A latere. Le postille autografe della Bibliotheca universalis

Abstract

Konrad Gesner, the father of the modern bibliographic discipline, printed (published) in 1545 his huge bibliographic work that provided for an alphabetical index of the authors (and consequently of the works) that had ever been written or printed before in the three classical languages. His attempt, unique in its gender, given than never ever an universal bibliography was attempted, met with such a success that it was thought that a second edition should soon be printed. This one did never see the light, but it has anyway left a trace in the sample of work glossed by Gesner and today kept in Zurich, wholly digitalized. This sample little utilized, owing to the difficultyof its reading, is on the contrary a significant source since it is useful to demonstrate that the universality and the indiscriminate character boasted in the title of the work, is exactly just a boast, while it hides on the contrary a precise and targeted choice of the works to be enlisted.