1850.]. Oblong folio, pp. [ii] elaborately engraved title-page, and 30 vibrant lithograph plates finished by hand; plate 26 detached and plate 29 loose, some light foxing and soiling throughout, and with evidence of dampstaining at gutters sporadically throughout, images generally clean and bright though with a few abrasions in places; contemporary sheep-backed red embossed paper boards, with red paper label lettered in gilt on upper cover (chipped with some loss), head of spine chipped with loss, tail of spine nicked and worn, rear joint cracked but holding though rear inner hinge therefore weak, boards somewhat scratched, scuffed and soiled with some loss of paper, extremities rubbed and worn; despite wear, still a striking and scarce album. A wonderful and rare decorative arts album produced in celebration of the French Industrial Exhibition of 1849, comprised of thirty large coloured lithographic plates (divided into six fascicles), a number clearly finished by hand, depicting a selection of fine pieces of furniture made by some of the most noted makers of the day. As such it provides a fascinating glimpse into Parisian mid-19th century design trends and fashions, at the start of the Second Republic under the President Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte (three years before he overthrew the Republic and proclaimed himself Emperor Napoleon III). A wide range of items are vibrantly depicted which would have graced the finest salons and boudoirs, including fabric drapes for four poster beds by Krieger, armchairs, sideboards and marbled-topped tables by Jeanselme, ornate mirrored armoires by Tetard and also by Richtaedt, billiard tables by Guilelouvette, and dining room sideboards by Charmois and Munz.
Désiré Guilmard (1810-1885), began his career as an engineer-surveyor, though soon developed an interest in the decorative arts. In 1839 he founded the illustrated periodical ‘Le Garde-meuble ancien et moderne’, which specialized in ornament and furniture, the drawings being executed by Guilmard himself. A key figure in the Parisian design community he became an influential purveyor of taste for over fifty years, in a period of economic growth and changing tastes. In conjunction with the first Paris industrial exposition in 1844 Guilmard produced ‘Gare-Meuble, Album de l’exposition de l’industrie, 1844. Ameublemens’, exhibiting in 30 plates the work of some 250 cabinet makers and other artisans.
The present album, whilst standing alone, appears to have been the first in a series published by Jansen and Guilmard for the 1849 exhibition. The album has the ‘No. 1’ on the printed label on the front cover, and the Victoria and Albert Universal Catalogue of Books on Art notes further volumes under the title ‘Le Guide du Fabricant de Meubles et du Décorateur’. Jansen is described on the title page of the seventh part as ‘Profr de Dessin, lithphe, ancien fabnt de meubles’. Only a handful of these albums are now located on OCLC, and we have so far found no copy of a complete run. The pair worked together to produce an album for the 1855 Universal Exhibition.

1759. 4to, pp. [ii] engraved title-page, [iv], 52; with three folding engraved plates, and woodcut headpieces; paper a little browned throughout, with some occasional light foxing and soiling, a more prominent (though inoffensive) stain on p. 3; a good, crisp copy in modern dark brown sprinkled boards, with white label lettered in gilt, all edges gilt. First edition of this attractively produced ‘Remarks on the Italian building method for the prevention of fires’, the work of the Swedish metallurgist and civil servant Reinhold Angerstein (1718-1760). Written in response to a series of devastating fires in Stockholm, leading to calls for changes in building regulations, Angerstein looks in particular at alternative construction methods, focusing upon the use of different types of stone, and in particular upon the use of granite. Angerstein argues that the stone is common in the mountains of Sweden, and that it would make economic sense, to use a local natural resource, which would also hopefully solve the issue of fire resistance. Hi notes that the art of working with grey stone had died out somewhat in Sweden, but hopes that it could be revived for Stockholm’s benefit - both architecturally and practically. The frontispiece title, after a drawing by Olof Årr, depicts a fire in Stockholm, surrounded by a border of fire-fighting equipment. The second plate illustrated different types of stone, with the final plate an elegant depiction of the Church of St. Peter in Rome and part of the Vatican.
A member of an old family of Swedish Iron masters, Angerstein studied in Uppsala, and then worked as an auditor at the Swedish Board of Mines (the Bergskollegium). Financed by the Swedish Association of Iron Masters, he travelled extensively across Europe, and wrote a series of manuscript travel accounts, focusing in particular upon technical and economic observations from mining and iron and steel works. Apparently during a visit to England and Wales between 1753-1755 he was accused of being an industrial spy. On his return he was appointed Director of Steelworks at the Bergskollegium, and in 1757 he purchased the Vira Iron Works in Uppland. This appears to have been the only published work during his lifetime, though his travel diaries were translated and published in 2000. ‘His published journals show that he had a profound understanding of commerce as well as an ability to understand and record developments in technology. He appreciated the significance of the use of coke in blast furnaces, still practised in only a very small number of ironworks at the time of his visit to Britain, but he also showed an understanding of the diversity of the market for iron in England, and of the way in which niches in it could be filled by imports from Russia, Spain and the Netherlands, as well as from Sweden. He made valuable observations on textiles, mining, railways and river navigation. He was one of many Swedish iron masters who, through their travels, conveyed new thinking about technology and commerce, and left illuminating records of industry in other countries’ (https://www.erih.net/how-it-started/stories-about-people-biographies/biography/angerstein).

