Tieleman Jansz van Braght. DER BLUTIGE SCHAU-PLATZ ODER MARTYRER-SPIEGEL DER TAUFFS.... Ephrata in Pennsylvania: Bruederschafft, 1748-1749. 14" x 8.75". 56, 478, [4], [14], 949, [11] pp., + engraved frontispiece. Full period calf with clasps and corner-pieces, with additional support bands at head and foot of spine with brass studs (two studs missing.) ************* THE LARGEST BOOK PRINTED IN COLONIAL AMERICA. Printed at the Ephrata Cloister in Pennsylvania, this massive undertaking would be the largest book printed in colonial America. "The Martyr's Mirror" is here translated into German for the first time (from the Dutch), and the present copy includes the scarce engraved frontispiece. "The Ephrata Brethren were three years engaged upon its printing and binding ... The edition consisted of twelve hundred copies ... The engraved frontispiece, representing the army of martyrs marching to Heaven, which was probably executed in Holland, is generally missing, as the design was offensive to the Mennonites" (Evans 6256.) Front includes four leaves of 18th and 19th century genealogy of the John Light family; front free endpaper with the signature of Henry S. Heilman of Lebanon, PA; pastedown with bookplate of the Lebanon Valley College Library (with withdrawn stamp) as part of the Heilman Library; early 20th c. Christmas card laid to ffe, giving this book as a gift to Joseph Henry Heilman.

Binding intact though with chips, scratches, rubbing, and other general wear; clasps are both intact and functional. Frontis laid down, soiled and stained; occasional marginal water-staining, finger-soiling (or similar) throughout, light foxing, early ink to frontis upper margin, overall Good-.