(Born: Halle, Germany, 7 April 1675; Died: 6 August 1726) German bureaucrat.

Mylius was a mineralogist and Secretary to the Elector of Saxony.

Biographical references: ADB. • DBA: I 880, 263-264; II 932, 335. • Jöcher, Gelehrten-Lexikon, 1750-51. • Lambrecht & Quenstedt, Catalogus, 1938: 308. • Poggendorff: 2, col. 249. • WBI. • Wilson, History of Mineral Collecting, 1994: 185.

Memorablium Saxoniæ Subterraneæ, 1709

1. German, 1709-18 [First edition].
[In black:] G.F.M. | Memorabilium | [in red:] Saxoniæ Subterraeæ | [in black:] Pars Prima. | i.e. | Des Unterirdischen Sachsens | [in red:] Seltsamer Wunder | [in black:] Der | [in red:] Natur. | [in black:] Erster Theil. | Worinnen | die | Auf denen Steinen an Kräutern / Bäumen / Bluhmen / | Fischen/ Thieren/ und andern dergleichen/ besondere Abbildungen/ | so wohl Unsers Sachsen=Landes / als deren so es mit diesen | gemein haben / gezeigt werden / mit vielen | Kupffern gezieret. | Mit Königl. und Churfl. Sächß. Privilegio. | [rule] | Leipzig/ | In Verlegung des Autoris, zu finden bey | Friedrich Groschuffen. 1709.

2 vols. [Vol 1: 1709] 4°: ):(⁴ A-M⁴ N²; 53l.; [6], [1]-80, [20] p., engraved frontispiece with inset portrait of the author, 13 engraved plates, text illus. Title page in red and black. [Vol 2: 1718] 4°: π¹ A-K⁴ L⁵; 46l.; [2], [1]-89, [1] p., 12 engraved plates. Page size: 196 x 160 mm.

Contents: [Vol 1] [Frontispiece].; [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; [4 pgs], "Adjuvante Numine! | Lector Benevole!."; [1]-80, Text.; [19 pgs], "Register. | Derer vornehmsten Sachen."; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 2] [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; [1]-89, Text.; [1 pg], Blank.

Plates: These well illustrated volumes contain the following folded and unnumbered plates with some signed by J.G. Krüger.

[Vol 1] Frontispiece, showing three gods with Mercury handing a book to one of the other dieties, above it all is inset a portrait of Mylius. Page 4, fossil fish. Page 6, fossil fish. Page 18, landscape. Page 18, dendrites. Page 18, fossil ferns. Page 26, fossil shells. Page 28, fossil fern. Page 34, rocks and concretions. Page 46, fossil fish. Page 50, dendrites. Page 52, dendrites. Page 56, fossil shells. Page 74, fossil shells.

[Vol 2] Page 8, calcite crystals. Page 10, various mineral specimens. Page 32, fossils. Page 34, fossils (labeled "Tab V."). Page 36, fossils (labeled "Tab IVb."). Page 46, fossils. Page 52, natualis shell. Page 56, deer antlers. Page 62, fossils (labeled "Tab IX.") Page 80, fossil bones. Page 80, fossil bones. Page 84, fossil fish. Page 86, fossil fish. Page 88, various fossils.

Rare. Published anonousmly but attributed to Mylius by contemporaries, this work contains keen observations of odd and unusual geological phenomena. It creates this notable, illustrated work about the natural subterranean wonders of Saxony. The author sought to include descriptions of all the miraculous creations dug from the earth; therefore, the plates show not only minerals and fossils, including shells, snails and "steinkohlenpflanzen" (fossilized impressions of plants in coal), but also dendrites and iron-stained slates, including several idealized patterns of men and animals.

Bibliographical references: Fischer, Mineralogie in Sachsen, 1939: 4, 79-82, 188, 191, 202, 224, 228 & 275. • LKG: XIV 185. • Wagner, Mineralogisch Durchforschung Sachsens, 1902: p. 89.

2. German, 1720 [2nd edition].
G.F.M. | Memorabilium | Saxoniæ Subterraeæ | Pars Prima. | i.e. | Des Unterirdischen Sachsens | Seltsamer Wunder | Der | Natur. | Erster Theil. | Worinnen | die | Auf denen Steinen an Kräutern / Bäumen / Bluhmen / | Fischen/ Thieren/ und andern dergleichen/ besondere Abbildungen/ | so wohl Unsers Sachsen=Landes / als deren so es mit diesen | gemein haben / gezeigt werden / mit vielen | Kupffern gezieret. | Mit Königl. und Churfl. Sächß. Privilegio. | [rule] | Leipzig/ | In Verlegung des Autoris, zu finden bey | Friedrich Groschuffen. 1720.

2 vols. [Vol 1] 4°: [6], 80 p., 14 plates. [Vol 2] 4°: [19], 89 p., 14 plates.

Very scarce. Reprint of the first two parts of the German 1709-18 edition into a single volume.

Bibliographical references: Fischer, Mineralogie in Sachsen, 1939: pp. 4, 79-82, 188, 191, 202, 224, 228, 275. • LKG: XIV 185. • Wagner, Mineralogisch Durchforschung Sachsens, 1902: p. 89.

Museum, 1716

3. Latin & German, 1716 [Sale catalog].
Museum, | Sive | Catalogus | Rerum | Naturalium & Fossilium tam exotica- | rum quam domesticarum, | Quas | Gottlieb Friedrich Mylius, | Scabinatus Lipsiensis Actuarius, | Singulari Industria & indefesso Labore pa- | ravit atque collegit, | configuatum ab ipso collectore. | [rule] | Gottlieb Friedrich Mylii | Cabinet, | Ober | Kurtze Beschreibung | Aller | Natürlicher und aus der Erden so wohl | frembder als absonderlich im Sachsen= | Lande gefundener Sachen, | Wie er sie durch grosse Mühe colligiret und | von ihm selbsten in diese confignation | gebracht worden, | und durch öffentliche Auction denen Liebhabern | Oster=Messe 1716. feil gebothen werden sollen. | [rule] | Leipzig, zu finden bey Friedrich Groschuffen.

8°: A-H⁸ I³; 67l.; no page number.

Rare. Auction sale catalog of Mylius' collection of mineralogical objects found in the region of Saxony. He had originally built this collection in connection with his work, Memorabilia Saxoniæ Subterraneæ (1st ed., Leipzig, 1709-18), and sold it when he no longer had need of them. The sale catalog is divided into four parts: (1) Earths, gems and fossils, 2279 numbers; (2) Marbles; (3) Minerals, 2442 numbers; (4) Various natural curiosities.

Bibliographical references: BL [987.b.38.]. • Fischer, Mineralogie in Sachsen, 1939: 4, 79-82, 188, 191, 202, 224, 228 & 275. • Freiesleben, Sächsische Mineralien-Verzeichnisse, 1828: no. 4. • Gatterer, Mineralogischen Literatur, 1798-9: 1, 260. • LKG: XV 2. • Murray, Museums, 1904: 3, 42. • Schröter's Journal für die Liebhaber: 3 (17??), 92. • Wagner, Mineralogisch Durchforschung Sachsens, 1902: 89. • Wilson, History of Mineral Collecting, 1994.

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