Hogenberg F. Geschichtsblätter. Cologne, c. 1602.
Novus Orbis Regionum ac Insularum Veteribus Incognitarum,
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These engravings show scenes of battles, sieges, executions, assassinations, parades, court scenes, etc. They were produced shortly after an historic event occurred and were primarily of events that were of interest to the European populations. These engravings represent one of the earliest illustrated forms of news that was widely disseminated. The format is a large engraving that also contains, at the bottom, a descriptive text in German (and sometimes French as well). They are "Views as News" and represent the earliest form of pictorial journalism, the precursor of the illustrated newspaper.
Hogenberg and his successors issued hundreds of these "Geschichtsblätter" (history broadsheets) over a span of nearly 80 years (1530-1627). However, period compilations of these blättern are extremely rare on the market. Müller, De Nederlandsche Geschiedenis in Platen. (Amsterdam, 1863-1870) gives a listing of plates (in total 469) compiled from thirteen copies, no two being the same. Fritz Hellwig published in 1983 the complete collection in facsimile. The most extensive contemporary collection is the copy of the Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek in München with 399 plates. Our copy has 329 plates, some of which are very rare, such as the view of Cologne.
The Geschichtsblätter are divided in 11 sub-series: 1. The journey of Charles V to Tunis 1535. - 2. Events in the Netherlands 1555-1558. - 3. The French religious war. - 4. Events in different countries, especially in France. - 5. Events in the Netherlands 1566-1570. - 6. Events in the Netherlands 1571-1576. - 7. Events in the Netherlands 1576-1577. - 8. Events in the Netherlands 1577-1583. - 9. Events in the Netherlands and Germany 1583-1587 - The Cologne War. - 10. Events in different countries, but most in the Netherlands 1587-1612. - 11. Events of 1611-1631, especially in Germany.
Hellwig gives a list of 468 plates which is slightly different from the list of Müller; the corresponding numbers in our copy are: 1, 4-17, 20-37, 39-53, 55, 58-83, 85-99, 108-124, 126-140, 142-190, 192-196, 198-245, 246-275, 277-278-282, 284-289, 291-299, 302-315, 317-321a, 323-344, 346-353, 355-356, 358-360. Plate 294, the intake of Deventer, is different from those reproduced by Hellwig (pl.315). There are no plates with a date later than 1-11-1601, so the book must have been compiled c. 1602. In later editions, the plates have been numbered. These numbered versions have usually weaker impressions.