1906. Small folio, pp. 8; with 40 leaves of printed diagnostic charts, illustrating the same two images of a rear and front image of the body, each leaf serrated at gutter and designed to be torn off and completed by the physician, with blank lines are tail of each leaf for notes; in modern grey paper wrappers, stab sewn, retaining the original front printed grey wrapper and bound in, and with facsimile of original title-page mounted on upper cover; ex-libris for the Royal College of Surgeons, with stamp on original wrapper, title-page, and with two stamps on verso of each leaf of plates, dated 1906. Rare second edition of this unusual practical neurological aid, intended to be used ‘at the hospital bedside’ to help the segmental diagnosis of spinal column diseases for individual cases, and thus form part of a patients case notes file. After a brief introduction, the pamphlet is made up of 20 identical sets of detachable anterior and posterior outline sketches of the body, upon which the practitioner could mark the particular areas of sensitivity on the body. As the introduction notes: ‘The present scheme is intended to fill a gap in the series of schemes available so far. The latter dealt only with the boundaries of the peripheral nerve districts, which are known to be totally different from those of the spinal or root areas on the skin. These and other disadvantages, in particular the lack of sufficiently marked fixed points on the sink and the bone system, make the peripheral sensitivity schemes unsuitable for spinal purposes’ (google translation). Designed to be used and effectively destroyed, the survival of complete copies is therefore rare.
The work was first published in 1901, seemingly both separately, and as a journal article in the Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten. It was to prove popular with both a third and fourth editions appearing in 1911 and 1917.
Friedrich Wilhelm Seiffer (1872-1917) was a noted German neurologist and psychiatrist. He received his medical doctorate from Strasbourg in 1895 and worked at a private mental health institution in Pankow-Berlin. He subsequently worked at the psychiatric clinic of the Berlin-Charité. He was the author of further works on the general diagnosis and treatment of nervous diseases in 1902, and ‘Studies on the sense of vibration or the so-called ‘bone-sensitivity’’ in 1903, together with Rydel.

1906. Large 4to, pp. [ii] title-page, 76; with 72 stereoscopic photographs, some with additional hand-colouring, mounted in 18 blue card sleeves; some light browning to text, a few leaves with some marginal dust-soiling visible along fore-edge aligning with tabs on plates; in the original blue publisher's cloth, upper cover and spine lettered in gilt, head and tail of spine a little rubbed and bumped, with further light scuffing and rubbing to covers and extremities, corners lightly bumped; a very good copy. First edition of this striking and unusual atlas, giving a graphically illustrated account of the various types of hernias using stereoscopic photographs. A hernia occurs when an internal part of the body pushes through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall. They can occur throughout the body, but most often develop in the area of the body between the chest and hips. The most common type is the inguinal, but other types include femoral, hiatus, incisional and umbilical.
‘Stereoskopbilder zur Lehre von den Hernien is an example of the co-operation between surgeon Eugen Enderlen and anatomist Emil Gasser. It includes photographs of dissected preparations that illustrate the anatomy of hernias. They come from what is known today as the Gasser-Strahl collection in the Anatomical Institute at the Philipps University in Marburg, Germany... Each pair of images is matched with a corresponding description on the opposite page. For purposes of clarity, some of the photographs were enhanced with color. The same color code was used throughout the atlas: red for arteries, blue for veins, and yellow for nerves. When adding color was superfluous, the images were left unchanged. As intended by the authors, the atlas can be viewed using any standard stereoscope. However the naked eye can be trained to perceive the depth of stereoscopic pictures and give the user the illusion of a 3-D image without the use of a stereoscope’ (University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Library, online Treasures from the Rare Book Room: Photography and Medical Books, Part 3).

