1748 Ephrata Martyrs’ Mirror – 1st German Ed – Original Calf over Wood, Complete
$ 4221.36
Description
1748 Ephrata Martyrs’ Mirror – 1st German Ed – Original Calf over Wood, Complete. 1748 Ephrata Pennsylvania “Martyrs’ Mirror” – First German Edition – Original Binding – Complete and Tight. Anno MDCCXLVIII. • Typographic title page with Ephrata emblem (“Wahrheit und Ruh” / “Truth and Rest”) present. Unsophisticated copy in original 1748 calf‑over‑wood binding, with no modern restoration or rebinding; complete and remarkably tight for its age. 1748 Ephrata Pennsylvania “Martyrs’ Mirror” – First German Edition – Original Binding – Complete and Tight Rare, early American folio edition of Martyrs’ Mirror, the classic Anabaptist martyrology. Title and imprint Der blutige Schau‑Platz, oder Martyrer‑Spiegel der Tauffs‑Gesinnten oder wehrlosen Christen, by T. J. van Braght. Imprint at foot of title: Ephrata in Pensylvanien, Druck und Verlag der Bruderschaft. Anno MDCCXLVIII. This is the famous 1748 Ephrata Cloister printing, the first German‑language edition produced in America and one of the largest books printed in the colonies before the Revolution. Physical description • Large folio, approx. 15–16 in. tall; very thick volume (about 1,500+ pages). • Original 18th‑century binding: full calf over bevelled wooden boards. • Raised bands on spine; original brass corner pieces and bosses present. Clasps are no longer present; stub evidence shows where they were mounted. • Binding remains remarkably tight for such a massive book. Text block is square and firm, with no loose or shaking gatherings. Both boards are well attached. • Engraved allegorical frontispiece present. • Typographic title page with Ephrata emblem (“Wahrheit und Ruh” / “Truth and Rest”) present. • Text in High German, blackletter type, printed in double columns. • Pagination runs complete to the final “ENDE,” followed by two original blank leaves, indicating a complete copy. Condition Overall, excellent condition for its age and size: • Paper shows even age toning and scattered foxing, but is generally strong and supple, not brittle. • Occasional small stains and handling marks consistent with gentle use; no large losses affecting the text. • Frontispiece with a vertical stain and light soiling but no major tears or repairs. • Inner hinges sound; there is no modern rebacking or obvious restoration. • A few brief old ink notes in margins; no modern writing or highlighting. Please review all photos closely; they give a good sense of just how tight the spine is and how honest and original the binding remains. Provenance • Early ink ownership inscription on the front endpaper, reading in part “Dieses Buch gehöret mir / Peter [surname in German script] Ao Domini 1774,” in an 18th‑century Pennsylvania German hand. • Additional later family names on another endpaper, suggesting long‑term ownership in a Pennsylvania‑German household. Historical significance • Printed entirely at the Ephrata Cloister, where the community made its own paper, set the type, printed, and bound this enormous folio by hand. • Martyrs’ Mirror recounts the sufferings of thousands of Christian martyrs, with special focus on Anabaptists. For Mennonite and Amish families it functioned as a “second Bible” and was often given as a wedding gift. • During the Revolutionary War, unsold copies and unbound sheets stored at Ephrata were reportedly seized and torn up for musket wadding, so surviving copies—especially in original, tight bindings—are scarce. Why this copy stands out • First German edition, colonial American imprint. • Original calf‑over‑wood binding with brass hardware, not a later rebinding. • Tight, square text block; complete text including terminal blanks. • Early 1774 Pennsylvania‑German inscription tying it directly to the historic community that used and cherished this book. An impressive, museum‑worthy survivor and a centerpiece for any collection of early American printing, Pennsylvania‑German history, or Mennonite/Amish material. Shipping Because of the size and importance of this volume, it will be carefully packed, double‑boxed, fully insured, and may require a signature on delivery.
