This book is the story of Mary and Joseph, the birth of Jesus Christ and as far as I can figure out, the story of Christianity up until the late 1700's. Through the Internet I was able to determine the book was published in 1888 and is written in German. The book was at my Grandmother Susan Toeppner's farmhouse but Uncle Stanley Toeppner was not even sure whom it originally belonged to. In the very back of the book there remained one page with hand writing with the names Susan, Paul and Joe, children of Frank and Margarita. A few years ago while going through old pictures I found and scanned two pages of Ulrich family history. As it turns out they are from this book and I am including a copy of the originals.
This is how a rare book dealer described the copy that he had for sale:
ROHNER, BEAT: Maria and Joseph. The life of the all-most blessed virgin and its glorious bridegroom, connected with a description of the excellent grace places and Verehrer Maria's. with a preface (of) Franz Albert Eder. A-settle, Benziger, 1888, in-4°, 2-spalt. Text, 8 sheets + 1019 S., with 740 partly completesince. Woodcuts + 7 (of 8) Chromolithographien in richest execution + 5 S. (published works), red Orig. - Half leather volume, enrich gold and black coinage, raised printing, Maria with child Jesus in the center of the front cover, gold cut, original box. realm illustrated work of Beat Rohner, minister to a settling, in very beautiful cover. Except the life this work treats also the admiration of both holy ones in the catholic church (P. 252 FF.), the places of pilgrimage (P. 488 FF.) in Italy, in France (P. 544-588), in the Grand Duchy of bathing, Bavaria, Austria, in the German Reich and Poland, in Switzerland (P. 690-710), in Luxembourg and Belgium, in Spain and Portugal. CHF 200,00 = appr. US$ 158.00 Off-talk by: Harteveld rare Books Ltd. - Book NUMBER: 29715
This copy is missing the first 85 pages with several more being in bad shape. Through out the book there are a few pressed leaves, 4-leaf clover, small wild flowers and a few leaves of other plants. I do not read German but I was able to follow the story a little through the pictures. Using a translator on the Internet I was able to identify a few Saints and bishops.
