Braun, Georg; Frans Hogenberg and Simon van den Neuwel. Civitates Orbis Terrarum. Six parts in three volumes.

[Braun, Georg; Frans Hogenberg and Simon van den Neuwel.] Civitates Orbis Terrarum. Six parts in three volumes. Cologne: Petrus von Brachel, 1612– [1612]–1616–1617–[1617]–1618 (i.e., 1617/8).

Folio (15 15/16” x 10 ¾”, 404mm x 274mm). [Full collation available.] With 4 (of 6) hand-colored engraved title-pages and 364 (of 363; 5.14 is duplicated as 5.χ20) double-page hand-colored engraved plates (of which three are large-format folding plates: 5.27 (Antwerp) and 6.43 and 6.44 (Krakow)). Additionally lacking 3.π2 and 6.χ2 . Else collated perfect against Van der Kroegt/Koeman. Bound in contemporary laced stiff vellum with yapp edges. On the spine in ink manuscript between double fillets CIDADES/ DO MVNDO. All edges of the text-block gilt. Presented in velvet-lined quarter black morocco clamshell boxes. Restored in early 2021 by Brockman (full restoration report available). Seven plates (2.3, 2.19; 5.14-16, 5.37; 6.2) supplied from other copies (6.2 slightly smaller). Tanning throughout, moderate in places, especially from pigment burn. Some general soiling to the covers, as ever with vellum. [See above for a discussion of Braun & Hogenberg.] The owner of the present item waited until the publication of the final part (1617/8)s to purchase a uniform set: the most up-to-date edition of each volume, all by the Cologne publisher Petrus von Brachel. The only indication of the binder/owner’s identity is the title on the spine (Cidades do Mundo): he was Portuguese. The relationship between Portugal and the rest of Europe in the early XVIIc was tempestuous, and so we feel in the set a certain rivalry: whose city has the most or most splendid spires, the greatest market, the most organized plan? The Civitates gave wide access to city planning in a variety of countries and climates, and allowed for a cross-pollination of best practices as cities ballooned into the XVIIc. Van der Kroegt/Koeman IV.1: 41:1.1(1612)A, .2(1612), .3(1616), .4(1617), .5(1617), .6(1617/18)B.