MURR, Christoph Gottlieb von

Beschreibung der vornehmsten Merkwürdigkeiten in des H.R. Reichs freyen Stadt Nürnberg und auf der hohen Schule zu Altdorf. Nebst einem chronologischen Verzeichnisse der von Deutschen, insonderheit Nürnbergern, erfundenen Künste, vom

      Three folding engraved plates (on two sheets), 5 folding woodcut facsimiles, one printed table (found on the same sheet as the final woodcut facsimile), & several woodcuts in the text (two full-page). 8 p.l., 762 pp., one leaf of errata. Thick 8vo, cont. boards (corners a bit worn, light foxing). Nuremberg: J.E. Zeh, 1778.p First edition. This is a wonderful and detailed record of the art and book treasures of Nuremberg and Altdorf. Murr (1733-1811), art historian, wrote widely on art, library history, and manuscripts. He describes here the most important art works of the churches, museums, private art collections, natural history cabinets, and public and private libraries of these two cities. Murr has provided really useful accounts of many collections now dispersed or destroyed, including the famous Wunderkammern of Paul von Praun (1548-1616) and Johann George Volckamer (1616-93). The final chapter describes the city of Altdorf, the university library, medical garden, and the chemical laboratory, as well as the museum of Christoph Jacob Trew which boasted a magnificent Chinese book on natural history, acquired by a Russian in Peking in 1742. It is described here in 35 pages with a facsimile of the Chinese title. !This guidebook contains a reference, in its chronological section to the Ulman Stromer mill and to Stromer!s diary, as well as to von Murr!s earlier Journals in which he discusses Germany!s first papermaker at greater length.!!Schlosser, An Exhibition of Books on Papermaking (1968), no. 7. Fine copy. ❧ Hunter, Literature of Papermaking 1390-1800, p. 40. Schwenke, Adressbuch der Deutschen Bibliotheken, pp. 281-82 & 116-17.. First Edition. Hard cover.