JF Ptak Science Books: Towards an Alphabet of Trades--"Snapshots" from 1568

JF Ptak Science Books Post 2058

The great Jost Amman (1533-1591, Swiss book illustrator and one of the last major production artists working with woodcuts) didn't set out to create a simple alphabet of trades, but did record them, and did so with great clarity, basically creating a 16th-century pre-photographic "snapshot" of the ways in which people conducted their business and livelihood. The illustrations come from his work with Hans Sachs, Eygentliche Beschreibung Aller Staende Auff Erden, published in Frankfurt am Main in 1568 (the full text here from Bibliothek des Seminars für Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte, and another useful full-text here that indexes the images and another here for an English indexing of the trades). The images are precise and sparse, and endlessly interesting, an uncommon peep into the common past that was n

Also useful: Dictionary of Medieval and Renaissance occupation, here.

A. Apothecary

B. Blockmaker

B. Brewer.

C. Cap Maker.

C. Clock Maker

D. Drahtzieher

E. Engraver

F. Farmer

G. Glassmaker
H. Hunter

I. Illuminator

J. Joiner

K. Kraemer (actually a street peddler of endless objects, though I felt compelled to use "Kramer" for this via Seinfeld influences. Interesting to note that this same illustration is used to image the "natural fool", one of the few of the woodcuts that were multi-purposed.)