[Libro de secreti di chimica. 18th century. Contain…]

Libro de secreti di chimica. 18th century. Contains instructions for making various varnishes and lacquers, pp 1-31; alchemical recipes for curing illnesses, pp 33-49; recipes for lacquers and dyeing processes, pp 50-68; and instructions for painting, i.e. varnishes, colours, canvasses to be used, pp 69-160. Details for etching on copper are given on p. 72 and for making gunpowder and fireworks on p. 88 and p. 114. Recipes are given from Giovanni Domenico Rossi (p. 128) and Fra Vittore Ghislandi of Bergamo, 1655-1743 (p. 138, p. 144). On p. 153 reference is made to a book entitled Nuovo plico d'ogni sorta di tinture with notes by Galipidio Tallier, the pseudonym of one Albertolli [an ancestor of the painter Giocondo Albertolli (b.1742)?], and of which mention is made of two editions - Liège: Jean François Broncart, 1698 and Lyons: 1714. This Albertolli is said also to have written a work entitled Libro da coro, published at Bologna by Lunghi. Various dates are given on several pages: p. 91 - 1754, 1757 ; p. 94 - 1754 li 10 Novbre ; p. 138 - 1758 ; p. 149 - 755 Giugno ; p. 151 - 1763. The name of the bookseller Rosenthal is noted in Ferguson's hand inside the back cover.
Found by the Italian conservator, Claudio Seccaroni, to contain two recipes for lacquers and varnishes associated with the Bergamo artist Vittore Ghislandi, revealing the secret of the artist’s famed red lacquer.

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