Austria-Hungary Austro-Hungarian Orders Almanac 1876-- for David M

[Guest Rick Research]

This is about life size, brittle old cheap brown paper, microscopic Gothic typeface. Cannot open the pages fully or the binding will simply distintegrate and every page will fall apart loose.

There are TWO COLUMNS on every page, so that gives you some idea of how tiny the print is. :speechless1:

Edited January 2, 2010 by Rick Research

[Guest Rick Research]

Actually, since blindness is an extremely difficult concept for the sighted to, pardon the expression, visualize--

here is one of the pages which has fallen out at ACTUAL LIFE SIZE

THAT is what I have to look at, finger in the book, squinting sideways with my only eye on my writing hand side ... because to open the binding would make the entire volume fall to pieces.

I know because I am able to read Sütterlin and all manner of hideous squiggles in a variety of languages, and learned German on this old Martin Luther era typeface people ASSUME that it is no problem for me.

Microscopic brittle is a problem.

Oh, sure, scanned nicely and bigger is indeed no problem

But this is that same page which has FALLEN OUT. Cannot scan pages in volume which have NOT disintegrated... yet.

Like me, it is falling apart and too old and in too bad a condition for stress and rough handling. :whistle:

[David M]

I get the idea

as I said I will try and get the rest of the around 30 austrians I am still looking for (of which only 14 I know for sure lived past 1876) via either the Leipzig University Library or the Austrian ONB ... if that does not work out, I will have to think of something else....I don't guess any other member of this forum has a copy...and 2 eyes

Still the book is a beauty and the only source I know of for austria which is like that

David

[Guest Rick Research]

I have worked through tens of thousands of pages of handwritten German script, some so bad it can only be described as the Devil's Scratches of illiterate senile escaped lunatics...

but THIS volume, because of its lack of size and condition is without a doubt the worst original period source I have ever used in 35 years of research.

I had never laboured in the Austro-Hungarian Research Mines much before inheriting Eric's library, and it amazes me how consistently BAD Austro-Hungarian paper always was. From the 1850s right up to a book on Maria Theresa Knights printed in Vienna during the Second World War, Austrian book paper is coarse, brown, brittle... and horribly affected by chemicals.

It takes little imagination to realize that in the same length of time as from 1876 to now into the future, this little volume Just Ain't Gonna Make It.

All research is a battle against time (and bureaucratic inertia), but in the physical attributes of Austrian-made paper...

time has already won the struggle! :speechless1:

[David M]

It takes little imagination to realize that in the same length of time as from 1876 to now into the future, this little volume Just Ain't Gonna Make It.

I thought of that to, hence my idea for the digitalisation. BTW I found this in the catalogue of the ONB and was wondering if you have it or anybaody knows if it maybe the same sort of source

Ordens-Almanach für die k.k. österreichische Armee (1861)

David

[David M]

Just sent of my request to the ONB in Vienna for the scanning of the entries of my near 30 austrians (they are not all christmas trees) I expect at least 14 of them to be in there (as they lived after 1876)

So lets keep my fingers crossed and wait what monday mail will bring us....Will kee you posted

David