BODONI (Giambattista). Manuale Tipografico del Cavaliere Giambattista Bodoni.1818

Parma: Presso la Vedova, Second edition, 2 vols., large 4to (320 x 220 mm), [14], lxxii, 266ff. printed on recto only, one leaf printed both sides (numbered 266-267) with the Index; [4], 277ff. printed on recto only (with three folding sheets of music), last two leaves with index printed on both sides and numbered 276-279, with half-titles, engraved portrait frontispiece (lightly foxed) of Bodoni by Francesco Rosaspina, after Andrea Appiani, slight paper flaw to title page of volume I, original orange boards, printed spine labels, bookplate removed from pastedown, expert repair spine foot of vol. I, corners a little bumped, otherwise a fine and entirely untrimmed set. An excellent set of Bodoni's posthumous tour de force, the most magnificent type specimen book ever issued. Bodoni's monumental collection of typographical specimens, a landmark in the development of type design and a work of profound influence in the history of the printed book. He died whilst the work was in proof form and it was completed five years after his death under the supervision of his widow and the director of the printing house at Parma, Luigi Orsi. The work, printed in 290 sets, shows an impressive and unrivalled array of Bodoni's type, with over 250 Roman, Greek, and exotic types, borders, mathematical, astronomical, and other signs, music notations, type-ornaments, etc. Updike described the 1818 Manuale as, "Probably the most elaborate specimen that the World has ever seen". Having produced his own types since 1771, in 1788 he published the first Manuale tipografico containing a hundred Roman type alphabets, 50 italics and 28 Greek alphabets. His alphabets were much improved during the course of his career, as illustrated by this 1818 manual and therefore make it far superior to the first issue. The 1788 edition, printed in a small number, is extremely rare with few copies have survived. Brooks, 1216; Updike II, p.171; Bigmore & Wyman I, p.68.