Surinam Insect Metamorphosis

The posting online this week of a 1719 edition of Dutch entomologist Maria Sybilla (Sibylla)* Merian's 'Metamorphosibus Insectorum Surinamensium' (1705) seemed like an appropriate reason to revisit this exquisite monograph. [see previous entry - Surinam Metamorphosis - for more links and the compelling background to this fifty five year old mother's art/research trip to the South American wilds]

"In Holland, I noted with much astonishment what beautiful animals came from the East and West Indies. I was blessed with having been able to look at both the expensive collection of Doctor Nicolaas Witsen, mayor of Amsterdam and director of the East Indies society, and that of Mr. Jonas Witsen, secretary of Amsterdam.

Moreover I also saw the collections of Mr. Fredericus Ruysch, doctor of medicine and professor of anatomy and botany, Mr. Livinus Vincent, and many other people. In these collections I had found innumerable other insects, but finally if here their origin and their reproduction is unknown, it begs the question as to how they transform, starting from caterpillars and chrysalises and so on. All this has, at the same time, led me to undertake a long dreamed of journey to Suriname." [Foreword]

• 'Dissertatio de Generatione et Metamorphosibus Insectorum Surinamensium' is available - with huge image files - from the ever reliable Universities of Strasbourg Digital Library. [click 'See digitalized document' and then click the folder icon top left in the page that loads for thumbnail views]
• In my haste to download, crop and tweak the above engravings, I failed to note until later that another copy of this work - with handcoloured illustrations - had been uploaded to the servers at the Center for Retrospective Digitization, Göttingen (GDZ) since I last reviewed this classic natural history work. [I'm not sure which edition this is and I couldn't, for some reason, manage to load enlarged page images. The illustrations - a reasonable size anyway - are the unnumbered pages in the drop down menu]
• Update: The Smithsonian Institution have coloured plates from 'Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung und sonderbare Blumennahrung', 1730 by Merian.
• Update 2: HAB have an earlier copy of 'Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung und sonderbare Blumennahrung' with author billed as "Maria Sibylla GRAFF" (1679) {b&w plates}
  

Surinam Insect Metamorphosis

The posting online this week of a 1719 edition of Dutch entomologist Maria Sybilla (Sibylla)* Merian's 'Metamorphosibus Insectorum Surinamensium' (1705) seemed like an appropriate reason to revisit this exquisite monograph. [see previous entry - Surinam Metamorphosis - for more links and the compelling background to this fifty five year old mother's art/research trip to the South American wilds]

"In Holland, I noted with much astonishment what beautiful animals came from the East and West Indies. I was blessed with having been able to look at both the expensive collection of Doctor Nicolaas Witsen, mayor of Amsterdam and director of the East Indies society, and that of Mr. Jonas Witsen, secretary of Amsterdam.

Moreover I also saw the collections of Mr. Fredericus Ruysch, doctor of medicine and professor of anatomy and botany, Mr. Livinus Vincent, and many other people. In these collections I had found innumerable other insects, but finally if here their origin and their reproduction is unknown, it begs the question as to how they transform, starting from caterpillars and chrysalises and so on. All this has, at the same time, led me to undertake a long dreamed of journey to Suriname." [Foreword]

• 'Dissertatio de Generatione et Metamorphosibus Insectorum Surinamensium' is available - with huge image files - from the ever reliable Universities of Strasbourg Digital Library. [click 'See digitalized document' and then click the folder icon top left in the page that loads for thumbnail views]
• In my haste to download, crop and tweak the above engravings, I failed to note until later that another copy of this work - with handcoloured illustrations - had been uploaded to the servers at the Center for Retrospective Digitization, Göttingen (GDZ) since I last reviewed this classic natural history work. [I'm not sure which edition this is and I couldn't, for some reason, manage to load enlarged page images. The illustrations - a reasonable size anyway - are the unnumbered pages in the drop down menu]
• Update: The Smithsonian Institution have coloured plates from 'Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung und sonderbare Blumennahrung', 1730 by Merian.
• Update 2: HAB have an earlier copy of 'Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung und sonderbare Blumennahrung' with author billed as "Maria Sibylla GRAFF" (1679) {b&w plates}
  

The Fisch Wappenbuch

Hans Ulrich Fisch (1583-1647) was a stained glass painter, book illustrator and local politician in the northern Swiss town of Aarau in the canton of Aargau.

Aargau is significant because the 11th century castle in the small town of Habsburg gave rise to the name (and original family seat) of the mighty Habsburg royal dynasty which ruled significant portions of Europe for more than five hundred years.

The eccentric album seen here, produced by Fisch in 1622, is an abbreviated family tree and record of the coat of arms of the Habsburg (Hapsburg) dynasty rulers. No doubt they claimed an impeccable pedigree, with the inclusion of Julius Caesar in their ranks (third picture from top). [Having said that, I think it might be something of a tradition in Wappenbuch (Coat of Arms books)].

2008 is the commemorative year with regards to both the first written mention of the Habsburgs (1108) and also the murder of King Albrecht I of Habsburg Germany in 1308, who was regarded as the founder of the Habsburg empire. {The abbey church of Königsfelden was built 700 years ago in remembrance of the murdered king Albrecht I}

• 'Wappenbuch des Hans Ulrich Fisch' was digitised last month by the Aargau Archives -- click the dropdown menu at 'Anzeige' and choose a thumbnail display configuration -- and is hosted by the Virtual Manuscript Library of Switzerland. The images above were slightly cropped and some of the background stains have been reduced. The website has a range of image sizes available. [via Archivalia]
• Table of contents (in German)
  
• Aargau / Aarau / Habsburg (town) / Habsburg (castle) / Habsburg (dynasty) / King Albrecht I at Wikipedia.
• Kanton Aargau (in German)
  
• Habsburg town site (in German)
• Previously related (although there are probably more): Duke Dress and Heraldry; Simon Haendel's Stammbuch; Bavarian Wappenbuch.