1814. 12mo, pp. 253; printed in parallel text in French and Spanish; with woodcut printer’s device on both title-pages; occasional light spotting and foxing, but otherwise clean and crisp, with discrete old paper repair to lower corner of p. 192; with contemporary ownership signature of ‘Fredrich Habicht, 1821’ on front free endpaper; in contemporary half-calf over blue marbled boards, with blue sprinkled edges, spine in compartments ruled in gilt, with yellow paper label lettered in gilt, (label a little chipped), joints and spine slightly rubbed, some scuffing with minor loss of paper on upper cover, extremities lightly bumped and worn; an appealing copy. First edition of this translation, and an uncommon bilingual guide to the art of commercial correspondence, with the numerous examples and templates given printed in both Spanish and French on facing pages.
It is our understanding that the guide is a translation and revision of a work first issued in French and English as The Commercial Secretary, or a collection of commercial letters, invoices, accounts of sale, bills of lading and exchange etc, for the use of young gentlemen bred up to the trade/Le secrétaire du commerce ou recueil de lettres de commerce, published in Paris by Saintin in 1805, and which was illustrated with a number of numismatic plates. It appears to have gone through two editions in 1805, with a Bordeaux printing by Beaume as here in 1807 (not illustrated), and then an Italian/English edition printed by Gamba in Livorno in the same year as this French/Spanish iteration. The present translation follows closely that of the 1805 original, though has been revised and updated. It was further published in 1822 and 1824. It is perhaps no coincidence, that the publication of both this French and Spanish edition, and that of the one in English and Italian, appeared in the year which saw the end of the War of the Sixth Coalition and the defeat and deposition of Napoleon, with hopes, no doubt, of more stable and conducive trading conditions across Europe.
This scarce works provides an insight into the flourishing colonial trade of the early 19th century. Whilst the various examples make no mention of the slave trade itself, the majority of the sample letters, invoices, bills of lading discuss the sale, purchase, and movement of raw and refined sugar, coffee, tobacco, cotton, cloth etc, between the East Indies (Java) and Caribbean (St Domingo) and the European cities of London, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Rostock and Cadiz. Several merchants, insurers, agents, and ship-owners are mentioned throughout the examples, though we have been unable to establish whether they are fictional or existing companies. Nevertheless, there are frequent references to Johann Wolff of Bremen, Johann Baller of Minden, James Phillips & Company of London, Peter Smith and Thomas Simpson of London, and Jan Veerding of Amsterdam. The samples also highlight the perils of global trade at the time, with several mentions to the ‘political’ situations, as well as to concerns about French privateers, ‘la crainte des corsaires français est tellesur cette place’ (lettre XXII, p. 61) which could lead to price rises.

1821. Together two companion works, small folios; pp. xii, 90 with 5 engraved, partly coloured plates by J. F. Rosenmüller del. and J. F. Schröter, sculp., numbered Tab. I-III 3 with two plates in outline, Tab III misbound; pp. 15, [1] blank, with 4 engraved plates (two in outline and two hand-coloured), numbered IV-V, printed on differing paper stock and somewhat browned; small tear at tail of final leaf of first volume but with no loss, both volumes somewhat browned and foxed, and both text with marginal dampstaining, mainly affecting the fore-edge and tail, more prominent in the second work, though never touching either text and not affecting plates; contemporary half calf over brown marbled boards, retaining original silk marker, spine tooled in gilt with green morocco label, head and tail of spine nicked and worn with slight loss, joints rubbed and scuffed, with some white paint(?) staining touching label, covers scuffed, extremities bumped and corners bumped and worn; with book-plate on front paste-down, name partially obscured, but that of Cornelius Henricus À Roy, Doctor of Medicine (1750-1833). Rare first edition, complete in two parts and published over four years, of this finely illustrated treatise on the spinal nerves, which carry motor, sensory, and autonomic signals between the spinal cord and the body. In this early and little known work by the Prosector of Leipzig University, August Carl Bock (1782 - 1833), the noted German anatomist illustrates his work with striking copper engraved plates, some of which are hand-coloured in red to highlight the arteries. The plates are the work of the renowned Leipzig engraver J. F. Schröter, and those in the first volume drawn by the Leipzig surgeon Johann Christian Rosenmüller (1771-1820), who had himself published in 1805-7 his own finely illustrated surgical atlas Chirurgische-Anatomische abbildungen für Ärzte und Wundärzte. Both Bock and Rosenmüller took great pride in combining the arts of painting and anatomy, their works being particularly noteworthy for clarity and detail.
Bock was renowned as an excellent teacher of anatomy, able to provide clear representations of anatomical objects and preparations for his students, and indeed his anatomical preparations enriched the anatomical museum in Leipzig. This early work vividly conveys his great skill. He published a number of anatomical works, culminating in his large and noted atlas of 1833 Chirurgish-Anatomische Tafeln, which adopted the use of striking 'key-hole' cross sections, with various small portions of skin and muscles removed to enable the student to comprehend the complex layered nature of the human body.

1750. 4to; pp. [2], [2] title-page, 104, 95, 1-27, 38-52, 58-137; with hand-coloured title framed within armourial border, 25 throw out plates drawn in pen and ink and shaded, and numerous neatly drawn text figures and illustrations, some full-page and decorative, a number hand-coloured or shaded, and three mounted corrected images; penned in a single hand throughout; some occasional foxing and soiling, one or two small paper flaws, some edgewear to fore-edge of plates; final endpaper missing; bound in contemporary full calf, spine in compartments with raised bands, tooled in gilt, with evidence of previous lettering label, head of spine worn exposing headband, general light rubbing and scuffing to joints and covers, covers a little sprung, extremities and corners bumped and lightly worn. A most attractively compiled, and seemingly early to mid 18th century manuscript course on practical geometry. The name Chambaud appears on the first free endpaper, and with a further small signature of [?] Mercier found at the tail of the first page, though we have sadly been unable to discern the first name, but it could be Jean-Henri.
The volume begins with an attractively hand-coloured title framed within an armourial border incorporating a crown, a battle-axe, and six flags adorned with a blue cross. The compiler concludes the volume with a further small armourial flourish. Very much a practical work, full of day to day problems and examples, though with some occasional more whimsical and artistic illustrated section dividers (including flowers, and flower arrangements), the volume has the air of having been compiled by a either a French gentleman under private tutorship, or perhaps that of a student/apprentice surveyor or engineer. The volume has been divided into three parts, dealing in turn with ‘a treaty of practical geometry and practice of the compass’; ‘practical geometry or the measurement of surfaces’; and concluding with fractions. The whole volume is most attractively illustrated, containing numerous geometric figures, both within the text, and then 25 throw-out plates bound at the end of the volume. The majority have been rendered in pen and wash, though several have been hand-coloured, notably those at the beginning or end of a chapter.
As far as we can ascertain, there are no author citations within the manuscript, and so this does not appear to be a transcription of an already published work, and is very much practical rather than theoretical. Whilst the basic principles of geometry are outlined, and occasional remarks given, the focus is upon problems and examples to be solved, with no mention of theorems or corollaries. Having handled previous geometrical manuscripts, this does not feel, therefore as though it is following an academic course of instruction at a College.

