Francofordiense emporium, sive Francofordienses nundinae. Quam varia mercium genera in hoc emporio prostent, pagina septima indicabit
[Geneva]: Excudebat Henricus Stephanus, 1574.
The first and only edition of Henri Estienne’s self-published work praising the Frankfurt Fair which he attended in person. The long-running fair had roots stretching back to at least the year 1240, when a charter by Emperor Frederick II mentions special privileges to the city relating in the fair. The city of Frankfurt enjoyed not only geographical advantages, but also the status as a “free city”, thus allowing the fair to develop rapidly over the next few centuries into one of the largest commercial venues by the time Estienne visited.
Estienne begins his ‘encomium’ by praising the city, the magistrates, and the logistical organization of the city which provided ample food and housing for everyone. He is particularly impressed that stranger and native are treated with the same consideration. He then goes on to enumerate the enormous number and variety of merchandise that he saw for sale – weapons, horses, foodstuffs, works of art, and most intriguing, new mechanical inventions making their debut at the fair. For example, one marvel that Estienne witnessed was a ‘mechanical spit’ which served to automate some of the rotating functions of a hand-rotated spit.
The last part of Estienne’s encomium is dedicated to the intellectual side of the fair, which brings together not just books, but the writers themselves, drawn from the great universities of Europe. During the Frankfurt fair, Estienne notes, some of the greatest philosophers, poets, and scientists can be observed congregating in bookshops and conversing with one another in what Estienne describes as a very exciting environment.
Although subject-matter of this book has often been described and marketed as treating of the ‘Frankfurt Book Fair’, it would be more accurate to describe the book as one about the Frankfurt Fair taken as a whole, of which bookselling is just one part. This has remained a very desirable book since its rediscovery in the 19th century, although it is not as rare as it was once thought to be. Nevertheless, it stands out for its uniqueness, both as a “privately printed” work by Estienne, as well as for its detailed and thorough insights into one of the largest commercial events of the 16th century. The second part of the book (with separate pagination) includes miscellaneous works in Latin and Greek. 8vo (17 x 10.5cm), [vi], 31pp., [i], 120pp. Title-page toned with foxing, small ownership inscription, ink spot to second leaf; toned throughout with occasional light foxing, small corner tear to Fii with no loss, last couple leaves with moderate marginal damp-staining, verso of last leaf a bit more soiled than the rest. Bound in modern vellum, new endpapers. [Adams S1768; Renouard Estienne, 139:2; Schreiber Estienne, 189; Simon, Bibliotheca Bacchia II, 235]
. Item #94
Price: $4,750.00
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