Registrum hujus operis libri cronicarum cū figuris et ijmagibus ab inicio mūdi…, is commonly known as the Nuremberg Chronicle. This book was written by Hartmann Schedel and stands as an encyclopedic history of the western world and its cities. The Nuremberg Chronicle begins with the creation story and ends with Ptolemy’s map of the known world at the close of the fifteenth century. Sebald Schreyer and Sebald Schreyer, both wealthy businessmen provided the financial support to publish the book, and in June 1493, Anton Koberger printed between 1400 – 1500 copies of the Latin edition, of which only 400 have survived. The woodblock prints were carved by the artists, Wilhelm Pleydenwurf and Michael Wohlgemut, the latter’s whose apprentice was Albrecht Durer at the time of publication.
The Nuremberg Chronicle is part of the Howard Collection which was donated to the library by Archibald Howard, a lawyer with the Binghamton law firm Hinman, Howard and Kattell, and an accomplished bibliophile. Howard’s personal library contained 3,000 volumes, and included Late Renaissance books, classic first editions, books with fine bindings, limited editions and collectors’ printings. The collection is concentrated in the areas of nineteenth century English and American literature, history and scientific exploration.
To learn more about the publishing history of University Libraries’ copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle, please visit this website: http://www.beloit.edu/~nurember/inside/about/index.htm