1831. 8vo; pp. [iv], 15, [1] blank, 15-473, 475 488, [9]; penned in a single hand throughout; dampstain affecting fore-edge from pp. 9-160 though never touching text, some occasional light foxed and soiling, a few corners a little creased, otherwise generally clean and bright; contemporary sheep-backed marbled boards, spine tooled and lettered in gilt, head of spine worn exposing headband, with loss at both upper joints, with further cracking and loss at tail of upper joint, covers scuffed and faded, extremities rubbed and somewhat worn. An extensive and neatly transcribed early 19th century manuscript course on zoology, the work of Jean Borros, whom we believe was a student at the recently opened Toulouse Veterinary School, thus providing an insight into part of the required curriculum in the early days of the establishment. Densely penned in a tight, neat hand, Borros has signed his name on the first leaf, below which is inscribed ‘eleve veterinaire’, and the manuscript is dated October 16th 1831 at its conclusion on p. 438. Purely zoological, the manuscript opens with a general introduction, before a section ‘Division du regne animal’ (pp. 42-143). The remaining portion of the manuscript comprises a ‘Tableau méthodique des mammifiéres’, subdivided into 8 orders (two-legged, four-legged, carnivores, rodents, toothless, pachyderms, ruminans and cetaceans) each order then further divided into subclasses and genre. Both domestic and exotic animals are covered, with details about characteristics and habitats described, with mammals such as kangaroos (p. 218) and buffalo and bison (p. 370-371), pangolins (260) and elephants (263) included.
France was at the forefront of establishing veterinary medicine as a profession and Toulouse was the third dedicated veterinary school to open in France in 1825, following those of Lyon (1762) and Alfort near Paris in 1766, both founded by Claude Bourgelat (1712-1779). Up until 1761, veterinary ‘art’ was practised mostly by farriers and farmers, who were either self-taught or had moved through unregulated apprenticeships. Increasing livestock plagues at the beginning of the 18th century, however, were becoming so devastating that leading figures such as Pope Clement XI, commissioned reports into ways to address the situation. France was not immune to similar outbreaks and King Louis XV and his government was equally keen to bring an end to such epidemics, as well as seeking wider agricultural reforms. Bourgelat, Director of the Lyon Academy of Horsemanship, in his 1750 work Élémens d'hippiatrique ou nouveaux principes sur la connoissance et sur la médecine des chevaux, had already argued for the need of a veterinary school, and this hope became reality in 1762, having been giving a small grant by King Louis XV to established the Lyon school. The more rigourous, standardised scientific training, soon bore fruit, and within a short time diseases such as rinderpest were stayed. As a result Louis XV officially gave Lyon the title of Royal Veterinary School in 1764, with the Alfort school opening in the following year. These schools were the first real attempts to standardise veterinary practices and science, and Bourgelat is considered to be the father of modern veterinary science.
Jean Borros is found in the Recueil de Médicine Vétérinaire pratique Journal in a list of veterinary graduates in 1834 (p. 440), and went on to practice in the Dordogne. This suggests that it was a four year course, and that this general introduction to zoology may well have been part of the first year curriculum.

1875-1876. Bound lined paper notebook, 4to; pp. [2] tipped in printed sheet ‘Instruction sur la tenue des cahiers de notes et des cahiers de problèmes’, 42, [2], 43 - 249, [250- 256 blank], folding table mounted on p. 66; [2] tipped in printed sheet ‘Instruction sur la tenue des cahiers de notes et des cahiers de problèmes’, 257 - 323, 225 (pagination error) - 400, (leaf excised at p. 349 due to correction with no interruption of meaning), 341 (pagination error) - 345, [1] blank, [2] tipped in leaf ‘Instruction sur la tenue des cahiers de notes et des cahiers de problèmes’, 347 - 490, (p. 457 glued together), [491-495, blank], [96] blank; penned in a single neat hand with numerous pen and ink diagrams and illustrations, often found on verso facing page; some occasional foxing and soiling, but otherwise good; in contemporary sheep backed marbled boards, spine ruled in gilt, with two black morocco labels lettered in gilt, with the initials ‘V.G.’ in gilt at tail, and additional gilt volume number, tail of spine slightly nicked, some light scuffing to spine and covers, extremities a little bumped and worn, book-block a little shaken, but otherwise good. Extensive and neatly transcribed lecture notes for the course on general physics taught by Professor Daniel at the École Centrale des Arts et manufactures, also known as the École Centrale de Paris, between November 1875 and June 1876, providing an insight into the curriculum of such courses, and the standards required. According to Guillet in ‘Cent ans de la vie de l'École Centrale des Arts et manufactures, 1829-1929’, Daniel was Chair of Physics from 1861-1881. This neat manuscript contains the entire course, and is composed of 25 lectures on heat, 21 on electricity, three on acoustics, and 11 lessons on optics. This course is very similar in structure to Daniel’s 1880 course described by Guillet, with a few variations. The notes have been richly illustrated with careful diagrams and explanatory drawings.
The initials ‘V.G.’ are found on the spine of the volume, the signature ‘M. Gueldry’ can be found at the end of a number of sections, alongside the initials ‘S.M.’ This could perhaps have been another professor, or perhaps the leading student of the class. Previously handled technical drawing albums or ‘epures’ exhibit similar ‘sign offs’ as sections were completed successfully.

