Druki Jerzego Förstera w zbiorach Wojewódzkiej i Miejskiej Biblioteki Publicznej w Bydgoszczy

Abstrakt

The collection of old prints of the Regional and Municipal Public Library in Bydgoszcz totals 8,246 items. One of the most valuable groups comprises prints published by the Förster Book Publishing Company of Gdańsk. The Bydgoszcz library features ten bibliographic items, eight of which were published by Jerzy Förster in Gdańsk and two by his widow Anna in Amsterdam. Six items became part of the collection of the Bydgoszcz library through antiquarian purchase during the postwar years, whereas the remaining ones were given as duplicates in a later period. Förster’s publications are ranked among the most beautiful and valuable prints of the 17th century. Thanks to their careful production and focus on aesthetics of graphic design, they are regarded as genuine works of art in the field of printing. The vast majority of prints stored in the Bydgoszcz library contains etched title pages, copperplate engraved frontispieces in text. In addition, Jerzy Förster and his widow’s prints had significantly enriched the collection of Old Polish literature, historiography and journalism, serving to this day as a source of information for researchers of the history of the Republic of Poland and Polish political though.