Strange Fish

Strange Fish; Vreemde vissen; Seltsame Fische; Poisson Curieux. - Enkhuizen: Jack R. Levien, 1970. - 29x21 mm., ill..




 


Gilt red leather. In a red leather slipcase in the form of a book.
Printed by Koninklijke Van de Garde in Zaltbommel  (Netherlands).

Several illustrations of mythical sea creatures copied from a book of Jacobus Meydenbach in the Museum Meermanno-Westreenianum 
 (Museum of the Book) in The Hague. This miniature is dedicated to Mrs Dr. D. van Velden, curator of the museum.

Jack R. Levien published miniature books from 1967 to 1969 in New York with the imprint Trader's Press.  During a short stay in The Netherlands (1970-1972) he published several miniature books under his own name.
In his 'Dutch' period I met him when we both did investigations on the 1673 edition of Bloemhofje (Flower Garden), for centuries the smallest book printed ever.

Jacobus Meydenbach , German printer, was the editor of  Hortus Sanitatus (Moguntia civitate [= Mainz], 1491. In this book he collected hundreds of woodcuts of plants, animals and mythical figures.