1802. Two volumes, small 8vo; pp. xxiv, 383, [i] errata; vii, [i] blank, 370, [1] errata, [5] blank; some occasional light foxing, a little more prominent in places, but otherwise clean and crisp; in contemporary mottled Spanish sheep, spines ruled in gilt with red and black lettering and numbering labels, with attractive decorative endpapers (upper joint for first flyleaf split but holding firm), head and tail of spines lightly worn with small nick at head of Vol I, and small wormhole touching lettering label, small wormhole in rear joint of Vol. II, joints and extremities lightly rubbed; an appealing copy. First Spanish edition (first Italian 1796) of this scarce introduction to chemistry for ladies, by Guiseppe Compagnoni (1754-1833). The popularity of books such as Francesco Algarotti's ‘Newtonianismo per le dame’ spawned a genre of similar works of which the present work by Compagnoni is ‘an excellent textbook for women readers, based on the new chemistry of Lavoisier as enunciated in the Fondamenti della Scienza Fisico-Chimica of Vincenzo Dandolo. Presented in a series of 101 letters, this work covers the history of chemistry, elements and compounds, attraction, affinity, caloric, fire and light, the phlogistic versus the new chemistry, gases, combustion, acids and alkalis, salts, the old and new nomenclature, minerals etc. Pages 147-237 of Vol II entitled Lettere Aerologiche, discuses the physical and chemical properties of the atmosphere and various gases, with references to ballooning by the Montgolfier brothers’ (Neville I, p. 287).
‘Compagnoni created the last of a number of fictional women whose questions about scientific learning facilitated the popularization of new doctrines in the early modern period. His Chemistry for Ladies (1796), explicitly modelled upon Francesco Algarotti’s Newtonianism for Ladies (1737) rather than Marie Meurdrac’s Chemistry made easy for Ladies (1666), began as a series of letters between himself and Countess Marianna Rossi of Ferrara on the ideas of Lavoisier. Expressing scepticism over a woman’s desire to learn a subject as dry and difficult as chemistry, Compagnoni is reassured by the countess that she indeed wishes to be initiated into the mysteries of Lavoisier’s new language because chemistry ‘by now has become the fashionable science’ (Findlen, Translating the New Science).
Neville considers the first edition to be very rare, with Bolton’s first supplement p. 131 referring only to the second edition, and Duveen citing the present rare Spanish translation.

1820-30. Series of nine oval die-cut ‘lace’ cards, 64 x 88mm, alternately cream and blue, tied together with blue silk, with 18 riddles neatly penned in a single hand (1-9 on recto, 10-18 on verso); some occasional light foxing and soiling, but otherwise clean and bright; now housed within custom made box. A charming, seemingly late Regency or early Victorian handmade parlour game, consisting of a series of 18 quite fiendish enigmas, charades and riddles - sadly without the answers - though attesting to the popularity of such games during the 19th century! Neatly written on nine oval die-cut cards, redolent of papers which became synonymous with Victorian Valentine’s Day card, this attractively produced set may perhaps have been given as a love token, although none of the riddles are on the theme of love. The riddles are as follows:
1. ‘Why is the famous Mr McAdam like one of the seven wonders of the World’; 2. ‘What colour are the winds and storms?’; 3. ‘My first is a prop, my second is a prop and my third is a prop’; 4. ‘My first I do, my second I do not and my third is what you are’; 5. ‘My first is a story, my second a story and my whole are(?) number of innocence’; 6. ‘Spell the archipelago in three letters’; 7. ‘My first supplies equality, my second inferiority, and my whole superiority’; 8. ‘Why are a pair of skates like an apple’; 9. ‘Why are fixed(?) stars like pen ink and paper?’; 10. ‘Name me and you break me?’; 11. ‘What word of ten letters can be spelt with five?’; 12. ‘Take a noun of plural number, to it add the letter ‘S’, plural’s plural now no more, sweet’s what bitter was before’; 13. ‘A letter in the Dutch alphabet named makes a lady of the third rank’; 14. ‘Why is grass like a mouse?’; 15. ‘If a pair of spectacles could speak, what ancient historian would they name?’; 16. ‘What sea would make a good sleeping room?’; 17. ‘What is majesty without it’s extremes?’; and finally 18. ‘My first is a proposition, my second is a composition and my third an acquisition’ (the answer we have worked out is fortune).
McAdam (1756-1836) became famous in the 1820s, question 1 being written in the present tense suggests the date of composition to be before his death in 1836.

1865. 8vo, pp. 153; with seven large folding lithograph plates (plate 1 duplicated presumably in error); some foxing throughout, a little more prominent in places, with some marginal dust and finger-soiling, with neat tear at upper corner of p. 141, some occasional further minor marginal nicks due to rough opening, faint ink stain affecting fore-edge of Plate V, with a small ink stain affecting fore-edge of a few leaves; uncut in the original yellow printed wrappers, head and tail of spine worn, spine with some cracking at head, but holding firm, covers soiled, extremities a little nicked and warn; a presentation copy from the author inscribed on the upper wrapper ‘A Monsieur Desains, Hommage respectieuse L. D’Henry’. First edition in book form, and a presentation copy, of this uncommon optical treatise on the construction of projection devices, by the Lille chemist and physics tutor at the Faculty of Sciences, Louis d’Henry. A detailed and technical treatise, it is accompanied by six large folding lithograph plates (the present copy in fact including an duplicate of Plate I). The work had first been published in the ‘Memoirs of the Imperial Society of Sciences, Agriculture and Arts of Lille. D’Henry published a number of scientific articles in the Memoirs, with further contributions on spectroscopy, mathematical symbology and notation, and on stenography.
The present copy has been inscribed by the author to Monsieur Desains. Paul Desains (1817-1885) was a physicist who taught for 32 years at the Faculty of Sciences in Paris.

