The Honeyman-Tomash copy

WIDMANN, Johannes von Eger.

Behend und hüpsch Rechnung uff allen Kauffmanschafften.

Hagenau: Thomas Anshelm, 1519.

4th Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #003079

8vo (132 x 91 mm). [1], 154 (i.e. 151) leaves (f. 135-37 ommitted), some misfoliations (corrected in ink), several woodcut diagrams and illustrations in text, woodcut printer's device beneath colophon on f.154r. Old binding of reused vellum manuscript, later vellum labels on spine (cover soiled and spotted). Text little browned only, occasional minor spotting, a few small wormholes, binding slightly rubbed, rebacked retaining most of original spine, lacking 2 pairs of ties. upper margin trimmed close just touching fol. number on two leaves, short tear in f. 83. Provenance: Joannes Laurig (inscribed on title-page and dated1682); Capuchins of Pont-à-Mousson (inscribed on title-page); Robert B. Honeyman (1897-1987); Erwin Tomash (bought from Hans-Horst Koch, Berlin, 1998). A very good copy. ----

Tomash & Williams W48; Benzing, Bibliographie Haguenovienne, 54; Hoock & Jeannin W7.4 (locating Hagenau, BM only); VD16 W2479 (locating Forschungsbibliothek Gotha only); USTC 615537 (adding Columbia University). - EXCEPTIONALLY RARE FOURTH EDITION of Widmann's arithmetic, first published in Leipzig in 1489, here with more elegant illustrations than in previous editions. It is the first printed work to use the signs "+" and "-" but here they refer to a surplus (+) and a deficit (-). This edition "is apparently identical in content to the first edition of 1489. It has been reset to make it a more compact volume, and the illustrations are much more sophisticated than those in the earlier version." (Tomash & Williams W48). Johannes Widmann came from Eger (now Cheb, Czech Republic) in Bohemia and studied in Leipzig. He taught courses in the fundamentals of arithmetic and algebra and earned several university degrees. He eventually obtained his doctor of medicine degree about 1487. Although mainly a medical practitioner, he is known to have lectured on algebra (perhaps the first to do so) at Leipzig ... This work covers the basic operations (including duplation and mediation), progression, etc., and then provides a large number of examples illustrating the process. (Tomash & Williams W47). - Visit our website for additional images and information.

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