammatic) by renowned artist, Jan Vandelaer, illustrating the musculoskeletal/osteoarticular structures of the hand and wrist, notable for tremendous anatomical accuracy (as always for Albinus’ publications).
First edition. Provenance: Dr. Wilhelm Pfitzner, professor of anatomy, University of Strassburg.
Ffep, blank, title-696, blank, rfep. With 8 plates, as called for.
Bernhard Siegfried Albinus (1697 – 1770) lectured on anatomy at Leyden. “He was the pioneer of a new epoch in human anatomy, an epoch during which all investigations, and especially those pertaining to osteology and myology, were carried out with the most perfect thoroughness and exactitude and with all the means then available. Anatomic representation, too, enters upon an epoch of high perfection during which the mere outward appearance, superficial investigations, or the mere copying of subjects observed prove insufficient.” (Choulant pg 276).
“Albinus, a native of Frankfurt, was no doubt the finest descriptive anatomist of his day. He was a pupil of Bidloo, Rau, and Boerhaave.” (Heirs 525).
“The plates contained in this work were drawn and engraved by Wandelaer, as we learn from Albinus’ preface. The plates themselves do not bear the name. They represent the hand of a man of particularly beautiful build, in life-size, with all the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. There are four finished plates, each one accompanied by an outline-plate upon which the reference letters are engraved. Both the drawing and the engraving are done most excellently. The latter is slightly harder and colder than in the later works.” (Choulant pg 280)