1839. 4to, pp. [iv], 77. [3] blank; with 40 plates (both engraved and lithograph and printed on differing stock) of which 27 are hand-coloured and seven are folding (including the large, striking plate of Mont Blanc); small nick to fore-edge of plate 11 but without significant loss, plates a little browned due to paper quality; some occasional light foxing and browning throughout, with some occasional minor edgewear, but otherwise good; with illegible signature on upper cover and blurred ownership stamp on title-page; in contemporary printed drab boards with blue paper reback, remains of paper label on spine lettered in ms, head and tail of spine worn with loss of blue paper exposing cloth below, lower spine dampstained, covers soiled, extremities and corners rubbed and lightly worn; a good copy. Uncommon first French edition of this detailed geological work, first published in 1830 as ‘Sections and Views, illustrative of geological phaenomena’ by one of first professional British geologists of the early 19th century, Henry Thomas De la Beche (1796-1855). A gifted draftsman, ‘De la Beche was noted for his role in pioneering the visual dimensions of geology’ (ODND), and this is never more evident than in the present work which is of particular note for the finely executed plates. Based upon his own simple pencil sketches, 27 are hand-coloured and depict a myriad of predominantly European geological features, several of which are found in Scotland. Particularly striking however, is the large folding hand-coloured depiction of Mont Blanc and surrounding peaks, as well as the line engraving of the crater of Vesuvius.
De la Beche was born in London, went to military school, though was sent down after four years for encouraging ‘a dangerous spirit of Jacobinism’ (ibid). He joined the Geological Society of London in 1817 and travelled extensively during the 1820s through Great Britain and Europe, and also spent time on the family sugar plantation in Jamaica, and on his return published the first description of the geology of Jamaica and its first geological map. The abolition of slavery and the collapse of the sugar market led to the collapse of his Jamaican income, leaving him in financial difficulties. Seeking employment he wrote to the Board of Ordnance offering to complete the geological mapping of Devon for the government. His application was successful and was appointed Geologist to the Ordnance Trigonometrical Survey. Having completed his work in Devon, De la Beche went on to work on the geological mapping of Cornwall. In 1835 the Ordnance Geological Survey was established, and out of this grew today’s British Geological Survey. In 1837 he moved to Swansea, where he became involved in the local scientific community, carrying out further pioneering fieldwork along the Pembrokeshire coast and of the Welsh coalfields. ‘While De La Beche, over a period of nearly forty years, contributed much to the general stock of geological knowledge through his publications, his whole-hearted and determined efforts to advance the then comparatively new science of geology by every means in his power were no less important’ (DSB). Perhaps best remembered for his principal work ‘The Geological Observer’ (1851), he was also a friend and supporter of the renown fossil collector Mary Anning (1799-1847), and worked on the first descriptions of the large fossil marine reptiles, the ichthyosaurs and the plesiosaurs. His Duria antiquior, an 1830 watercolor rendering of ancient Dorset and its inhabitants sold in aid of Anning, was widely circulated in lithograph form. His archive is held at the National Museum of Wales.

1835?-1837.]. Offered together eleven letterpress broadsides, all approximately 475 x 380mm; each containing a series of small hand-coloured wood-cut vignettes with accompanying text; some general light soiling and marginal browning, with a few marginal nicks and tears in places as would be expected, though most pronounced along the right hand margin of ‘Period 14’ with slight loss of printed border; faint signatures visible at head of periods 5, 6 and 7, possibly ‘Miss Deacon’, ‘Miss Jackson’; though only a partial set, a most attractive and vibrant example of early Victorian school teaching aids. An extremely scarce, and wonderfully vibrant partial set of this illustrated introduction to world history for children, published as a series of picture sheets priced at 1s by J. Wacey of London. Picture sheets, by their very ephemeral nature, are scarce and to find such an extensive run is rare and we have found virtually no other examples, either individually or in a run. A contemporary advertisement in Bent’s Monthly Literary Advertiser, of October 10 1837 notes: ‘Dedicated, by permission, to the Most Noble the Marchioness of Hastings and her Children. Now publishing monthly, and to be finished in 20 Nos., price 1s each... designed to impress on the minds of children the principal contemporary events in the Empires and States of the known World, during twenty-one distinct periods... on the 1st October, the 14th Periods was published, containing Eleven coloured woodcuts, etc.’ (p. 111). A later advertisement suggests the series had been completed by 1838. ‘This is a highly instructive series of historical tables, with appropriate pictorial illustrations for young people. The design is excellent, the outline of facts selected very judicious, and the moral and religious impressions conveyed, greatly calculated to improve and elevate the youthful aspirant after sound knowledge’ (The Evangelical Magazine and Missionary Chronicle p. 332).

ca. 1930.]. Vertical folding chromolithograph card playing board, 520 x 220mm folding into four 130 x 220mm, together with accompanying printed rule sheet 210 x 135m, light wear to folding joints of playing board, with some minor scuffing and soiling, text leaf lightly browned with a couple of minor nicks and evidence of previous folds; as often, now without the original box, set of coloured ‘tiddlywink’ counters, & wooden bowl; still an appealing example. A vibrantly coloured ‘grand jeu de la puce’ or game of ‘tiddlywinks’, with accompanying rules, celebrating the first East to West aeronautic crossing of the Atlantic undertaken by Dieudonné Costes and Maurice Bellonte flying the ‘Point d’Interrogation’, a Brequet Super Bidon long-ranged aircraft designed specifically for the attempt. The crossing took 37 hours in total, leaving from Le Bourget on September 1st 1930 and arriving at Curtiss Field in New York.
A game for 2, 4 or 6 players, the board is marked with 12 destinations: Toulouse, Casablanca, Dakar, the Ocean, ‘Açores’, ‘Bermudes’, ‘Terre-Neuve’, Halifax, Boston, Washington and New York (numbered 1, 3, 6, 10, 14, 15 and 16). Following a hopscotch style progression, players must land their counter on the chosen destination. Once at Dakar, there is a choice of two routes: one via Newfoundland and Boston, the other via Bermuda and Washington. Any player whose chip lands in the ocean is out of the race. Maximum points could be achieved by taking a direct flight from Paris to New York.
The game was originally presented in a decorative box, and would have come with counters, and a wooden shaker - to be placed in the New York square - the players having to get the counter into the bowl.

but 1904.]. Oblong 4to, pp. [3]-59, [3], including 14 pages of chromolithograph figures to be cut out (with blank versos); small neat tear at bottom of p. 11, head of p. 46 with tear just touching border, pp. 44 and 47 with larger nicks with some loss, though not touching text; paper somewhat browned throughout, due to quality, but in the original green linen backed pictorial boards, with polychrome illustration on upper cover, head and tail of spine slightly worn, rear cover cracked with neat paper repair, some minor soiling and staining to boards, corners a little worn; a good copy. First edition, and unusual in that the present copy has been unused. One of a series of cut-out costume books illustrated by the noted French artist and children’s illustrator ‘Job’, with text by Aristide Fabre (180-1936) the present volume describes and illustrates ‘Warriors and Great Lords’ throughout French history, from the Gauls to the students of Saint-Cyr.
Jacques Marie Gaston Onfroy de Bréville (1858-1931) known by the pen name ‘Job’ after his initials contributed to numerous works, though is best remembered for his illustrations for children’s books. Having served for some time in the French army, during his artistic career he maintained a keen interest in military, patriotic, and nationalistic subjects, as reflected here, which displays his keen eye for detail, reproducing the uniforms with great precision.