1838. 12mo, pp. 400; with 70 full-page engraved plates each with two images; plates clean and bright, with some occasional light marginal staining, text on differing paper stock, a little browned and foxed throughout, with some sporadic minor dampstaining affecting margins; in contemporary green pebble-grained cloth backed marbled boards, spine ruled in blind and lettered in gilt, head and tail of spine a little bumped, corners a little worn, but otherwise a good copy. Scarce later edition of this attractive mnemonical treatise, and the first work by the noted educationalist and author of several historical works, Mme Laure Boen de Saint-Ouen (1799-1838). It was in the first edition of 1822, that Saint-Ouen unveiled her eye-catching pictorial system, using small emblems designed to represent significant events: for example a small upright chariot or ship signified a victory in battle, whilst an upside down equivalent depicted a loss. A sword represented an assassination, in contrast to an hourglass signifying a natural death. Such was the success and positive reception to the work and this new and effective method of teaching history, that Saint-Ouen was to subsequently publish a number of similar works, notably an extensive history of England (1825), as well as a history celebrating the life of Napoleon (1833). This 1838 issue is accompanied by 70 engraved plates, each with a circular portrait of the monarch under discussion, together with an accompanying ‘mnemonic medallion’ comprising a combination of emblems symbolizing the events of their life. Throughout the work, Mme Saint-Ouen poses a number of exercises and questions to test the student.
Her novel method was described by contemporary reviewers as being ‘well-conceived and well executed’ and did much to revolutionise the way that history was taught in French elementary schools. Her initial plans to publish a series of European histories to include studies of Germany, Russia, and Spain, were curtailed by her untimely death.
Though the title-page describes this as the second edition, another issue was published by Colas in 1826. All editions of her works appear scarce.

1872.]. 4to, with four large folding charts, each 247 x 685 mm, mounted on guards and with linen backed folds, each partially coloured; some occasional light soiling and staining, and with some minor creasing; in contemporary blue wrappers, with blue cloth back-strip, with printed paste downs, white printed label on upper cover, with a couple of small nicks to lower and outer margins, covers lightly soiled; with ownership signatures at head of upper wrapper; a good copy. A striking example of Victorian ‘infographics’. A later issue of this striking series of four engraved folding plates illustrating a chronology of British fossils: the tertiary division - pleistocene; the secondary division - cretaceous; Mesozoic; and palæozoic - permian. The final plates is the only one with an imprint, noting ‘Drawn by C. R. Bone, Compiled & Engraved by J. W. Lowry, London: Published by Edward Stanford, 12, 13, 14 Long Acre, W.C.’
According to the British Museum catalogue, the work first appeared in 1853 and was issued at that time by the CSPK, and were also available for purchase mounted on canvas and roller, varnished.
At some point, the noted map maker and seller Edward Stanford took over publication, possibly in 1872 based upon an advertisement from ‘The Teachers List’: ‘These diagrams, compiled by the eminent Scientific Men whose names are appended, and hitherto issued by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, will in future be published by Edward Stanford, 6 and 6 Charing Cross, London’ (advert from 1872 ‘The Teacher’s List’ p. 59). Growing in prominence, Stanford's moved to their print works to Long Acre in 1873. According to a list on the inside rear pastedown, this was the first in a series of published ‘Diagrams of Natural History’ published by Stanford.

1951. 8vo, pp. xxiii, [i], 558; with a number of diagrams within text; pp. 224-5 creased with small tear at lower margin, p. 258 creased, gutter exposed at p. 383, lightly toned throughout; in the original blue publisher’s cloth, spine lettered in gilt, lower corner of upper board bumped, with the original grey price-clipped dust-jacket, spine somewhat browned with a few small chips and splits, preserved within protective glycine jacket; with the signature of Phyllis Fox and the date ‘Jan 31, 1956’ on front free endpaper; a very good copy. Second edition, and a nice association copy, of this classic textbook on applied mathematics, originally published in 1933, once belonging to the noted American mathematician and computer scientist Phyllis Fox (1923-2017), with her signature on the front free endpaper. The signature is dated January 31, 1956, Fox purchasing the volume while working on the numerical solution of partial differential equations for UNIVAC for the Computing Center of the United States Atomic Energy Commission at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences of New York University.
In addition to the present work, the English applied mathematician Louis Melville Milne-Thomson CBE FRSE RAS (1891–1974), is best remembered for his works on Theoretical Hydrodynamics (1938), and Theoretical Aerodynamics (1948), as well as for his work developing mathematical tables such as the Jacobian Elliptic Function Tables (1932). The Milne-Thomson circle theorem and the Milne-Thomson method for finding a holomorphic function are named after him. His works proved popular and went through several editions.

