Search Results

Lugduni Batavorum (Leiden), Ex officina Elzeviriana, 1635. 12mo. Bound in a later (mid 19th century) half calf binding with three raised bands and gilt spine. Edges worn and spine slightly rubbed. Cracks to capitals and hinges. Small holes to title-page and previous ownership signature cut out from blank lower margin of title-page. Underlinings and marginal notes in the form of indications of paragraphs in old hand, otherwise internally clean. Engraved title page. With 5 full-page woodcuts and 3 folded maps. The scarce true first printing of this esteemed and highly soought-after Elzevier-edition, which by many is considered the finest of all the Elzevier productions. - Dibdin I: 360.

London, T. Wood & S. Palmer, 1727. Folio (350 x 240 mm). Uniformly bound in two contemporary full calf bindings with five raised bands and richly gilt spines. A few scratches to to spines and boards. Small paper-label pasted on to top of spines. All edges coloured in red. Ex-libris pasted on to pasted down front end-papers. Internally very fine and clean. (4), 14, XXVII, (3), 182, (2), 38, (5) pp. + folded map of France; (2), 581, (5) pp. A fine set of the first two volumes (out of three) of Boulainvillier's posthumously published work on various aspects of the French monarchy during the early 18th century."BOULAINVILLIERS, HENRI, Comte de (1658–1722), French political writer, was born at St Saire in Normandy in 1658. He was educated at the college of Juilly, and served in the army until 1697. He wrote a number of historical works (published after his death), of which the most important were the following: Histoire de l’ancien gouvernement de la France (La Haye, 1727); État de la France, avec des mémoires sur l’ancien gouvernement (London, 1727); Histoire de la pairie de France (London, 1753); Histoire des Arabes (1731). His writings are characterized by an extravagant admiration of the feudal system. He was an aristocrat of the most pronounced type, attacking absolute monarchy on the one hand and popular government on the other. He was at great pains to prove the pretensions of his own family to ancient nobility, and maintained that the government should be entrusted solely to men of his class. He died in Paris on the 23rd of January 1722." (Encyclopedia Britannica).

(London, Richard Taylor, 1833). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from "Philosophical Transactions" 1833 - Part II. Pp. 253-284. Clean and fine. First appearance of a main paper in the history of chemistry. "Graham's major contribution to inorganic chemistry is presented in a paper entitled "Researcheson thee Arseniates, Phosphates....." 1833 (the paper offered)...his elucidation of the differences between the three phosphoric acids and his discovery of their polybasicity provided Liebig with the clue to the modern concept of polybasic acids..."(A Source Book in Chemistry p. 333)."In the Preface to...Graham's papers...Dr. Angus Smith has indicated in precise...language Graham's position in that chain of thinkers which includes Leucippus, Lucretius, Newton and Dalton (Thorpe)"Thomas Graham, the Scottish Chemist, first president of the Chemical Society of London, and one of the chief founders of physical chemistry. He formulated Graham's Law of diffusion relating the rate of diffusion of gases to their densities, discovered and named the process of dialysis used for separating colloids from crystalloids, studied the three forms of phosphoric and arsenics acids that led to the developpement of the concept of polybasic acids, a major contribution to inorganic chemistry (the paper offered).

London, R Smith, 1694. 8vo. In contemporary full calf with five raised bands and triple ruled fillets to boards. Small paper-label pasted on to top of boards. Wear to extremities, boards with scratches and corners bumped. Light marginal browning throughout. Tear to inner margin of first two leaves. Frontispiece partly detached. (6), 168 pp. + frontispiece. The rare first edition of Allestree’s posthumously published religious and philosophical reflections on how to cope with adversity and suffering. Richard Allestree (1619-1681) was a notable English Anglican divine, scholar, and author who played a significant role in 17th-century religious and intellectual life. Born in Uppington, Shropshire, he was educated at Christ Church, Oxford. His academic and religious career was interrupted by the English Civil War where he served as a Royalist soldier leading to his expulsion from Christ Church in 1648 due to his political affiliations. Allestree’s writings emphasized practical piety and moral guidance, of which the present work is a fine example, reflecting his commitment to Anglican doctrine and pastoral care. His influence extended through his academic roles, shaping theological education and contributing to the religious discourse of his time.