1850.]. Boxed set of three puzzles together with accompanying 8vo; comprising three hand coloured and gummed lithograph sheets each depicting 10 Revolutionary figures, laid down on thick card/ply and then dissected, puzzles interleaved with card trays edged on right side with silk pull tie (all a little fragile and one torn) ; together with 8vo text, pp. 16; text a little soiled, with small nick affecting upper fore-edge throughout; puzzles with some occasional light foxing and soiling, paper peeling away at corners of a couple of pieces, with small loss to one blank piece of Gensonné portrait; text stitched as issued in the original yellow printed wrappers, covers lightly soiled, small nick affecting rear wrapper at fore-edge; all housed within the original decorative box 280 x 418 x 28mm, upper cover with chromolithograph sheet by Antoine Bourgerie laid down, finished by hand and gouache, depicting proud Marianne (the personification of liberty, equality, fraternity) surrounded by the main figures of the Revolution, with embossed and gilt ribbon edging, small label with ms accession number adhered to inside lid, internal box lined with yellow glazed paper, left hand corners split but holding, upper cover somewhat soiled and darkened, some wear and rubbing to extremities, gilt edging somewhat faded; still an appealing set. A rare and most attractive boxed jigsaw puzzle set depicting some of the great figures of the early days of the French Revolution, though not, as the title would suggest, confined purely to the Girondins.
The present game, published by the noted Parisian manufacturer Lion, appears to have drawn inspiration from Alphonse De Lamartines (1790-1869) popular eight volume work of the same name, published in 1847. Whilst many of that famous republican political group are depicted, the portraits included are in fact not limited to the Girondists, with other prominent figures depicted, notably Mirabeau and Robespierre. In all thirty characters are represented, ten on each puzzle: Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, Mirabeau, La Fayette, Bailly, Philippe-Égalité, Roland, Madame Roland, Dumouriez, Péthion / Vergniaud, Gensonné, Brissot, Guadet, Barbaroux, Charlotte Corday, Marat, Danton, Camille-Desmoulins, Santerre / Robespierre, Couthon, Saint-Just, Billaud-Varennes, Collot d'Herbois, Carnot, Cambon, Fouquier-Tinville, Tallien, Barras.
The Girondins played a leading role between 1791-1793 and included lawyers, intellectuals, businessmen, merchants and financiers. Their most prominent spokesman was Jacques-Pierre Brissot, and for a time some of the group held government positions, notably Jean-Marie Roland. His wife Marie-Jeanne held regular salons that were important meeting places for the group. At the time, they had the support of Thomas Paine. Through the summer of 1792, they vacillated their position towards the existing monarchy under Louis XVI, which was coming under serious attack. The storming of the Tuileries Palace on August 10th, which overthrew the monarchy, took place without their participation and marked the beginning of their decline, as more radical groups such as the Montagnards and Jacobins came to direct the course of the Revolution, and by the end of 1793 many had been denounced and executed or committed suicide, including Brissot, Gensonné, Guadet, Vergniaud and Madame Roland, and Charlotte Corday (after her assassination of the Jacobin leader Jean Paul Marat). Never an official organised political party, the name itself was originally bestowed by the Montagnards - many of the leading figures having been deputies of the department of Gironde. Contemporaries called them Brissotins, or Rolandins, but the term Girondins became standard after Lamartine’s publication.
The earliest examples of what we now call jigsaw puzzles were dissected maps, originally intended as educational games. John Spilsbury (1739-69) is associated with some of the earliest examples of dissected maps for teaching geography produced during the 1760s, and he is regarded as one of the first commercial producers of puzzles. Other early manufacturers of ‘jigsaws’ include William Darton & Son, and John Wallis & Sons in England, and Martin Engelbrecht in Germany. Throughout the Victorian period the number of puzzle makers increased, with names such as John Betts, Arthur Parks and William Spooner coming to the fore. Lion, operated in Paris between 1851-1885 and produced a wide variety of games, including historical and geographical lotteries, chess sets, and puzzles. Other puzzles produced included a History of France, and the History of Napoleon. Though undated, it may well be that the 1848 Revolution, which saw the collapse of the July Monarchy and the foundation of the Second French Republic, inspired the makers to celebrate some of their Republican forebears.

1680. 8vo, pp. 56; with appealing woodcut initial, and head- and tailpieces throughout; title-page a little dampstained, with some light foxing throughout; later ownership note at head of title-page in ms ‘Perugia, 23 Luglio 1894, Cant. 36’; recently bound to style using older marbled paper. Rare first edition of this collection of laudatory and elegiac compositions commemorating the death of the celebrated castrato singer Baldassare Ferri (1610-1680), considered to be one of the first great castrati singers. According to contemporary accounts he possessed a phenomenal voice and he performed at many of the Royal Courts across Europe. By the time of his death he had amassed a large fortune, and he was widely mourned, as the present compilation illustrates.
The collection was compiled by Ferri’s nephew Giovanni Angelo Guidarelli (1647-1720), and includes 43 poems and sonnets in Latin and Italian by many leading writers of the time, including members of the Arcadia. The various poems in ‘The cry of the swans on the death of the phoenix of music’, whilst exhibiting many familiar tropes of the genre, also provides a chronicle of Ferri’s life, in an attempt to preserve a sense of his incomparable and angelic music for future generations. Contributors include Calo Sabbatini, Batolomeo Colonna, Antonio Cinaronio, Domenico Anselmo, Fioravante Lancellotto, Nicola Barsanti, Marco Antonio Farina, Antonio Ferri, Camillo Boccaccio, Carlo Amadio, Carlo Battisti, Carlo Doni, Carlo Vuetti, Domenico Antisari, Vincenzo Alvitreti, Girolamo Ammiani, Iacomo Rangoni, and Ottaviano Ercolani.

