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Bibliotheca Bacchica by Simon, Andre L., a rare highlighted image of the 1972 - wine book.
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  • Bibliotheca Bacchica by Simon, Andre L., a rare highlighted image of the 1972 - wine book.
  • Bibliotheca Bacchica by Simon, Andre L., a rare view of the 1972 - wine book.
  • Bibliotheca Bacchica by Simon, Andre L., a rare image of the 1972 - wine book.
  • Bibliotheca Bacchica by Simon, Andre L., a rare interior highlight of the 1972 - wine book.
  • Bibliotheca Bacchica by Simon, Andre L., a rare detail of the 1972 - wine book.
  • Bibliotheca Bacchica by Simon, Andre L., a rare fascinating view of the 1972 - wine book.
  • Bibliotheca Bacchica by Simon, Andre L., a rare highlighted image of the 1972 - wine book.
  • Bibliotheca Bacchica by Simon, Andre L., a rare view of the 1972 - wine book.
  • Bibliotheca Bacchica by Simon, Andre L., a rare image of the 1972 - wine book.
  • Bibliotheca Bacchica by Simon, Andre L., a rare interior highlight of the 1972 - wine book.
  • Bibliotheca Bacchica by Simon, Andre L., a rare detail of the 1972 - wine book.
  • Bibliotheca Bacchica by Simon, Andre L., a rare fascinating view of the 1972 - wine book.
Bibliotheca Bacchica

Deluxe, richly illustrated guide to pre-1600 wine books.

Simon, André L.

Bibliotheca Bacchica
Bibliographie Raisonne Des Ouvrages Imprimes Avant 1600 Et Illustrant La Soif Humaine Sous Tous Ses Aspects, Chez Tous Les Peuples Et Dans Tous Les Temps. Tomo I-Ii

1972, London, Holland Press

$60 USD

Overview

One of Simon’s three Bibliothecas, all of which are indispensable. This second volume in the trilogy, first published in 1927, provides some 240 detailed descriptions of wine books printed before 1600, with extensive illustrations, annotations, citations, and precise foliations.
This Holland Press “thick paper” edition is the most handsome of the reprints and larger than the regular issue of the same year. It was strictly limited to 350 copies.

Inside the book

The work opens with a rendering of Isaiah chapter 5, the famous Canticum vinae. The first book focuses on Latin incunabula, recalling in detail the winemaking illustrations from De Crescentiis’ Liber ruralium commodorum and citing classical authors such as Ausonius and Columella, as well as Schedel. Each chapter is richly illustrated.
The second book turns to geographically dispersed works by authors including Platina, Ryff, and Turner. Alphabetical, chronological, and geographical tables provide valuable tools for identifying printers and, indirectly, for reconstructing the scope of Simon’s own library.

Why La Fenice chose it

A bibliophile’s dream, this deluxe edition combines scholarly precision with visual delight, making it as pleasing to leaf through as it is to cite.
Condition Report

Pp. {1] f.e., xviii, 237, [1]; vii, [1], 255, [1] r.e.

Blue cloth hardcover with gilt title on spine. Original blue pictorial dust jacket, in good condition with slight wear and small tears. Interior clean and crisp. A very nice copy.

Dimensions (inches): 12 x 9 x 2.5
About the author

André L. Simon (1877–1970), French-born wine merchant, writer, and founder of the Wine & Food Society; major 20th-c. wine authority.

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