London and New York, Macmillan and Co., 1889. Orig. full cloth, uncut. Light wear along edges. Part of hinges neathly repaired. Small tears to spine ends. IX,(4),259,(3) pp. Internally clean and fine. First edition. - "By the employment of statistical Methods Galton propounded a "law of filial regression". This book represents the first statistical study of biological variation and inheritance."(Garrison & Morton No. 233). "The Natural Inheritance was his outcome of his work over the past 15 years on statistical techniques related to genetics. This includes develpment of the concept of correlation coefficients and the formula for the standard error of estimate."(Parkinson, Breakthroughs).

London, Printed by Taylor and Francis - Published by the Author, (1862-) 73. Folio. Papersize 54,5x36,5 cm. Lithographed and fully handcoloured. Two birds, male and female on branches, flowering, foliage and insects.. J. Gould & H.C. Richter, del. et lith. - Walter, Imp. Fine and clean. The plate is accompanied with the original textleaf. (2) pp. This is an original plate from Goulds great work "The Birds of Great Britain", issued between 1862 and 1873. The plates in this work were executed by Gould himself, and a few by J. Wolf, H.C. Richer and Hart. Together with Audubon's plates, the Gould-plates are considered the best bird-art ever produced, AND THE PLATES IN HIS "BIRDS OF GREAT BRITAIN" ARE THE PEAK OF GOULD'S ARTISTIC LIFE. In the foreword Gould stresses the difference from his "Birds of Europe" in the treatment of the illustrations, the inclusion here of the figures of the baby birds and nests, and he comments "Many of the public are quite unaware how the colouring of these large plates is accomplished; and not a few believe that they are produced by some mechanical process or by chromo-lithography. This, however is not the case; every sky with its varied tints and every feather of each bird were coloured by hand; and when it is considered that nearly two hundred and eighty thousand illustrations in the present work have been so treated, it will most likely cause some astonishment to those who give the subject a thought.". Elsewhere he remarked upon employing "almost all colourists in London." - Wood p. 364. - Nissen No. 372. - Sitwell 102. - Zimmer pp. 261-62. - Not in Jean Anker.

Leipzig, Johann Ambrosius Barth, 1834. 8vo. Contemp. hcalf. Spine gilt and with gilt lettering. Spine slightly rubbed. In: "Annalen der Physik und Chemie. Hrsg.von Poggendorff", Bd. 35. X,630,(8) pp. a. 5 folded lithographed plates. (Entire volume offered). Faraday's papers: pp. 1-45 a. 222-226, 1 plate (8. Reihe) - pp. 413-444 (9. Reihe). Stamp to verso of titlepage and verso of plates. Clean and fine, printed on good paper. First appearance in German - prepared by Faraday himself for publication in Annalen - of two groundbreakings papers in chemistry and physiscs.In the FIRST PAPER (8. Reihe) Faraday brings forth the idea "that the atoms of matter are in some way endowed or associated with electrical powers, to which they owe their most striking qualities, and amongst them their mutual chemical affinity." He showed how natural it is to suppose that the electricity which passes through the electrolyte is exact equivaklent of that which is possessed by the atoms separated at the electrode: which implies that there is A CERTAIN ABSOLUTE QUANTITY OF THE ELECTRIC POWER ASSOCIATED WITH EACH ATOM OF MATTER.- Faraday further verifies, that the electricity of the violtaic pile is proportionate in its intensity to the intensity of the affinities concerned in its production. - Dealing with the the decompositions in electrolysis, he shows that THE FORCES TERMED CHEMICAL AFFINITY AND ELECTRICITY ARE THE SAME.In the SECOND PAPER (9. Reihe), Faraday (independent of Henry's discovery of the same phenomena in 1832) discovers SELF-INDUCTION or the "extra current" and points out the importent influence it must have in the construction of electro-magnetic machines (electro-motors)."Faraday showed that the powerful momentary current, which was observed when the circuit was interrupted, was really an induced current governed by the same laws as all other induced currents, but with this peculiarity, that the induced and inducing current now flowed in the same circuit. In fact, the current in its steady state establishes in the surrounding region a magnetic field, whose lines of force are linked with the circuit; and teh removal of these lines of forcewhen the circuit is broken originates an induced current, which reatly reinforces the primary current just before its final extinction."(Whittaker in "A History of the Aether and Electricity")"In the series of experiments which are detailed in this paper, the author inquires into the causes of some remarkable phenomena relating to the action of an electrical current upon itself, under certain circumstances, wherby its intensity is highly exalted, and occasionally increased to ten, twenty, or even fifty times that which it originally possessed."(Abstract).

