[Rarebooks] FS: The First Printed Cook Book, 1487

[charles agvent]

One of 45 fine items in our New York Book Fair list, viewable at
http://www.erols.com/agvent

PLATINA, BARTOLOMEO. DE LA HONESTA VOLUPTATE ET VALITUDINE WITH JOSEPH 
VEHLING'S PLATINA AND THE REBIRTH OF MAN (1941).  (Venice): 
(Hieronymous de Sanctis) (1487). First Edition. Small quarto in eights 
(5-3/4" x 8-1/4") in original plain cedar boards with vellum strings 
and metal clasp (lacks portion) in the monastic style. No title page 
(as issued), iv, 70 (of 74) leaves, lacking b2 (page 10), e4-5 (pages 
36-37), and h8 (page 64). Printed in black letter with woodcut 
initials. THE FIRST PRINTED COOKBOOK IN THE FIRST EDITION IN A 
LANGUAGE OTHER THAN LATIN. Brunet IV, 692; Goff P766a; Hain 13057; 
Simon I, 80; Vicaire 697. Various sources locate about a dozen copies 
in Europe, nearly all in Italy. OCLC locates a copy only at the 
National Library of Medicine;Goff (Incunabula in American Libraries) 
lists one at the Pierpont Morgan Library. NUC locates no copies. Only 
one copy, this one (1997), sold at auction in over 40 years. The 
original edition was published in Rome in 1474. This edition in 
Italian is the first designed expressly for the public printed in the 
language of the people and not the scholars and monks, and is also one 
of the first books printed in Italian. It contains many recipes 
(including French toast, caviare, and blackbird) as well as a guide to 
good living with a chapter devoted to wine and vinegar. A copy of this 
edition was found in the library of Leonardo Da Vinci after his 
death.Platina, the Vatican librarian, derived much of his text from a 
manuscript by Martino of Como. Joseph Vehling's copy with his 
bookplate. With Vehling's book on Platina, this being the author's 
copy (#1 of 500), which contains a facsimile of the original Platina 
manuscript. In slipcase. Somewhat shaken. Some worming with loss of 
letters. Very Good   $25,000

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CHARLES AGVENT
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