Angelicus, Bartholomeus
De proprietatibus rerum
Nuremberg, May 30, 1483.(Hain-c 2506; BMC II, 425; Goff B-137).In folio; contemporary half vellum over wooden boards. Rests of clasps, 268 leaves (complete including first & last blanks), text in two columns, partly rubricated.Minor, marginal restorations to first six and last ten leaves.Good, original copy of the book.
Anglicus encyclopedia of (mediaeval) knowledge, written for the common people, was highly popular and successful (this is its eighth edition, the first by Koberger). The first edition appeared in 1470. It treats natural history, geography, medicine, cosmology, metereology, medicine, music etc etc.
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Lilius, Zacharias
De origine et laudibus scientiarum etc.
Florence, Bonaccorsi, 1496 (Hain 10103; BMC VI 675; Harisse 17; Sabin 41607; JCB I p 24; Riccardi Vol 2: 41.1) Small quarto, newly bound in old, plain vellum. 65 (of 72) nn leaves. Leaves a1 and a2 with marginal restorations, incl. some letters in manuscript. Seven leaves in good facsimile on old paper. Heavily but well restored copy.
Five books in one volume. Contains an early TO worldmap (Shirley nr 1; Campbell nr 86) and is a very early Americana. Extremely rare.
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Alonso X El Sabio
Astronomicae tabulae...
Paris, Wechsel, 1553 (Adams A 734).In quarto. Contemporary vellum. Title in manuscript on spine. (4) 274 (1). Printers device title page & colofon. As bookmarker double coat of arms: hinc occidit, inde resugit (going under here, coming up again elsewhere). Title page & first and last leaves slightly spotted. About 15 leaves with marginal wurmhole. Else fine.
The astronomical tables of Alfonso el Sabio were in reality the tables by the Cordoban astronomer al Zarqali (1029-1087). It was one and who knows the most famous of the various translations of classics from Arabian into Spanish or Latin. At the time the observations of the XI century were updated with data from 1262 and 1272. Of course it followed Ptolomys concept of celestial motion. Those tables were again rewritten in the early XIV century. That text was first printed in 1483 by Ratholt in Venice. Ratholt added John of Saxonys popular canons which completed the Alphonsine tables in various areas (Sothebys, Streeter, 2007). The present edition is the second edition of the update by Hamleius (Duhamel, professor at the University of Paris).
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Monardus, Nicolas
Historia medicinal de nuestras Indias Occidentales
Sevilla, Diaz 1580 (Palau 175487; Sabin, 49938). Quarto, 7 nn leaves; 168 lvs. Modern vellum. Title page; a3 and last 2 lvs in manuscript.
Nicolas Monardus was born and raised in Sevilla in 1493, studied medicine in Alcala. He wrote a best selling book on medicinal herbs from the Americas and gave the world the first image of the tobacco plant and a nice image of the armadillo.
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Gallucci, Giovanni Paolo
Della fabrica & del novo horlogio...
Venetia, Perchacino 1590 (Riccardi I, 569; Brunet II, 1468; Poggendorf I, 838; Horblit Collection, Sotheby's, 1974, part 2 nr 433). Quarto, newly bound in old vellum. Free end papers. Two books in one volume. 4 nn lvs; 28 folios; 4 nn lvs; 36 folios. Two title pages with woodcut printer device, initials historiated in woodcut. With two original moving parts and many woodcut illustrations. Fine copy.
Gallucci (1538-1621) was a productive scientist, especially known for his Theatrum Mundi, a book on astronomy. He was a co-founder of the Academy of Sciences in Venice.
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Medina, Pedro de
Arte del navigare
Venice, Baglioni, 1609 (Palau 159680; Maggs, Bibl. Nautica, part one (1928), nr 61). In quarto, contemporary calf. Spine comparted , blindtooled & gilted, bookplate: South Library 1860. 8 nn lvs; 137 numbered leaves, false numbering 43=34 & 133=135. One woodcut map of the Atlantic Ocean (America; Europa; Africa). Woodcut illustrations throughout. Complete. Binding wasted, first leaves with slight browning at the top, else excellent.
Second edition (first 1554) in Italian of this famous, Spanish book on navigation. According to Palau “se puede afirmar que los Europa aprendio a navigar en libros Espanoles” (that Europe learned to sail from Spanish Books). The map of the Atlantic, covering the coast of north and south America is seen as an early and important map of the Americas (Burden nr 21), unchanged from the first edition of 1554.
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Ritter F.
Astrolabium & Speculum Solis
Nuremberg, Gerard fur Furst 1660 - Two books in one volume, small quarto, XIX century boards and in small slip box. Frontispiece book I (restored tear) - Second Frontispiece book II, various text engravings, 8 folding plates, including two world maps (large pole map with tiny marginal damage, just affecting the plate). (Doppelbayer 96 ; Doppelmayer 96 F ; not in Honeywell ; Shirley 270).
