"Orbis Habitabilis Oppida et Vestitus, Centenario Numero Complexa, Summo Studio Collecta…", Allard, Carel

An exceptionally scarce and beautifully designed book that illustrates the important cities and cultures of the world during the Renaissance - from the savage to the refined. The volume’s foreword notes that since everyone is not able to learn about the world firsthand, the plates provide an "artful, accurate, and faithful" view of the world's cities, and with these images, anyone can "walk, ride, and sail through them, even while sitting in the solitude of one’s own room."

The more important cities include two engravings; a prospective view of the city and another showing the costumes of the local inhabitants with the city in the background. This includes London, Amsterdam, Rome, Venice, Paris, Stockholm, Vienna, Constantinople, Batavia (Jakarta), Goa, Algiers, Tunis, Porto Rico, and Cartagena, and several others. The costume plate for Nieu Amsterdam (New York) is absent; evidently a binder's error, as it has not been removed. Interestingly the same costumed figures from the New York plate are used again in the plate showing the English Quakers of Barbados. Each view is expertly engraved with fine renderings of the cities, plus scenes of ceremonies, daily activities, important commodities, weapons, and the finely costumed people from each area.

Two important Dutch engravers worked with Allard on this series; Thomas Doesburgh produced most of the topographical views outside of Europe and Aldert Meyer produced the costume plates. F.G. Waller's Biographisch woordenboek van Noord Nederlandsche graveurs, notes that Thomas Doesburg was active between 1683 and 1714 (p.82), and Aldert Meyer engraved in Amsterdam around 1686-88 (p. 233). Carel Allard, engraver and publisher, was granted a 15-year privilege for his publications in 1683 by the states of Holland and West Friesland. Several of the plates bear the "cum prvilegio." The exact date of publication is not known; the British Museum dates its copy to 1680, the Library of Congress dates its copy to 1698, and the New York Public Library dates its copy circa 1700. The title on the spine of this example contains the date 1680, but that has been added to the original binding. We based the date here on the privilege.

There are 100 (of 101) engravings including the frontispiece, 26 European, 26 Asian, 24 African and 23 American plates - all presented in full, rich later color that is true to the period. Each view is surrounded by an engraved picture-frame style border with a garland-draped or ribbon-style cartouche. Frontispiece, title page, Geographiae ac Chorographiae (list of plates), 99 of 100 plates. Quarto, hardbound in original brown calf, spine with raised bands and modern red cloth labels with title and date (1680) in gilt. A truly unique and visually stunning work that will be a showpiece to enhance the most discriminating collection.

References: Phillips (A) #5385.

Condition: A

Overall a very good example, lacking one plate that was never bound-in. Engravings are crisp and clean with beautiful later color. There are a few very insignificant spots and light toning. The binding is rubbed with some insect damage and the front cover is a little warped. The spine has been repaired with titles added.