Abbildung der verschiedenen Corps des Oesterreichischen allgemeinen Aufgebothes

Vienna: T. Mollo, 1797. Twenty Hand Colored Plates Illustrating the Costumes of the Prussian Army

[MOLLO, T, publisher]. Abbildung der verschiedenen Corps des Oesterreichischen allgemeinen Aufgebothes.
Représentation des différens corps de l'Insurrection générale d'Autriche. Vienna: T. Mollo, 1797.

First edition. Small quarto ( 8 7/8 x 6 3/4 inches; 226 x 171 mm.).

Illustrations of the different corps of the General Insurrection of Austria.

Fourteen hand-colored engraved plates bound together with six additional hand colored plates: one of medals, the rest of uniforms, the first slightly larger and with (truncated) light lower marginal soiling, one or two others with very light soiling, the majority bright and fresh.

Original printed blue wrappers, front wrapper a tiny bit frayed at edges and somewhat foxed. Chemised in a red roan slipcase. A remarkable survival.

The War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748) escalated and eventually involved most of the powers of Europe. Austria was supported by Great Britain and the Dutch Republic, the traditional enemies of France, as well as the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Electorate of Saxony. France and Prussia were allied with the Electorate of Bavaria.

The Prussian army proved to be a powerful force and ultimately Prussia claimed victory in the First Silesian War (1740–1742). Peace terms of the 1742 Treaty of Breslau gave Prussia all of Silesia and Glatz County, with the Austrians retaining only a portion of Upper Silesia called "Austrian or Czech Silesia."

Frederick renewed his alliance with the French and preemptively invaded Bohemia in 1744, thus beginning the Second Silesian War (1744–1745). Frederick’s victories on the battlefields of Bohemia and Silesia again forced his enemies to seek peace terms. Under the terms of the 1745 Treaty of Dresden, Austria was forced to adhere to the terms of the Treaty of Breslau, but Frederick recognized the election of Maria Theresa’s husband, Francis I, as the Holy Roman Emperor.

Rare: OCLC/KVK locate just two copies in libraries and institutions worldwide: Universitats-und Landesbibliothek Darm (Germany); Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

Tranquillo Maria Laurentio Mollo (1767-1837), from Italian Southern Switzerland, worked for Artaria & Co. (owned by Carlo and Francesco Artaria) in Vienna from 1792, but became its co-owner, with Giovanni Cappi, in 1793.
A few years later, in 1798 Mollo left Artaria to found, with Franz Bernardini, T. Mollo & Co., which was a publisher not only of scores, but also of art prints. This Viennese publisher was active from 1798 to 1838, and was thus in competition with Pietro Mechetti, Diabelli, and Artaria.

The Plates:

1. [Medals]
2. Frey Corps der Studenten.
3. Scharfschützen Corps.
4. Bewaffneter Landsturm.
5. Freynillige von der k.k. Freyen Academie der bild. Künste.
6. Freynilliges Corps des Wienerischen Handel Standes.
7. Berittenes Corps der Wiener Freynilligen.
8. Benaffneter Landsturm.
9. Benaffneter Landsturm.
10. Freynillige Jäger.
11. Frey Corps der Oesterreichischen Landstände.
12. Weiner Frey Corps.
13. Allgemeines Aufgebot der Wiener Vorstädte.
14. [Untitled]
15. Tyroler Freynilliges.
16. Gemeine von den Wiener Scharfschützen Batallions 1800.
17. Gemeiner Cavalerist von der Ungarischen Insurection.
18. Cavalerie Officier von der Ungarischen Insurection.
19. Gemeiner Infanterist von der Ungarischen Insurection.
20. Infanterie Officier von der Ungarischen Insurection.

Bobins III, 1152; Colas 4; Hiler p.1. (Inventory #: 05922)