Braunschweig, Vieweg und Sohn, 1842-54. 8vo. Bound in 7 contemp. hcalf. Richly gilt spines and with gilt lettering. A small paperlabel pasted on lower parts of spines. Stamp on verso of title-pages. Around 6.500 pp., 6 folded engraved plates and 9 folded tables. Richly textillustrated with woodcuts. Scattered brownspots, most in volume 1. First edition. The work appeared in parts, beginning 1837 and it comprises 9 volumes plus Supplements.

New York, The Science Press, 1922. Royal8vo. Bound in contemporary full cloth with gilt lettering to spine. In "Science", New Series, Volume LVI [56], July - December, 1922 Entire volume offered. Library stamp to front free end paper, Soiling to extremities and back board loose, internally fine and clean. Pp. 650-51. [Entire volume: VIII, 760 pp.]. First appearance of Evans and Bishop seminal paper in which they discovered Vitamin E. In 1922 along with Katharine Scott Bishop, during feeding experiments on rats, Evans discovered that rats did not reproduce when fed a semi-synthetic purified diet in which lard was the sole source of fat. They observed that a 'substance X' in lipid extracts of various grains would correct the fertility defect. It was first isolated in a pure form by Gladys Anderson Emerson in 1935 at the University of California, Berkeley.Garrison & Morton 1055

Amsterdam, Someren, 1670. 4to In contemporary full vellum. Stains and miscolouring to boards. Annotation to front free end-paper and previous owner's name in contemporary hand to title-page. Stains and miscolouring to extremities. Internally with occassional underlignings. First 50 ff. with marginal dampstain. (8), 979, (22) pp. Dutch translation of Puritan Jeremiah Dyke’s theological writings. Translated and improved by Joannes Ubelman.

London, John Bellamie, 1650. 4to. In contemporary full calf with four raised bands and triple ruled fillets to boards. Small paper-label pasted on to top of spine. Upper front hinge split and spine-ends with a few tears. Inner hinges split. Boards slightly soiled. Both font free end-paper with annotations in contemporary hand. Internally with occassional light marginal browning but generally nice and clean. (14), 374, (2), 32, 35-58, 61-76, 83-234, 239-334 pp. First edition of Trapp’s commentary and interpretation on three books from the Old Testament of the Bible: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs.

Heidelberg, C. F. Wnter, 1844. Uncut in original full blindtooled cloth. Slightly brownspotted. One page with marginal notes. First edition.

Leipzig, Braun, 1724. 8vo. In contemporary half vellum with gilt lettering to spine. Light wear to extremities, small paper-label pasted on to spine. A few doodles to pasted down front end-papers. Internally very nice and clean. (6), 746, (14) pp. + frontispiece. Later German edition of Musitano's "De morbis mulierum tractatus" on Women’s diseases with a focus on gynaecology and venereal illnesses - Musitano's most famous and influential work. Musitano (1635 – 1714), is regarded as being one of the most important Italian physicians of the seventeenth century and his works were reissued several times and translated into both French and German. Musitano was both a priest and a physician which made him many enemies who, under the pretext of "indecency", tried to prevent him from practicing medicine. However, Pope Clement IX, acknowledging Musitano's merit, granted him permission to continue his medical practice.

München, Galerie van de Loo, (1976). 4to. Orig. lithographed wrappers. XXXII,267,(1) pp. Richly illustrated, partly in colour. With 2 double-page original lithographs in colour (Wrapper and one folded facing p. 126)

Nürnberg, Johann Adam Stein, 1833. Bound in 3 contemp. hcalf. Richly gilt spines. Titlelabels with gilt lettering. A paperlabel pasted on upper part of spines. Stamps on title-pages. XVI,236,(1);IV,190,(1);X,163,(1) pp., 17 folded engraved maps and plans + 2 large folded engraved maps. First title-page somewhat brownspotted, otherwise fine and clean, on good paper.

