Angelo Maria Bandini - Vita e Lettere di Amerigo Vespucci - 1745

Bandini, Angelo Maria - Life and Letters of Amerigo Vespucci - 1745

Description / Description:

Rare first edition of the first comprehensive biography of Amerigo Vespucci.

• Author: Angelo Maria Bandini (1726–1803)
• Title: Vita e lettere di Amerigo Vespucci gentiluomo fiorentino raccolte e illustrate dall’abate Angelo Maria Bandini.
• Place of printing & year: Florence (Firenze), Nella Stamperia all’insegna di Apollo, 1745.
.Kollation / Page extent: lxxvi (76), 128, [2] pages.
.25x19cm

Content & condition of the book block:

This significant historical work from the 18th century sheds light on the life and letters of the famous Florentine explorer and navigator after whom the continent of America was named.

Condition / Missing parts:

• Missing frontispiece: The separately printed portrait of Amerigo Vespucci is missing.
• Missing fold-out chart: The fold-out family tree of the Vespucci family, often included in the appendix, is also not present in this copy.
• Text body: The entire text portion (76 Roman pages of introduction and 128 Arabic pages of main text) as well as the two final pages are present.

• Binding: The work was rebound at a later date (modern bookbinder’s work) into a simple, sturdy full leather binding (or structured art leather binding) in a vivid red. The modern binding is in excellent, clean condition and protects the historical book block perfectly. It is not the contemporary binding of the 18th century.
A fascinating piece of seafaring and exploration history for collectors of Americana and rare 18th-century prints.