Astrolabes.- Stoeffler (Johannes) Elucidatio Fabricae ususque Astrolabii... Atque totius spherice doctissimo nuper ingeniose concinnata atque in lucem edita, first edition, title within woodcut architectural border, woodcut diagrams, charts and illustrations, some full-page, those on B3v, C4v and D3r with extension slips (D4r with one misbound, lacking slips on A6v), decorative initials and printer's device at end, [**6v] with poem by Philipp Melanchthon and woodcut arms of George Simler, 2ff. following title with neatly repaired tears, ink stamp erased from foot of title, G2 becoming loose, several ff. towards end neatly mounted on stubs, 20th century half vellum, black ink lettering to spine, [Adams S1886; Houzeau & Lancaster 3256; Stillwell Science, 892; Tomash & Williams S197; Wellcome 6099], 4to, Oppenheim, Jacob Köbel, 1513 [colophon dated 1512].

⁂ The most comprehensive treatise on the astrolabe of its time. It was handsomely printed at the first press in Oppenheim. "Stoeffler recognized that, in mapping, computation of the distance between two places whose latitude and longitude were known failed to take into account the convergence of the meridians" - Stillwell. The poem by Melanchthon is possibly his first appearance in print.

Provenance: Harrison D. Horblit (book label).