Engraved frontis. port. of Hauser (a little foxed). 3 p.l., 151 pp. 8vo, later green wrappers with large portions of the orig. wrappers pasted on. Anbach: J.M. Dollfuss, 1832.

First edition of the first critical summary of the ascertained details of Kaspar Hauser’s life. Feuerbach (1775-1833), one of the major legal scholars of Germany, was instrumental in the reform of the Bavarian penal code.

Very good copy and rare. More

Printed throughout in italic. 197, [1] pp. Small 4to, cont. blind-stamped panelled goat-skin over wooden boards (upper joint with some careful repairs, first six leaves a little dampstained in upper section), orig. catches & clasps. Florence: L. Torrentini, July 1548.

First edition, and a nice copy, of this important work in historiography. Mylaeus (d. 1570), Swiss humanist, travelled in Germany, Turkey, and Italy and was a professor at Lyon. “The first scholar to attempt a compendium of the whole world seems to have been the Swiss humanist Christophorus Mylaeus [in the present work]…He discarded the traditional wisdom of the schools and rebuilt the system... More

Engraved frontis. & engraved title with a vignette of the author in Vol. I. 384, [4] pp.; 1 p.l., 470 pp. Two vols. Small 8vo, Vol. I in cont. marbled half-sheep & marbled boards, flat spine gilt, orange leather lettering piece on spine; Vol. II in a rather fine pastiche binding matching Vol. I. Leipzig: H. Gräff, 1799.

First edition and scarce. La Roche (1730-1807), was the first financially independent professional writer in Germany and her books were very influential. In 1783-84, she published one of the few significant early journals for women, the Pomona für Teutschlands Töchter. Through her daughter Maximiliane, she became the... More

Added engraved title-page (by J.M. Moreau le jeune). viii, 79 pp. 8vo, polished green vellum over boards. Paris: Basan & Chariot, 1775.

[bound with]:

(—). Supplément au Catalogue des Estampes de la succession de feu M. Mariette, dont la vente a commencé le premier Février dernier, & laquelle continuera en Mai prochain, après la vente de Bibliothèque, qui finira le treize [May 1775]. 23 pp. 8vo. [Paris: 1775]. More

One large & fine folding plate depicting the steam engine at Dannemora (two small & unimportant paper repairs on verso). Title printed in red & black. 4 p.l., 52 pp. Small 4to, early 20th-century marbled sheep (a few minor stains), upper cover lettered in gilt. Stockholm: B.G. Schneider, 1734.

First edition and rare. This is the first account of the first steam engine used for practical purposes outside of the United Kingdom. Martin Triewald (1691-1747), Swedish entrepreneur, engineer, and amateur physicist, came to London where he attended lectures on experimental philosophy by his friend and mentor Desaguliers. He “also assisted Newcomen with the erection... More

Calligraphic lithographed upper wrapper, lithographed leaf of table of contents, printed on both sides (a little foxed), & 24 finely colored lithographed plates. Oblong folio (400 x 490 mm.), cont. half-sheep (spine & corners with some wear). [Munich]: J.S. Hochwind, [1836].

[bound with]:

—. From legend at foot of second plate: Festspiele der Octoberfeste 1835 und 1836, welche unter der Leitung d. Turnlehrer Gruber ausgeführt wurden. Two folding & finely colored lithographed plates. [Munich: ca. 1836]. More

28 finely colored lithographed plates (11 double-page), all mounted on stubs. 4to, cont. cloth over boards, with the upper wrapper of the first “Lieferung” mounted. Bamberg: Verlag der Drausnick’sche Buch und Kunsthandlung, [1833].

This rare and complete series of handsome lithographed plates, all with fine original coloring, depicts the public masquerade, a sort of “prequel” held just before Bamberg’s First Theresia Festival in 1833. Published in two installments they show a harlequin; the commander of the Krähwinklers (rubes, country bumpkins, small-town philistines, squares, stiffs, inhabitants of “dullsville”); a child’s baptism; the Tailor Cockatoo, Rumelpuff, the Fake Catalani, and Staberl (these are all... More

Six folding engraved plates. lxviii, 260 pp.; vi, 290 pp.; xlviii, 263 pp. Three vols. 4to, cont. mottled calf (lower cover of Vol. II a little wormed), spines gilt, red morocco lettering pieces on spines. Paris: David, 1754-54-56.

First edition. “Devoted primarily to the motion of the moon (Volume II included a new set of lunar tables), it was written at least partially to guard d’Alembert's claims to originality against those of Clairaut. As was so often the case, d’Alembert's method was mathematically more sound, but Clairaut’s method was more easily used by astronomers.”–D.S.B., I, p. 114. More

Four folding engraved plates. xxxviii, [2], 184 pp. 4to, cont. mottled calf, spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Paris: David l’aîné, 1749.

First edition of one of Alembert’s most important books. “During the late 1740’s, d’Alembert, Clairaut, and Euler were all working on the famous three-body problem, with varying success. D’Alembert’s interest in celestial mechanics thus led him, in 1749, to publish a masterly work, the Recherches sur la Précession des Equinoxes…The precession of the equinoxes, a problem previously attacked by Clairaut, was very difficult. D’Alembert’s method was similar to Clairaut’s but he employed more terms in his integration... More

Engraved vignette on title & four folding engraved plates. 2 p.l., xxvi, [2], 186, [2] pp. 4to, cont. marbled calf (extremities a trifle worn, preliminary leaves a bit discolored), spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Paris: David l’aîné, 1743.

First edition, and a fine copy, of d’Alembert’s masterpiece on dynamics; this has become a scarce book on the market. “The Traité de dynamique, which has become the most famous of his scientific works, is significant in many ways. First, it is clear that d’Alembert recognized that a scientific revolution had occurred, and he thought that he was doing the job of... More

Several small woodcuts in the text. 12 p.l., 128 pp. 8vo, 19th-cent. blue boards, uncut. Stockholm: L. Salvius, 1761.

First edition and very rare. Polhem (1661-1751), the father of Swedish technology, was a pioneer in the mass production of replaceable machine parts, which he made with great precision and accuracy. He made other important contributions to applied mechanics, mining engineering, the construction of canals and docks, building materials and the construction of buildings, and the manufacturing of textiles. Polhem also established a mechanical laboratory for the development and construction of machines, technical instruments, astronomical clocks, etc.

This title of this posthumously published work, edited by his son Gabriel, can be translated as “Patriotic Testament, or Information on Iron, Steel, Brass, Tin and Lead for Those who want to start Industries in these Fields. Including a list of all his Mechanical Inventions,” is the best account by Polhem of his numerous achievements and provides his “alphabet” of machines which demonstrated the basic elements of mechanics. More

Large engraved vignette on title & another at the head of the first leaf of Part II and 30 fine folding engraved plates (numbered I–XXVIII plus XV* & a second plate numbered XVI). 184 pp. 4 p.l., 183, [1] pp. Small 4to, cont. speckled sheep, contrasting vellum lettering piece on spine. Stockholm: tryckt af P.J. Nyström, 1752.

First edition and very rare; WorldCat locates only one copy in North America. This Introduction to the Mechanics and the Art of Construction, including a Description of Several of the Machines invented by the late…Mr. Polhem is the best early treatise on the mechanical and industrial processes... More