Braun/Hogenberg, Cities of the World - Complete Edition of the Colour Plates 1572-1617 (Civitates Orbis Terrarum) (French and German Edition)

User Review: - Porn for Map Collectors
Originally produced as six volumes between 1572 and 1617, Cities of the World was monumental task at that time. Not only did it contain maps and bird's eye drawings of every major European city, but also included towns and cities from Africa, Asia and Central America. But beyond just a catalog of maps, there was extensive commentary about the cities and their importance at the time. More than a hundred artists contributed to the project, including drawings of local culture, dress or activities to help the viewer at that time see life elsewhere in that time.

The book is physically imposing; one of Taschen's XL projects that opens to being more than a foot and a half tall and two feet wide when opened, with 600 pages and more than 500 city plans and maps (two of which fold out to over four feet across). The art was reproduced from an almost perfect surviving set, and the drawings and engravings leap off the pages. Not all of the original text was translated, but the parts that were give the modern reader an almost unique tour of the 16th Century world. As is common with many Taschen books, the text is printed in English, French and German allowing international sales, without having to do separate printings for different markets.

One of the interesting things to do with Cities of the World is to compare those maps from 400 years ago, with modern maps from those same cities. While many things have changed, you can still see the that many cities still have the same flow to their streets. One might think that the market for books like this would be highly limited. Until you actually see it for yourself. As you pour through it, looking at the details in the maps and drawings, your mind begins to rearrange your bookshelves, figuring out the best way to display it. The assumption is not, "can I afford to get this", but "what do I need to cut back on to afford this?"