Breydenbach (Bernhard von) [Peregrinatio in terram sanctam], first edition of the first illustrated travel book, 133ff. only (of 148), and also lacking the 8 fold-out views, 44 lines (variable), gothic letter, unrubricated, with the full-page allegorical woodcut of Mainz with the arms of Breydenbach, Johannes von Solms, and Philip von Bicken, 7 woodcuts of scenes from the Near East (of 8, some with early hand-colouring), 6 cuts of alphabets of Near Eastern languages (Arabic, Hebrew, Greek, Syriac, Coptic, Ethiopic), Reuwich device at end, 2 woodcut initials, ink annotations in various hands, some water-staining and soiling, good margins, later half calf, rubbed, binding detached, folio (285 x 202mm.), Mainz, Erhard Reuwich, 11 February, 1486.

⁂ The sad remnants but greater part of a highly important and celebrated book, which produced 13 editions before 1522. Breydenbach was accompanied by the two pilgrims whose arms are depicted in the allegorical woodcut on a journey to Jerusalem and Mount Sinai between 1483 and 1484, taking in Venice, Modon, Candia, Rhodes, Parenzo, Corfu en route, these places all wonderfully depicted in the large and impressive woodcut views (here absent). Erhard Reuwich (fl. 1480) a Dutch artist, woodcut designer and printer from Utrecht, accompanied them.

Literature: HC3956; GW 5075; BMC I-43; Fairfax Murray German 92; Goff B-1189