La Croix's Geographia Universalis - Two Volumes with 17 Maps, 55 Engravings, & 4 Frontispieces

La Croix's Geographia Universalis - Two Volumes with 17 Maps, 55 Engravings, & 4 Frontispieces
This fascinating two volume work is Antoine Pherotee de la Croix’s Geographia Universalis. This is the German edition fully titled Allgemeine Welt-Beschreibung nach neuer Art und Weise ... Darinnen ersichtlich von der natürlich-himmlischen und künstlichen nachgemachten Sphaera, Erd- und Himmelskugeln ... hernach die Theile der Welt, wie solche in ihre Käyserthümer, Königreiche unterschieden ... beschrieben. Übersetzet u. vermehret, samt einer neuen Vorrede hrsg. von H. Dicelius. This the rare first German edition published in Leipzig in 1697 by Johann Ludwig Gleditsch. Hieronymus Dicelius translated the work into German.

The work is bound in contemporary vellum with Spanish edges. There are 4 frontispieces, 17 folding maps, and 55 (two folding) engraved plates.

The two volumes are further split into two books each, covering different subjects. The first covers astronomy, second predominantly Europe, the third portion focuses on La Croix’s native country of France, and the fourth covers the rest of the world including the Americas. Each book is given its own title page and frontispiece. "Contains substantial material on America, along with a special index of East and West Indian topics. Includes W. Penn's Eine Nachricht wegen der Landschafft Pennsilvania" (A.-L.)

Subject matters in engravings include maps and native people and culture. Book one includes in-text engravings depicting astronomy. There are many charts and lists of people and places throughout the complete work.

Antoine Pherotee de la Croix (1640-1715) was a French scholar and writer. He published several works in his lifetime and was devoted to teaching history, geography, and mathematics.


Paper Size: ~ 6 1/4" by 8 1/4"


Paper Type or Special Features: Two Volumes with 67 Engravings & 4 Frontispieces

The work is in very good to excellent condition overall. There is minimal staining, quite excellent condition for age. Volume one has two tiny wormholes at the outer joints. There is some light browning or offset to the plates. The endpapers exhibit some minor worm traces primarily to the inner gutter. There may be a few minor marks or imperfections to be expected with age. Please review the image carefully for condition and contact us with any questions.