1907.]. Together five boxes, Sections I-V, 240 x 190 x 80mm, and with the accompanying wooden and metal viewer; I. Abdomen containing 50 thick cards with mounted stereographs on each; II. Perimeum, Pelvis, and Thorax, containing 50 thick cards with mounted stereographs on each, box without the internal cloth tie; III. Thorax, containing 52 thick cards with mounted stereographs (Axilla no 1 stained); IV. Central nervous System, containing 52 thick cards with mounted stereographs (a couple or cards with ink underlining); V. Lower Limb, containing 46 thick cards with mounted stereographs; in all, 250 cards; cards all a little browned and lightly foxed, but otherwise good, stereographs all good; in the original dark pink cloth boxes, all five with title and explanatory labels on fore-edges (labels are somewhat browned, scuffed and faded in places), all five boxes somewhat faded, frayed and worn, with some splitting to joints, Box 3 most noticeably worn; some wear evident on viewer. ‘New edition’ of this remarkable, graphic, and at times gruesome pathological atlas of anatomy prepared under the auspices of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh, and of particular appeal in retaining the original wooden and metal stereoscopic viewer, most often now missing. The five ‘volumes’ of boxed illustrations (resembling books with spine titles and designed to fit library shelves), contain some 250 thick cards each mounted with stereoscopic images together with accompanying explanatory text, and provide a vivid, realistic and unprecedented three dimensional view of the entire human body, helping students to gain important insights into the structure and spaces of the body.
The invention of photography had a big impact on anatomical teaching, but, like drawings, was limited by being a two dimensional representation. Stereoscopy in fact predates photography, but its mass appeal depended entirely upon the development of photographic processes. Originally little more than an optical toy, once it was amalgamated with photography it became a uniquely powerful medium. ‘Stereo photography combined the work of two Victorian inventors, Sir Charles Wheatstone and Sir David Brewster, who used photography to popularise their discoveries. Stereo negatives when exposed in a camera produced two almost identical photographs which were then placed in a viewer that enabled them to be seen three dimensionally’ (Powerhouse Museum). Stereographs, double images (taken from positions equivalent to those of the left and right eyes) presented side-by-side on a flat card and looked at through a special viewer, were displayed to great effect at the Great Exhibition in 1851, and quickly became something of a phenomenon. Initially largely for domestic use, the educational opportunities, especially for the medical profession, were soon recognised. Improved photographic technology in the second half of the 19th century further simplified the production of stereographs. The first first atlas of medicine was produced by Albert Neisser (1855-1916), who between 1894 and 1911 produced 57 boxed sets.
The date of the original edition of The Edinburgh Stereoscopic Atlas of Anatomy, overseen by the Scottish physician David Cunningham (1850-1909), is unclear though is believed to be around 1905-1906 (based on contemporary reviews, although Roberta McGrath in ‘Seeing Her Sex’ p. 144 suggests 1890), with this, the ‘New Edition’ thought to date from 1907. David Waterston, was a lecturer and senior demonstrator at the Anatomical Department of Edinburgh and prepared the anatomical dissections. The first edition was issued by the Caxton Publishing Company. Over time, it was expanded to ten volumes, that included 324 stereographs, with issues also produced in the US and Canada. An equally graphic ‘Edinburgh Stereoscopic Atlas of Obstetrics’ was issued in 1908-1909, edited by George Simpson and Edward Burnet.

