Publishing catalogs of Wroclaw's Korns' Company

Wroclaw's Korns' family, and especially Wilhelm Gottlieb (1739-1806) and his son – Johann Gottlieb (1765-1837) were well known booksellers, printers and publishers, constant suppliers of hundreds of searched titles, not only in German, but also many valuable Polonica.

Among that last ones, were many school text-books, books for youth, atlases, dictionaries and belles-lettres. Johann Gottlieb Korn printed them in cheap and exclusive editions: mostly on paper of good quality, with carefully selected illustrations, and, what is also important, in competitive prices. About their popularity can testify many re-editions and supplements that were published up to Second World War.

Korn's editions, as well as books fetched by them from all over Europe, were all detailed registered in Company's Catalogs. Their lecture can still be real pleasure: both for persons who are professionally connected to books (lists of geographic publications, collective lists on art of war or medicine) and for ones, who wants to learn about prices of that time – in Preussische thalers or Polish zlotys.

All of them are unique prints nowadays. Far too many of them, that were registered in Polish Bibliography by Estreicher, are no longer in Wroclaw University Library's collections – and here should be their permanent storage place. Only one title, from among 20 preserved, has been secured in form of photocopy that is available locally. That is why archiving and digitizing remained items, with optional supplementing, for the first time can give a chance for their full discovery and usage, especially here, in capital of Lower Silesia, where so many cultures cross each other.

Library's care and responsibility for possible wide access to these catalogs require us to send polite request to all Sponsors for donation for this noble task.

---

Newsletter IFLA: April 2007: Section on Rare Books and Manuscripts [p.19]:
https://archive.ifla.org/VII/s18/pubs/RareNewsletter-April2007.pdf