Madrid, Calpe, (1921 & 1922) 8vo. Bound in one half calf binding with four raised bands. Spine with wear, otherwise a fine copy. X, (6), 361, VIII, 359, (3) pp. + 1 folded map. First complete Spanish translation of Darwin's "Journal of Researches": "La única que completa e intacta, se ofrece en castellano" (From the introduction to the present work). The work now, now known as Voyage of the Beagle, was Darwin's first published book. As Darwin later recalled in his autobiography 'The voyage of the Beagle has been by far the most important event in my life and has determined my whole career'. "On its first appearance in its own right, also in 1839, it was called Journal of researches into the geology and natural history etc. The second edition, of 1845, transposes 'geology' and 'natural history' to read Journal of researches into the natural history and geology etc., and the spine title is Naturalist's voyage. The final definitive text of 1860 has the same wording on the title page, but the spine readsNaturalist's voyage round the world, and the fourteenth thousand of 1879 places A naturalist's voyage on the title page. The voyage of the Beagle first appears as a title in the Harmsworth Library edition of 1905. It is a bad title: she was only a floating home for Darwin, on which, in spite of good companionship, he was cramped and miserably sea-sick; whilst the book is almost entirely about his expeditions on land." (Freeman).Freeman 252.Blanco & Llorca: 5 (Blanco & Llorca: Bibliogrfía crítica illustrada de las obras de Darwin en españa, (1857-2005).

(London, Richard Taylor, 1851). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from "Philosophical Transactions" 1851 - Part I. Pp. 29-84, textillustr. and pp. 85-122, textillustr. Both papers clean and fine. First appearance of a historical paper in physiscs in which Faraday on purely theoretical grounds predicts the magnecrystallic effect and experimentally proves this prediction to be correct.Faraday was successfull in explaining the diagmagnetic phenomena with his lines of magnetics force, and he now applies his concept of "lines of force" to magnecrystallic bodies. "A magnecrystallicsubstance would then be one which in the crystallised state would conduct onwards, or permit the exrtion of the magnetic force with more facility in one direction than another; and that direction would be the magnecrystallic axis. hence, when in the magnetic field, the magnecrystallic axis would be urged into a position coincident with the magnetic axis, by a force correspondent to that difference, just as two different bodies were taken, when one with the greater conducting power displaces that which is weaker" The prediction was shown to be correct; a body like bismuth became less magnetc when its axis was parallel to the magnetic axis than when it is perpendicular to it.From 1831 to 1852 Michael Faraday published his "Experimental Researches in Electricity" in The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. These papers contain not only an impressive series of experimental discoveries, but also a collection of heterodox theoretical concepts on the nature of these phenomena expressed in terms of lines of forces and fields. He published 30 papers in all under this general title.They represents Faraday's most importent work, are classics in both chemistry and physics and are the experimental foundations for Maxwell's electro-magnetic theory of light, using Faraday's concepts of lines of force or tubes of magnetic and electrical forces. His many experiments on the effects of electricity and magnetism presented in these papers lead to the fundamental discoveries of 'induced electricity' (the Farday current), the electronic state of matter, the identity of electricity from different sources, equivalents in electro-chemical decomposition, electrostatic induction, hydro-electricity, diamagnetism, relation of gravity to electricity, atmospheric magnetism and many other."Among experimental philosophers Faraday holds by universal consent the foremost place. The memoirs in which his discoveries are enshrined will never ceaseto be read with admiration and delight; and future generations will preserve with an affection not less enduring the personal records and familiar letters, which recall the memory of his humble and unselfish spirit."(Edmund Whitta

(Stockholm, ca. 1915). Stor folio. (52x38 cm.). Orig. hldrbd. med rig rygforgyldning. Et oversigtskort og et blad med Teckenförklaring samt 96 farvelitograferede kort i dobbeltfolio (=alle kort som udkom optil udgivelsen ca. 1915).

