De Revolvtionibvs Orbium coelestium, Libri VI De Revolvtionibvs Orbium coelestium, Libri VI

The copy of „De revolutionibus” belonging to the Toruń University Library originated from Königsberg, from the Castle Library of Duke Albrecht Hohenzollern (1490-1568). It was recorded in the catalog of the Castle Library by its first librarian, Felix König Polyphemus (1500-1549). The title page of the print bears a handwritten signature „Kk.36.I” added by the subsequent librarian of the ducal library, Heinrich Zell (1518-1564).

The binding, made by the Königsberg bookbinder Kaspar Angler (d. 1565), consists of oak boards covered in brown calfskin. The decoration includes blind tooling with plant-geometric and figurative ornamentation. The upper cover is embossed with the inscription „NICOLAI COPERNICI LIB[RI] VI.”

An individual feature of the Toruń copy is the trace of an unknown four-line text next to a woodcut depicting the heliocentric model. Presumably, this imprint was created accidentally in the printing house, and the text does not come from Copernicus' work.

Accompanying the print of „De revolutionibus” are two contemporarily bound works on astronomical subjects: „Poeticon Astronomicon” attributed to Hyginus (c. 100-200) (published in Cologne 1534) and Books VII and VIII of Ptolemy's „Almagest” (c. 100-c. 168) (published in Cologne 1537).

The copy of „De revolutionibus” belonging to the Toruń University Library originated from Königsberg, from the Castle Library of Duke Albrecht Hohenzollern (1490-1568). It was recorded in the catalog of the Castle Library by its first librarian, Felix König Polyphemus (1500-1549). The title page of the print bears a handwritten signature „Kk.36.I” added by the subsequent librarian of the ducal library, Heinrich Zell (1518-1564).

The binding, made by the Königsberg bookbinder Kaspar Angler (d. 1565), consists of oak boards covered in brown calfskin. The decoration includes blind tooling with plant-geometric and figurative ornamentation. The upper cover is embossed with the inscription „NICOLAI COPERNICI LIB[RI] VI.”

An individual feature of the Toruń copy is the trace of an unknown four-line text next to a woodcut depicting the heliocentric model. Presumably, this imprint was created accidentally in the printing house, and the text does not come from Copernicus' work.

Accompanying the print of „De revolutionibus” are two contemporarily bound works on astronomical subjects: „Poeticon Astronomicon” attributed to Hyginus (c. 100-200) (published in Cologne 1534) and Books VII and VIII of Ptolemy's „Almagest” (c. 100-c. 168) (published in Cologne 1537).

University Library in Toruń, sign. Pol.6.III.142, a shot showing an open book