Genealogical Calendar On the year 1787 with copper engravings and with the approval of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Berlin

The Genealogischer Calender auf das Yahr 1787 mit Kupferningezierets und mit Genehmigung der Königlichen Academie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin herausgegeben (Genealogical Calendar On the year 1787 with copper engravings and with the approval of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Berlin) was published in Berlin for the year 1787. The book, which measures approximately 2 ½ x 4 inches, contains over 200 string-bound pages and is bound in a stamped vellum cover that wraps around the whole book, with a "flap/slot" seal in the front. The book is written in German. Some of the features of this Genealogical Calendar are:

• The initial pages contain the typical data for the months of the year usually found in almanacs. The section is enhanced, however, by 12 engraved plates by Daniel Chadowieki, that appear – one for each month. The plates bear no relationship to the data shown for the month, but instead represents scenes from the play Die Jäger by the German actor and playwright August Iffland. An eight page explanation of the engravings follows the almanac-like section.

• A major section of the book is devoted to Genealogie der regierenden hohen haupter und anderer furstlichen personen in Europa (Genealogy of the reigning chiefs and other princely persons in Europe).

• There is a large section of tables showing distances between European locations and major German cities

• There are many other sections providing diverse information that may be of interest to readers.

Knowledge of the German language would be very helpful in reading and understanding the overall contents of the book.

The book's condition recognizes that the vellum cover has stiffened and shows signs of wear on the inside surfaces, and the rear portion is detached from the text. The Title page is torn and missing a piece, and the first two pages following the Title page are missing. The pages of the book are strongly bound by string. The pages themselves are gilt edged, with text that is clear and easily read. The overall condition of the book, considering its age, is good to very good.

The pictures accompanying this description show:

• The front cover of the book
• The Title page of the book
• A 2-page spread showing one month of the Calendar and one of the Chadowieki engravings
• A 2-page spread showing the first page of the genealogy of European leaders
• A 2-page spread showing distances between cities

Daniel Niklaus Chodowiecki (16 October 1726 – 7 February 1801) was a Polish—and later German—painter and printmaker with Huguenot ancestry, who is most famous as an etcher. He spent most of his life in Berlin, and became the director of the Berlin Academy of Art. He had found his true calling and became the most famous German graphic artist of his time. His works includes several thousand etchings, usually rather small, and many drawings and paintings. His book illustrations embrace almost all the great classics. His prints represent in great detail the life of the bourgeoisie during the Zopfstil period, a time between Rococo and Classicism. [Wikipedia]

August Wilhelm Iffland (19 April 1759 – 22 September 1814) was a German actor and dramatic author. The form of play in which Iffland was most at home, both as an actor and playwright, was the domestic drama, the sentimental play of everyday life. His works show little imagination, but they display a thorough mastery of the technical necessities of the stage, and a remarkable power of devising effective situations. His best characters are simple and natural, fond of domestic life, but too much given the utterance of commonplace sentimentality. His best-known plays are Die Jäger, Dienstpflicht, Die Advokaten, Die Mündel and Die Hagstolzen. [Wikipedia]