The Tulip Book of P. Cos

In the entire world, 43 tulip books are known to exist. They are all manuscripts, made by different illustrators, and therefore unique. Of these books, 34 were made in the Netherlands during the first half of the seventeenth century. This period saw a rapid development of the range of cultivated tulip varieties. 'Broken' tulips, showing a flame pattern, were all the rage. We now know that these patterns were the result of a viral infection. Speculation rose in the year 1637 to an extent that bulbs were sold faster than they could grow.
Prices spiraled to a ridiculous level for bulbs of which neither buyer nor seller had seen the flower. This tulipomania got out of hand so badly that bulb growers themselves asked the government to ban the trade.

The tulip book of nurseryman P. Cos of Haarlem is a manuscript nursery catalogue of tulips and a small number of other flowers, published in 1637. In comparison with other tulip books, this one is special because not only their names are mentioned, but also their weight and the price for which each bulb was sold.
For these prices at the height of the tulipomania you could buy a nice estate or be ruined for the rest of your life.

The correct citation of the book is:

Verzameling van een meenigte tulipaanen, naar het leven geteekend met hunne naamen, en swaarte der bollen, zoo als die publicq verkogt zijn, te Haarlem in den jaare A. 1637, door P. Cos, bloemist te Haarlem. - Haarlem : [s.n.], 1637. - 75 pl. [nl]. -

Contents of the tulip book

The manuscript contains 54 gouaches of tulips, followed by 12 added drawings of tulips by [Pieter] Holsteijn the Younger and Pieter Schagen, 7 watercolours of carnations and 2 drawings of other flowers.

For most tulips, names are written at the bottom of the pages. For some tulips, names are indicated by a riddle, a drawing or a rebus. The weight of each bulb is given in 'aasen', an aas being 0,08 gram. Prices are given in guilders.

The virtual tulip book

If you want to take a look at the beautiful pictures from this unique manuscript, you can leaf through the book starting with the front page, or use the contents list (not actually present in the book).