Even though the Goertz-Wrisberg family had been collecting for generations, it wasn’t until 1778 that it officially structured its library in the family castle in Wrisbergholzen, Germany.  The library included books in a wide range of subject in several languages, including English. The project brought to fruition a large scale binding project, with many books bound in vellum, making for a so-called ‘white library.’  Mixed in were bindings in leather.

Front cover of G. Malynes, Consuetudo, vel, lex mercatoria London, 1636 (Ex HF1005.M26q)

The library was dispersed starting about 1902 and nearly 4,000 Goertz books made their way to Princeton in 1907-1908, where a number were retained as a separate special collection and a good number were dispersed into other existing collections.  Recently discovered in the general rare book collection is the Goertz copy of an early 17^th century English imprint covered with elaborately tooled boards dating from 1569.  Such 18^th century repurposing of 16^th century boards to cover a 17^th century book is a particular case of a special practice called ‘remboîtage,’ which according to the authoritative online dictionary for bookbinding terms, Legatus.org.uk, is ‘transferring into a superior binding of a text more interesting or valuable than the one for which it was made.’ (There is no native English term in bookbinding vocabulary for such a confection, so the French term is used.)

Research has revealed the name of the 16^th century bookbinder who tooled the boards as well as the name of their original owner.  Key to identifying the binder were not only the particular motifs of the tooling but also the initials ‘D V’.  The general pattern of the tooling is a framing array of rectangular panels made incrementally by narrow bands resulting from a rolling tool being impressed into the leather.  The panels divide into two major groups – the outer panel and the inner panel.  The outer panel is made up with what the Germans call a ‘portraitrolle’: profiles of individuals in ovals connected by patterns of foliage. In this instance the profiles are labeled ‘Martinus Lutter’, ‘Joannes Friderich Dux’, ‘ Virgilius Maronis’ and ‘Priamus Rex Trojaneru’ The inner panel consists of a ‘tungendenrolle,’ that is, depictions of figures of virtue. In this instance, these are ‘Justicia’, ‘Pruden[tia]’,'[Suavitas] 1544′, ‘Lucrecia’ with initials ‘D.V.’ Furthermore, stamped just above the inner panel are the initials ‘L K D’ and just below the inner panel the date ‘1569’.

A keyword search in Google for the labeled portraits as well as the figures of virtue turned up an identically tooled binding dating from 1568 in the library of the University of Rostock.  The description of the Rostock binding reveals two key points: ‘D.V.’ are the initials used by the bookbinder Dietrich vom Lohe (before 1529 – c. 1583), who worked in Rostock.  He was also author of the Rostock Chronicle.  The owner’s initials ‘L K D’ are those of ‘Laurentius Krichovius (Kirchhoff) Doctor,’ Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of Rostock and onetime Rector.

Inner panel of G. Maylnes, Consuetudo, vel, lex mercatoria, London, 1636. Ex HF1005.M26q

Detail of outer panel of G. Malynes, Consuetudo, vel, lex mercatoria, London, 1636. Ex HF1005.M26q

Detail of outer panel of G. Malynes, Consuetudo, vel, lex mercatoria, London, 1636. Ex HF1005.M26

Sources:

Identification of binding: Die Inkunabeln der Universitätsbibliothek Rostock : mit den Inkunabeln der Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Schwerin und der Kirchenbibliothek Friedland (Weisbaden, 2003) entry D9, p.208,  and Anna Maria Floerke “Die ersten Buchbinder in Mecklenburg-Schwerin,” in I. Schunke (ed.) Beitrage zum Rollen-und Platteneinband im 16. Jahrhundert Konrad Haebler zum 80. Geburtstage am 29. Okt. 1937 gewidmet (Leipzig, 1937), p.266-267.

Laurentius Krichhoff: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurentius_Kirchhoff

Dietrich vom Lohe: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_vam_Lohe

Title page of G. Malynes, Consuetudo, vel, lex mercatoria, London, 1636 (Ex HF1005.M26q)

Armorial bookplate of Goertz with Princeton booklabel in G. Malynes, Consuetudo, vel, lex mercatoria, London, 1636 (Ex HF1005.M26q)