The only known copy of the second edition!

KNORR, Georg Wolfgang.

Vergnügen der Augen und des Gemüths, in Vorstellung einer allgemeinen Sammlung von Schnecken und Muscheln, welche im Meer gefunden werden.

Nürnberg: Knorrs Erben, 1776.

2nd Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine. Item #002405

Six parts in two volumes. 4to (252 x 204 mm). Text volume: [5] 6-127 [1], [3] 126-240, [5] 6-52, [5] 6-48 [14], [3] 4-46, [3] 4-76, [1] 2-18, [3] 4-7 [1]. Separate title pages to each part: part 1 dated 1776, part 2 dated 1784, part 3 dated 1768, part 4 dated 1769, part 5 dated 1771, part 6 dated 1772, registers bound at the end of part 4 and 6, 7 pp 'Ehrenrettung' bound at the end of this volume. The first two parts of the revised edition printed on stronger paper than the remaining parts. Plate volume: separate engraved and hand-coloured frontispieces to each part, 190 engraved plates (30 hand-coloured for each part and additional 10 uncoloured white on dark ground in part 6, numbered I-XXX, I*-XXX*, I**-XXX**, I***-XXX***, I****-XXX****, I*****-XL*****), 100 pages of general register to all 6 parts bound at end. Only a few light brown spots and thumb soling can occasionally be found. The title-page and final text pages very little browned, otherwise bright and clean. Mid 19th century half calfs, spine ruled and titled in gilt and with gilt supralibros (a crowned monogramme 'Ph'), marbled edges and endpapers. Boards and extremities rubbed, corners worn, upper hinge of text volume repaired. Overall a crisp set internally with strong and vivid plate coloration, paper completely unrestored, unstained and unmarked and unique with text and plates in revised edition. ----

Nissen, ZBI 2234. SECOND EDITION OF THE FIRST TWO PARTS OF TEXT AND THE FIRST FOUR PARTS OF PLATES, first edition of the remaining parts and plates. NO COPY OF THE SECOND EDITION CAN BE TRACED BY US. "According to two sources (Agazzis, 1852: 375; Bequaert, 1950: 149), two volumes of an entirely new German edition were published. The first part appeared in 1776 with revised text by P. E. S. Müller, and the second part in 1784 with a revised text by Meuschen. The pagination is stated to be continuous through the two parts (pages 1-240)" (Henrik H. Dijkstra, A collation of the three editions of Georg Wolfgang Knorr's conchological work "Vergnügen" (1757-1775), Basteria, vol. 74(1-3), p.38). Both Agassiz and Bequaert referred to Boehner (1786), a work Dijkstra has not seen and no copy of this Knorr edition could be located by him. "Der zweyte Theil erschien 1784 in fortlaufenden Zahlen von S. 125-240." (Boehmer, Bibliotheca scriptorum historiae naturalis..., 1786, p. 444). In fact, no copy of the revised edition could be located by us in any public library and thus this may be the only copy known to exist. Our copy is discussed in detail and compared with the other known editions by H. Dijkstra (A copy of the rare second German edition of Knorr's 'Vergnügen' (1768-1784) rediscovered and discussed. – Basteria 80(4-6), pp.171-176).
In this revised edition, also the text of the engraved frontispieces for the first two parts has been reset from 'Schnecken und andere Geschoepffe...' (as given in the first edition) to 'Schnecken und Muscheln...' in order to match the text of the part 3 to 6 frontispieces. A couple of figures and plate signatures have been redrawn in this edition, especially in parts II and III (e.g. the plates XIV* fig. 2, 3; XV* fig. 4; XXIII* fig. 2, 4, 5; XXIV* fig. 4; XXV* and XXVI* all fig.; XXVII* fig. 1; XXVIII* fig. 1, 3, 4; XXIX* all fig.; XXX* fig. 2, 3; I** to III** all fig. and IV** fig. 2-5). These changes appear to be identical with the Dutch editions Verlustiging der oogen... of part I (1771) and II (1772). Further, the part designation (e.g. "P.III", "P.IV") has been added to the top-left corner of each plate for parts III and IV compared to the first edition where only the final parts V and VI have those signatures. Part 6 contains 10 additional plates depicting white specimens. These plates are uncoloured and the black background is painted in. The plate numbering was done in white paint.
With its hand-coloured engraved plates, Knorr's Vergnügen der Augen... can be regarded as one of the finest 18th-century works on shells. Knorr started his work at a time when Linnaeus finished the 10th edition of his /i>Systema Naturae, the starting point for the binominal nomenclature in zoology. Whereas the most important 18th-century conchological works that uses binomical nomenclature are not illustrated, Knorr's work with the specimen names given in vernacular can be regarded purely non-binomical. For its iconotype figures of type specimens, Knorr's work was still of high value for those authors applying binomical nomenclature, such as Linnaeus, Gmelin or Röding. Röding (Museum Boltenianum..., 1798) alone referred to 250 Knorr figures (Henrik H. Dijkstra, ref. cit.)
References: Nissen, ZBI 2234; Corbes 428; Ludwig 346.

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