1776. 8vo, pp. [xxiv], 594, [14]; without the four page dedication, which is sometimes present; with 109 naive woodcuts within text, and large woodcut vignette on final verso; lower corner of page 84 torn with loss of paper not text, and with neat discrete paper repairs to pp. 341-42, 359-60, 413-14 and 541-42, stain affecting pp. 433-437, the whole text lightly foxed and browned, with some occasional minor marginal dampstaining, otherwise clean; in contemporary half calf over marbled boards, spine in compartments with raised bands, ruled in gilt, with orange paper lettering label, spine slightly cracked, with both joints starting but holding firm, with slight loss to rear joint, covers a little scuffed, and recornered to style; with the bookplate of Lennart Ragnemark on front pastedown; a good copy. Second edition of this ‘introduction to the knowledge of animals’ by Magnus Orrelius (1717-1794), of particular appeal for the numerous charming woodcuts, which though perhaps not all original, are believed to have been done by the author himself. The work was first published anonymously in 1750-1751 in weekly parts as Historia animalium, and is considered to be Sweden’s first vernacular zoological handbook.
The Royal Swedish Academy was founded in 1739, on the initiative of Linnaeus amongst others. One of the aims was to promote the economic benefits of the natural sciences, a principle which naturally favoured botanical and zoological research, with the hope that the discovery of new animal and plant species could be of use to man. Up to this time, little had been written about the plant and animal kingdom, with most published being in Latin, and so a number of manuals and textbooks were published to fill this void, and disseminate knowledge more widely. Linnaeus himself, famously published his Fauna Svecica, the first Swedish natural fauna, in 1746, though this was once again published in Latin, and whilst ground-breaking, was not really a handbook for general use.
In October 1749, advertisements appeared in Stockholm for a work on the history of animals written ‘in the Swedish tongue’, to be published by subscription in parts to make it more affordable and cheaper to print. The anonymous author borrowed the title Historia Animalium from Conrad Gessner’s famous work. According to Martin Biinsow, when Linnaeus saw the advertisement he was greatly perturbed, fearing plagiarism of his popular lecture notes. ‘In a letter to the Academy of Sciences' secretary, Wargentin, Linné writes that, if there is plagiarism, he will withdraw not only from the fauna, but from all work. However, the great man could breathe a sigh of relief when the work started to come out. There was no question of any plagiarism, even if the author had picked up a lot of facts from Linné’ (Biinsow, I Var Herres Hage, Svensk zoologi i Kunskapskallan, p. 5 a google translation). Indeed, for this second edition, a letter of recommendation by Wargentin himself is included on the verso of the title-page – a sign of Academy approval no doubt.
The author, in fact, was Magnus Orrelius (1717-94), a member of the Moravian Brethren in Sweden, active as a writer, translator and woodcutter, though not part of traditional academic circles. From an impoverished background, and born as Mans Fanberg, he funded himself to study at Uppsala, at which point he changed his name. His poor financial situation meant that his studies were fragmented and he never took his degree. He worked as a personal tutor, and then as an accountant, but made most of his living as a writer, as well as penning a number of pamphlets and articles on social issues such as child-rearing, and population decline.
The Historia Animalium was his first work, and whilst it claimed to describe all animals existing on the globe, was confined principally to mammals, including man, Orrelius adopting Linnaeus’ classification and system. This second edition has been substantially revised and enlarged when it comes to the number of species described, but for cost reasons the descriptions were kept shorter and are limited, as previously, to mammals. As acknowledged in the preface, the work draws upon a number of sources, including Pliny, Aristotle, Olaus Magnus, as well Linnaeus. Whilst clearly aiming to be a serious scientific treatise, Orrelius often trying to distance himself from some earlier myths and legends, (notably the unicorn an Aristotelian invention according to Orrelius), the information provided is often of varying reliability. Far from being an objective commentator, his own moral judgements and opinions pervade the work, which often make for entertaining reading. His theological leanings ensure too, that in line with fellow 18^th century scholars, his work very much recognises and celebrates the wonders of Creation, stressing how an appreciation of the beauties of nature can lead to a greater understanding of God.
Focusing more upon behavioural traits than anatomical descriptions, Orrelius often imparts human qualities to the animals under discussion, seeing animals as images of human characteristics. About the ‘natt-människan, homo nocturnus, troglodytes’ (the orangutan, p. 41), Orrelius notes that ‘they speak in a whispering manner, think and draw conclusions like rational creatures, imagining that the whole globe was created for their sake, and that they once will come to his former power over the inhabitants of the earth’. He describes the ‘lurfwige bawianen’ of Sumatra (p. 51), as whilst not ugly, ‘is nevertheless terrifying in appearance, after that he always grinds his teeth, and gives signs of anger. It is sometimes the meanest and rudest of all animals’. Mammals from all corners of the globe are described, from Africa to America, including elephants, rhinocerus, whales, lions, camels, sloths, porcupines, domestic beasts such as dogs and cattle, as well as the walrus (p. 94) and the racoon (p. 262). The animals are frequently described as being greedy, or ferocious, or blood-thirsty, and though perhaps not believing in unicorns, he does subscribe to various traditional ‘forest’ myths, superstitions and beliefs.
The work includes 109 charming if somewhat naive woodcuts of mammals, believed to be the work of Orrelius himself. In discussing the first edition, Biinsow notes that a number of the woodcuts appear to have been copied for earlier works by Olaus Magnus, as well as Albrecht Dürer (notably his 1515 woodcut of a rhinocerus), and some from Johnston’s Historiae naturalis (1650-1654). It is interesting to note that all appear to have been revised and re-engraved for the present second edition, the similarities not nearly so obvious. Much less refined, they have a charming, naive quality. An important, if less well known contribution, to the zoological canon.

