Unger, De Aldi Pii Manvtii romani vita, Wittenberg, Widow of Scheffler, 1753, eighteenth-century German(?) calf

Unger, Christian Gottlieb. De Aldi Pii Manutii romani vita meritisque in rem literatam dissertationem nec dum editam observationibus suis illustratam. Wittenberg: Widow of Johann David Scheffler, 1753

The first published biography of Aldo Manuzio; "written by Christian Gottlieb Unger (1671–1719) and published many years after his own death. It includes a shortlist of titles printed by Aldo. The list is far from comprehensive ... however [it] is the first real attempt at an Aldine bibliography." (Grolier Club, Aldus Manutius, cf. 135.) Edited by Samuel Luther Geret (1730-1797), and published at the same press in 1753, as: De Aldi Pii Manvtii romani vita meritisqve in rem literatam Liber Ungeri singvlaris.

4to (228 x 183 mm). Roman types, with some Greek and italic, 32 lines plus headline. collation: [2] *⁴-***⁴ A-Ee⁴ Ff² Gg-Ii⁴ [1]: 141 leaves. Engraved portrait of Aldo Manuzio, and separate engraved Aldine device, woodcut initials and headpieces. (Browning throughout, ink stamp effaced from title-page, miniscule wormholes to blank margin of Hh-Ii.)

binding: Eighteenth-century German(?) speckled calf (234 x 190 mm), gilt border of zoomorphic and floral forms, marbled endpapers, gilt edges. (Rebacked, retaining the original, or a sympathetic period spine, extremities a bit darkened and rubbed, boards lightly scuffed.)

acquisition: Purchased from Libreria antiquaria Pregliasco, Turin, 1999. references: Lamberto Donati, "Bibliografia Aldina" in La Bibliofilía 52 (1950), pp. 188-204 no. 14