(Genoa), No printer, AN IX (1801). Later hcalf. Gilt spine. Gilt lettering. A paperlabel pasted on spine. Stamps on title-page. 110,(2) pp., 3 large folded engraved maps and plans. Wide-margined, clean and fine, printed on thick heavy paper.

Leipzig, Weidmannischen Buchladen, 1736. Small 4to. Cont. full mottled calf. Richly gilt back, gilt borders on covers. leather titlelabel on back. A paperlabel pasted on upper compartment. Back very slightly rubbed. Engraved portrait as frontispiece. (14),358 pp. and 32 folded engraved plates. Occasional light brownspotting and light yellowing of leaves. First German edition.

Lugduni (Lyon), Laurentii Durand, 1630. Folio. Contemp. full vellum. Some soiling to vellum. Frontcover wrinkled at foot. Ms title on spine. Title-page printed in red/black. (12),460 pp. A later picture of St. Catharine's Church pasted on verso of title-page. Some of the first leaves with a faint dampstain in margin. Presentation inscription on first leaf of second part (dated 1897). Scarce edition of Anselm's collected works. Saint Anselm was one of the most important Christian thinkers of the eleventh century. He is most famous in philosophy for having discovered and articulated the so-called "ontological argument;" and in theology for his doctrine of the atonement. However, his work extends to many other important philosophical and theological matters, among which are: understanding the aspects and the unity of the divine nature; the extent of our possible knowledge and understanding of the divine nature; the complex nature of the will and its involvement in free choice; the interworkings of human willing and action and divine grace; the natures of truth and justice; the natures and origins of virtues and vices; the nature of evil as negation or privation; and the condition and implications of original sin. (Encycl. of Philosopy).

Hamburg, Friedrich Perthes, 1798. 8vo. Later modest paperbdg. Back somewhat worn, occationally brownspotted. XIV, 327, (1) pp. First edition, not common. In the late 18th century. Schelling dealt with the natural sciences and in that respect was especially interested in the objective side of knowledge. "Von der Weltseele" was widely noticed and it was this work that made Scelling famous in the university city of Jena. Goethe was especially interested in and fascinated by this work.

Nürnberg, Grattenauer, 1783. Contemp. hcalf, gilt. Wear to titlelabel. A paperlabel pasted on lower part of spine. Lower right corner of front free endpaper gone. Stamp on titlepage. (4),176 pp. Internally fine and clean. First German edition of this first-hand account of the campaign of the allied armies under command of general Washington. It also contains reflexions and observations on the customs of the Americans, together with an account of the capture of general Burgoyne and Cornwallis with their armies. - Sabin: 72037.

(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1814). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from "Philosophical Transactions" 1814 - Part I. Pp. 187-218 and 3 engraved plate. Fine and clean. First printing of pioneer paper in which Brewster laid the foundations of new fields of investigations. by showing that in a large class of crystals there are two axes along which there is no double refraction. Such crystals he calls BIAXAL, the simpler type to which Iceland spar belongs being called UNIAXAL."Brewster created new fields of optical mineralogy and photoelasticity. In 1813, while studying the "depolarising" action of Topaz, he observed two sets of elliptical rings (interference patterns) centered on axes in the Topaz that were apparently inclined at 65 degr.. He interpreted this to mean that Topaz must have two axes, not one, of double refraction, an entirely unexpected result. After many laborious experiments he was able in 1819 to group all but a few of hundreds of minerals and crystals into mutually consistent optical and mineralogical categories: the primitive form determined the number of axes of double refraction."(DSB).

London, John Creswick and Co., 1796. (Drawback). Small 8vo. Contemp. full calf. Richly gilt spine, broad gilt borders on covers. Inside gilt borders. All edges gilt. Inner hinges weak. Engreved portrait (Sterne). XV,200 pp. and 2 engraved plates. A marginal brownspot to one plate. Internally clean. One of the scarce issues with the printed "Drawback" on the title-page beneath the year, INDICATING THAT THE EDITION WAS INTENDED FOR EXPORT. The 1794 Act for Repealing the Duties on paper... allowed the refond of duty paid on paper used for books intended for export. To qualify, the paper used had to be watermarked with a year, 1794 or later (this copy marked "94", and the refund or drawback could only be claimed by a printer, publisher or bookseller exporting it as merchandice.