On these world maps Shriley tells us that (in his Speculum Solis) "Franz Ritter has included a most unusual (world) map. It is projected from the north pole as if it were the table of a sun dial, with the land masses drawn to scale in proportion to their distance to the pole. The map is (thus) highly distorted...but mathematically correct" (see for 2nd photo our mapstore)
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Barrow, Isaac
The usefulness of mathematical learning...University of Cambridge
London, Austen 1734. In octavo, full calf, spine blindstamped, gilt & renewed. Portrait; 32 pp; 440 pp; 10 nn leaves, including one blank and one full page illustration. This is the first edition of the oratorical preface of our learned author spoken before the university on his being elected Lucasian professor of mathematics, followed by a series of 15 mathematical lectures. There is a modern facsimile edition of this book (Routledge, 1970).
Isaac Barrow was first a professor of Greek and later a professor mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge, at the same time Newton taught there. His contribution to mathematics is especially in the area of the mathematical calculus. Newton and Barrow worked together on mathematical investigations and Barrow presented one of Newton’s papers: On analysis of infinite series, anonymously to other scientists of the day, admitting later the paper was written by Newton:...”a fellow of our college and very young but of an extraordinary genius and proficiency in these things” (Barrow to Collins, quoted in Glieck, Isaac Newton, Harper 2003). Newton eventually succeeded Barrow as mathematical professor, who after that concentrated on his religious concerns.
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Blackwell, Elizabeth
A curious herbal....after drawings, taken from the life
London, John Nourse 1739 (Nissen, 168). 2 Vols in folio (36x24 cm). Contemporary full calf, one title piece on spine missing. 125 folios & 500 copperplate engravings, coloured by the author herself. Contemporary bindings restored. Printed on strong paper, sturdy prints with deep colour. A few leaves with marginal damage, not affecting the plates, repaired. Further an unwashed, original copy of the book. Second edition (first 1737) of one of the best known later herbals (plant books used in cure). The plates are full page and attractive. The text is a summary description of each plant, mostly in four:
(1) description of the plant & flowers; (2) where it grows (3) what is is used for in curing and (4) names in other languages: Greek, Latin; Spanish; Italian; French; German and Dutch.
Elisabeth Blackwell s Curious Herbal, published in weekly parts and collected in two large volumes in 1737 and 1739 is the odd result of the ladies attempt to free the husband from financial embarrassment. Her work is closely associated with the Garden of the Society of Apothecaries at Chelsea. She drew, engraved and coloured all five hundred plates herself.
(in Blunt, the illustrated herbal. 1979). The book's reputation remained high till the end of the century. An enlarged version with a Latin text added to the English one, Herbarium Blackwellianum, was published in Nurenberg in five volumes between 1750 and 1760, with plates redrawn. A supplementary volume was added in 1773 (an extra 100 plates).
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Barrere, Pierre
Essai sur l'histoire naturelle de la France equinoxale (Guyana)
Paris, Piget, 1749. (Sabin 3603; le Clerc 1511). In octavo, contemporary half calf. 12 lvs; 216 pp; 4 lvs.
Listing of plants and animals and minerals, occurring in Guyana, in Latin, French and including their Indian names.
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Atkinson, J.
Epitome of the Art of Navigation
London, Mount & Page 1753. (Maggs, Biblioteca nautica IV, 2294; Scheepvaartmuseum 677). In octavo, contemporary calf. Front plate loosening. 228 pp. 10 folding plates.
Classical handbook on navigation, as used in the English speaking world. (first edition, 1686)
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Pluche, NA
Concorde de la Geographie
Paris, Freres Estienne. 1785In duodecimo, original full calf. Spine comparted and gilted.Portrait. 12 folding maps. Complete.
Short geographical handbook.
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Figari
Instituciones Physico-matheseos
Latin Manuscript on paper. Collegio Romani, Rome 1836/1837. 172 pp, 20 nn lvs of which 14 are blank, 5 folding sheets with illustrations. In quarto, contemporary carton & paper binding (soiled).
Written in one fine and legible hand (Notes (elaborations) in the margin by the same hand. Possibly lacking text at the end of part V: Mechanica coelestis = blank leaves. Excellent condition. Text book for beta sciences, dealing with (6 chapters on) : statica, dynamica, hydrostatica; hydrodinamica, mechanica coelestis & synopsis opticae.
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Abd-al-Rahman al-Sufi
Description des Etoiles Fixes
H C F C Schjellerup (translation) - St Petersbourg 1874. In quarto (31x23 cm), contemporary boards
(2) 272 pp (1) ; Seven folding lithographed maps ; Front plate loosening. Slight browning and spotting. Fine copy.
First translation of this "amalgest" of the Arab world, written in the X century. The original manuscript is in the British Library (BL 5323 f 21)
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Schliemann, H.
Ilios, City and Country of the Trojans
London, Murray, 1880In octavo, original decorated & gilted cloth, slightly rubbed.16 nn leaves; 800 pages1 lithographed folding map, 6 folding plates, 32 lithographed pages, 1570 wood engravings in the text.(Atabey 1079)
First edition (first in German appeared in 1881 only!). The story of the excavations by Schliemann of Troy, are among the most famous of adventure and science ever published.
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