FRISCH,
Johann Leonhard
(1666-1743).
Vorstellung
der Vögel in
Deutschland,
und beyläuffig
auch einiger
fremden, mit
ihren Farben,
worin einige
ihre natürliche
Grösse geblieben
... Berlin,
bey des Auctoris
Sohn, F[erdinand]
H[elfreich]
Frisch [1773].
Johann Leonhard
Frisch (1666-1743).
German
naturalist and
philologist
After Johann
Leonhard Frisch
had studied
theology and
philology in
Altdorf, Jena,
Strasbourg and
Nuremberg he
travelled through
Switzerland,
France, Austria,
Hungary, Italy
and the Netherlands
before he settled
in Berlin about
1699.
Here he married
Sophie Elisabeth
Drumann from
Blankenburg
and started
to work as a
teacher, head
teacher, naturalist
and philologist.
In 1706, recommended
by Gottfried
Wilhelm Leibniz
(1646-1716),
he became member
of the Academy
of Science in
Berlin.
He compiled
comprehensive
collections
of insects and
birds, reared
silkworms and
made silk farming.
In 1720 he started
his work "Beschreibung
von allerlei
Insecten in
Deutschland"
followed by
"Vorstellung
der Vögel in
Deutschland
..."
This monumental
work on German
Birds, made
and published
over a period
of thirty years,
became a family
project. His
sons Ferdinand
Helfreich (1707-1758)
and Philipp
Jakob were responsible
for drawing
and engraving
the plates,
his youngest
son Just Leopold
Frisch (1714-1789)
succeeded his
father in writing
the text and
later on also
in publishing
the work.
This work
is considered
to be the first
great German
color plate
bird book and
one of the most
enjoyable of
all bird books.
Today the originally
hand-colored
copperplate
engravings are
rare collectors'
items.
Please,
click on a picture
for more information.
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