1803. 8vo, pp. [viii], xxxii, 156, [2], with one folding engraved plate signed by C.G. Geissler and dated 1803, with woodcut illustration of Pythagoras' theorem on title-page; copy no. 399 signed by the author on authentication leaf; some occasional light foxing and soiling, but otherwise clean and crisp; in contemporary half green roan over paper boards, spine attractively lettered and tooled in gilt, head and tail of spine a little bumped, some light scuffing to upper joint, covers lightly soiled, extremities a little bumped and rubbed; the Erwin Tomash copy with his book-plate on front paste-down; a good copy. First edition of this rare contribution to the geometrical problem of ‘squaring the circle’, by the Italian Gaetan Rossi de Catanzaro (1767-1826). Describing himself as a ‘man of letters and law’ (p. iv) and resident of Geneva, as becomes apparent from his florid and rather pompous introduction, Rossi was clearly an enthusiastic amateur mathematician, who like many before him, believed that through ‘assiduous and methodical work’ (ibid) that he had found a solution to the problem of the quadrature of the circle, and believes that in publishing his essay and demonstrating his solution and invention, that he will convince fellow mathematicians to correct their false theories. It is a discovery of the greatest importance not only for science and literature, but for humanity in general. The proportional compass referred to in the title is discussed in theoretical terms and is not illustrated. The final fifty pages contain an alphabetical listing of the mathematical terms used in the work.
This was not his only published contribution to the subject, his preface revealing that he had previously published a circular announcing his solution, and which it appears he distributed to a number of European Societies. Indeed the Royal Green Observatory appears to hold a copy of this ‘Equisse’ in a volume of pamphlets submitted to the Board of Longitude and which is dated May 20th 1803: ‘Esquisse sur la quadrature du crecle, addressée a tous les savans ge2ométres, et à toutes les sociétés, politiques, commerçantes, et littéraires, qui existent sur la surface de la terre’ (in RGO 14/54 Papers of the Board of Longitude). OCLC also locates a tract of 1804, penned in Italian but with a London imprint: Soluzione esatta e regolare del difficilissimo problema della quadrature del circolo’, which appeared in a second edition, a seeming testment to his self-confidence in his theory.
Provenance : Erwin Tomash (1921-2022), an American engineer recognised for his early pioneering work with computer equipment peripherals.

1877. 8vo, pp. 31, [1]; paper lightly browned throughout due to paper quality, small vertical tear at head of first couple of leaves without loss, with some further minor edgewear, and some light creasing in places; stitched as issued in the original printed wrappers, small tear at upper margin of upper cover, with some staining affecting the lower margin, further light soiling, and extremities very lightly nicked and worn. Uncommon first edition of this short historical treatise highlighting the life and work of some famous women, both ancient and modern, in the fields of medicine and science. Franceso Scalzi (1821-1889), described as ‘Ispettore Medico nel mosocomio di santo spirito in Roma’, dedicates his work to Contessa Elena Borghese, and presents a brief A-Z, beginning with Abella of Salerno, concluding with Vittorio, and including the Scottish herbalist Elizabeth Blackwell, the French midwife Louise Bourgeois, the sixteenth-century alchemist Isabella Cortese and ‘Miss Nightingale’. The most detailed biography is given over to Anna Manzolini, who held the Chair of Anatomy at the University of Bologna in the eighteenth century.
The brief entry for ‘Nightingale (miss)’ reads: ‘She dedicated her whole life and her vast wealth to the benefit of the poor. She distinguished herself as a nurse during the Crimean war. She later founded the Barak Hospital [sic] in London, a vast institution capable of accommodating over three thousand patients’ (online translation).

1890. Large 8vo, pp. vii, 636; with twelve plates, of which 11 are mounted Woodbury types, and one engraved plate, together with numerous figures within the text; plate 3 without tissue guard; paper a little browned throughout due to quality, some light marginal dampstaining to preface and table of contents from p. 626, with further occasional light spotting and soiling including ink staining on p. 48; in contemporary half roan over marbled boards, spine in compartments with raised bands, slightly faded and sunned, head of spine lightly worn, with some scuffing to upper cover, extremities lightly rubbed and bumped; a presentation copy from the author and inscribed on the half-title to ‘Monsieur le Docteur Widal’. First edition, and a presentation copy, of this noted work on epilepsy, including 11 mounted Woodbury types, highlighting physical pathologies associated with epilepsy and epileptic seizures. The lithograph plate shows histological lesions of the cerebral cortex.
‘In 1890, for the first time, a monograph was published which addressed epilepsies in the plural... a classification appeared to be required to provide structure to the increasingly heterogeneous field. Féré distinguished primarily partial and generalised paroxysms and subdivided the latter into: 1) the complete attack; 2) the incomplete attack; 3) abnormal attacks; and 4) isolated symptoms’ (Peter Wolf, History of epilepsy: nosological concepts and classification, in Epileptic Disorders: International Epileptic Journals, Sept 2014; I6 (3): 261-9). ‘A monumental undertaking by an important member of the Charcot circle, this volume is a synopsis of all that was understood and documented on neurologic disorders up to the time of its publication in 1890. Féré cites case histories and observations from over 800 physicians and presents his own classification of hystero-epileptic disorders’ (Mark Rowley, artandmedicine.com). He goes on to suggest that the photographs may have been taken by Albert Londe (1858-1917), who had established a photographic laboratory at the Salpêtrière during Charcot’s tenure, and would no doubt have been known to Féré.
Féré began his medical studies at Rouen and completed them in 1882 at Paris. He interned in surgery but whilst assisting Jean-Martin Charcot at the Salpêtrière, changed to neuropathology. In 1887 he was appointed chief medical officer at the Bicêtre, where he remained for the rest of his career. A specialist of ‘hystero-epilepsy’, he published extensively with studies on the anatomy of the nervous system, sexuality, hypnosis, Darwinism, and criminology.
The work is inscribed to ‘Monsieur le Docteur Widal’ - either Henri Victor Widal (1826-1894), the military physician and member of the Academy of Medicine, or perhaps more likely to his son Georges-Ferdinand (1862-1929), the noted pathological anatomist, who published essays on the nervous system, and most notably on infectious diseases.