Les monumens de Rome and the vanished title-page
Les monumens de Rome, ou descriptions des plus beaux ouvrages de peinture, de sculpture et d'architecture, qui se voyent à Rome & aux environs is a travelguide dating around 1700. This guide offers the traveller information about particularities and details that one was able to see at the location discussed in the book. Thanks to its small size this book is easily transportable and fits in the travellers pocket. Since this book is a utensil there are just a few of these travelguides that survived the passing of time, which makes those guides scarce.
In the edition of Les monumens de Rome that is part of the Special Collections of the Royal Netherlands Institute Rome the title page is missing (see fig. 1). There are some pencil notes in the book about the author, the printer and the place and year of printing, however one cannot presume this information to be correct. Thus the question arose: is it possible to reconstruct the information on the title page?
The title was obviously known though the Royal Netherlands Institute Rome catalogue and that made François Raguenet [1660 – 1722] soon found as the author. The printer and time and place of printing seemed more difficult. The binding gave the first clue. It is made of parchment and contains some blind stamps that by their design are of typical Dutch origin (see fig. 2). Within Holland there were two printers that both had printed Les monumens de Rome in 1700 and 1701. The first one was a printing made by Daniel Horthemels. The Horthemels edition explicitly states on several pages that Horthemels had received the right to print Les monumens de Rome. He obtained this right from both the French printer, Claude Barbarin, as well as the king. During that time it wasn’t uncommon for printers to produce and sell illegal copies of books, those are called pirate editions. The second Dutch printer, Estienne Rogers, produced pirate editions on a regular basis.
A small catalogue section (see fi. 3) at the end of the book made it certain that the edition that is in possession by the Royal Netherlands Institute Rome was made by Estienne Rogers. The catalogue is a list with other book titles printed by Rogers. Quite obviously it was Rogers who advertised himself, for it would be peculiar if Horthamels would advertise prints made by a competing printer.
A comparison between the book at the Royal Netherlands Institute Rome and several other books 1 2 3 made by Rogers showed that it was not just the title page that has been missing. The edition in the Royal Netherlands Institute Rome also misses an illustration page
] and eight pages with text. Those missing pages are entitled: A leurs excellences monseigneurs les conservateurs de Rome (signed by Raguenet);preface; noms des grands homme des ouvrages desquels il est parlé dans ce volume.
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It could be possible that the print made in 1700 didn’t contain those pages, but since the comparison didn’t result in other differences it is probable that the edition at the Royal Netherlands Institute Rome is the 1701 print with ten pages missing.
Helga Smit (1980) is a MA. Student in Bookscience at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Communication and Informationscience at the Vrije Universiteit (VU). She specialises in Childrens Literature, writing, film and Religious studies.
Bibliography
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Primary literature
Raguenet, F. Les monumens de Rome, ou descriptions des plus beaux ouvrages de peinture, de sculpture et d'architecture, Qui se voyent à Rome & aux Environs. Avec des observations Sur les principales beautez de ceux de ces Ouvrages don’t on ne fait pas Descriptions. Estienne Roger, 1701.
Secondary literature
Rasch, R. “Aux adresses ordinaires Waar muziek te koop was in de Nederlandse republiek.” Jaarboek voor Nederlandse boekgeschiedenis, 2001, pp. 99–112.
Michaud, M, editor. Biographie universelle ancienne et moderne [Microforme] : histoire par ordre alphabétique de la vie publique et privée de tous les hommes qui se sont fait remarquer par leurs écrits, leurs actions, leurs talents, leurs vertus ou leurs crimes. L.G. Michaud, 1823.
Rasch, Rudolf. Music publishing in Europe 1600-1900: concepts and issues, bibliogrpahy. Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag, 2005.
Book description
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KNIR signature: Pregiato octavo DR17.
Short tile: François Raguenet. Les monumens de Rome, ou descriptions des plus beaux ouvrages de peinture, de sculpture et d'architecture, qui se voyent à Rome & aux environs. Title page is missing. Probably: Amsterdam: Estienne Roger, 1701.
Title: Les monumens de Rome, ou descriptions des plus beaux ouvrages de peinture, de sculpture et d'architecture, Qui se voyent à Rome & aux Environs. Avec des observations Sur les principales beautez de ceux de ces Ouvrages don’t on ne fait pas Descriptions.
Collation: 12°: A-M12
Description: parchment binding with blind embossing on the left and right board. This blind embossing is of Dutch origine. Letters in handwriting on the spine. Bound by five leather laces, the middle one is missing in the left board, but still present on the left board.
On the fly leaf there is a rectangular stemp in purple: Instututo Storico Olandese Roma. Besides that there are several pencil notes in different handwritings: Ien 1081 2204 Rossetti G-1025; Rhd mo; Francois Raguenet Amsterdam: Estienne Roger, 1701; Pregiato octavo DR 17.
Only the first letter of the book is a swash. There is a embossing die on page 1 and 51. Illustrations (see fig. 4) can be found at page 1, 73, 89, 118, 129, 141, 155, 186, 220, 249, 264, 265.
The illustrations are wood cuts. On page 85 and 213 there are signs of paper worm. The book has 264 numbered pages, followed by table A; a table with the title “Tous les ouvrages de chaque peinture,sculpteur et architecte”; table C; table with the title “Antiques”. Last there is a catalogue entitled “N.8. Catalogue des Livres de Mufique nouvellement imprimez chez Estienne Roger, Merchand Libraire, ou dont il a nombre, avec les prix.” Last there are 4 blanc pages. Ten pages (including a title page and an illustration) are missing.
