1834-1835. Two parts in one volume, large 4to; pp. 508; pp. 404; without title-page as often found; in lithograph throughout reproducing the original manuscript notes with numerous accompanying hand-drawn illustrations throughout both volumes; first volume affected by some prominent coffee(?) or ink staining affecting a number of leaves in the first half of the work, in particular pp. 13-38, 47-63, 113-120, 137-157, 217-227, and with small paper flaw p. 181; fainter stain affecting upper margins of pp. 183-247 in Vol. II; text otherwise generally fresh; with faint pencil signature at head of p. 169 ‘M. Costay’; in an attractive signed binding by ‘Hirou’ in contemporary green morocco backed boards, spine ruled, lettered and decorated in gilt, retaining the original green silk marker, head and tail of spine and joints a little rubbed, covers a little scuffed, corners rather bumped; a good copy. An extensive and rare example of the early 19th century genre of academic course notes printed in lithograph throughout, reproducing the original manuscript and including accompanying hand-drawn illustrations. As revealed by the tooling on the spine, the present notes relate to a course given by the noted engineer and mathematician Gabriel Lamé (1795-1870), who was at the time Chair of Physics at the École Polytechnique. Lamé had accepted the position in 1832, having previously spent a number of years in St Petersburg, after accepting a position at the Institut et Corps du Genie des Voies de Communications as Professor of engineering at the request of Alexander I. There he had lectured on analysis, physics, mechanics, chemistry and engineering topics. Upon his return he remained active as an engineer, and subsequently accepted a post at the Sorbonne as Chair of mathematical physics and probability.
The Ecole Polytechnique was founded in 1794 under the name École Centrale des Travaux Publics, being renamed in the following year. Its mission was to provide its students with a well-rounded scientific education, with a strong emphasis in mathematics, physics and chemistry, and to prepare them upon graduation to enter the national institutes of public works, such as the École d’Application de l’Artillerie et du Génie (School of Artillery and Engineering Applications), École des Mines, and École nationale des ponts et chausses (National School of Bridges and Roadways).
The present volume is divided into two years of study, with topics including the general properties of materials, heat, the conductibility of bodies, latent heats, the laws on the cooling of bodies, molecular attraction, the action of capillaries, on electricity, galvanism, on light, refraction, vision, optical instrumentation, and concluding with a section on acoustics. Lamé went on to publish a printed two volume textbook in 1840, ‘Cours de Physique de l’École Polytechnique’, which whilst drawing upon these course notes, was a substantially revised and new work.
As revealed at the tail of the first page of the second part, the publication was produced by Joseph Auguste Clouet, who was the official lithographer for the École Centrale des Arts et manufactures, also known as the École Centrale de Paris, producing a number of ‘autographed’ course notes for that institution, clearly undertaking similar work for the other leading Parisian scientific Institutions.