(Born: 1752; Died: Vienna, Austria, 17 May 1797) Austrian physican, zoologist & botanist.

Spalowsky was physician of the "Bürger-Regiment" in Vienna.

Biographical references: DBA: I 1198, 218-221. • Hunt Botanical Catalog: 2, 412-3, no. 652. • Kabat, A.R., "J.J.N.A. Spalowsky (1752-1797) and the Prodromous. in Systema Historicum Testaceorum, (1795)", Archives of Natural History, 23, (1996), no. 2, 245-54. • Meusel, Verstorbenen Teutschen Schrifsteller, 1802-16. • Pritzel, Thesaurus Literaturæ Botanicæ, 1871-3: no. 8814. • Stafleu & Cowan, Taxonomic Literature, 1976-88: 5, 772-3. • WBI. • Wurzbach, Biographisches Lexikon Österreich, 1856-91: 36, 56.

Vorbothe der Naturgeschichte, 1789

1. German, 1789.
Vorbothe | der | Naturgeschichte. | [rule] | Von | Joachim, Johann Nepomuck Spalowsky, | der Weltweisheit und Arzneykunde Doktor. | [rule] | [double rule] | Wien, | gedruckt bei Joseph Hraschansky, kaiserl. königl. privil. | Buchdrucker im Mölkerhose Nro. 97. nächst dem Schottenthore. | [rule] | 1789.

4°: A-E⁴; 20l.; [1]-40 p., frontispiece, 25 plates (hand-colored). Page size: 254 x 198 mm.

Contents: [1-2], Title page, verso blank.; [3], Dedication.; [4], Blank.; [5]-8, "Vorbericht."; 9-10, "Hier is die Uibersicht dessen, was mein Vorbothe der Naturge= | schichte enthält."; 11-40, "Erläuterung."

Plates: The frontispiece is signed J. Marlbin. All the other plates are unsigned.

Extremely rare. A "prodromous" or prospectus for a proposed series of natural history volumes, which Spalowsky intended to publish. The magnificent plates show vivid coloring heightened with gold to show off the depictions. These pictures comprise 8 of mammals, 4 of birds, 3 of insects, 2 of fish, 4 of flowers, and 4 of minerals (gold, silver, copper fluorite, and malachite). The magnificently colored frontispiece shows a variety of animals, birds, and plants within a landscape. Unfortunately, this extremely rare prospectus is all that appeared.

Apparently two states of the plates exist, one plain and the other hand-colored.

Bibliographical references: BL. • NUC [no copy listed]. • Reiss & Sohn, Auctioneers: cat. 71 (2000), no. 2590. • Wheldon & Wesley, Booksellers: cat. 112 (1965), no. 158.

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