1790. Small 8vo (160 x 100 mm), engraved frontispiece by Luigi Schiavonetti after William Hamilton and pp. viii, 96, a couple of minimal stains in the text, in contemporary free-style tree calf, the upper section of the front board a little discoloured, joints and extremities slightly worn, flat spines gilt in compartments, dark green morocco label lettered in gilt, with the modern pictorial bookplate of Séan Ó Corcora on the front pastedown. Second edition. A series of botanical fables written by a mother for her daughters, using flowers as vessels to explore subjects such as scandal, vulgarity, temptation, folly and vanity. There are twenty-two fables in all, each one representing a human emotion, good and bad, although mostly the latter. Wonder and Felicity have their place but there is much more of envy, cruelty and despair. Some of the fables have subtitles indicating which 'enchanted plant' the fable features, such as 'Scandal; or, the Painted-lady Sweet Pea'. The Advertisement also points out that there are a ‘few notes that she wrote to her children [which] may be of use to young readers’ at the back of the book. These notes are largely botanical.
A particularly lovely fable takes the form of a conversation between the Ivy and the Woodbine in Fable VII, Envy, where the Ivy that grows on a ‘humble peasants hut’ looks below, enviously, at the ‘sea of gold’ as the ‘Woodbine flaunted below’. After lamenting her envy, the Ivy realises that she is being foolish for being envious as it is ‘flexible and tender, formed / by nature to depend / canst boast, what mortals few possess / the blessing of a friend’ (p29). Rewarded for her humility and awareness, a ‘tempest raves’ and the Ivy ‘blessed the friendly shed’ gratefully. But the unsheltered stretch of land is no match for the gale that rages, and so the fate of the woodbine is less happy, as its ‘golden blossoms wide dispersed/ yielded to the blast’.
Maria Henrietta Montolieu was the daughter of James Modyford Heywood, MP for Fowey in Cornwall, Lord of the Admiralty and a plantation owner in Jamaica. She married Louis Montolieu who was a candidate in the 1790 Leicester parliamentary election. These fables were written for her daughters and the work is inscribed to them. The first edition was privately printed in 1800 and is extremely scarce. Maria Montolieu is also the author of The Festival of the Rose, London, 1802.
q.v. Cotsen, I: The Nineteenth Century, 3948 and ESTC t188715 (first editions); not in Osborne Collection.

[n.d. but ca. 1821-1823.]. 8vo, ff. [18] leaves, printed on one side only, with hand-coloured engraved frontispiece and a further 14 hand-coloured engraved illustrations in the text to make a total of 15 not 16 illustrations as stated by title (other editions make a similar error); all slightly crudely coloured; lightly browned and soiled throughout, with some occasional offsetting and bleed through from ink and colour; stitched, as issued, in original publisher's printed pictorial salmon wrappers, spine rubbed and worn with some loss, with 5cm split at tail but still holding firm, wrappers rubbed and dust-soiled, with some surface loss notably at lower rear corner; though a little dog-eared, overall an appealing copy. Uncommon and attractively illustrated late Regency rhyming riddle game for children, and seemingly an early edition with the A.K. Newman & Co. Dean & Munday imprint. A test of both memory and counting, the format is akin to that of the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’, and indeed its appear to date back to a similar time. Of the party who intend on playing one is appointed Treasurer who begins the game by passing an item, 'a penknife, pocket-book, or thimble' are among the suggestions to the person sat next to him stating 'Take this', the player responds 'What's this?', to which the Treasurer replies 'A gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling Frog'. The sequence is repeated, a line added to the nonsense verse with each turn. If a player misremembers a part of the increasingly complex rhyme he or she forfeits and must enact a penalty. Suggested penalties include 'Submit to be tickled by the company for five minutes', and 'Spell and pronounce this word twice within ten minutes, without a blunder - Al-di-bo-ron-ti-phos-ky-phor-ni-os-ti-kus'.
As with many similar chapbooks of the time, dating of the first edition seems unclear. As far as we have been able to establish, one of the earliest appearances of the rhyme in print was in Mirth without Mischief. Containing the Twelve Days of Christmas, the play of the Gaping-wide-mouthed waddling frog, love and hatred, the art of talking with fingers, and Nimble-Ned’s alphabet and figures published by Davenport in 1780. It seems likely that, as was in the case of the French inspired Twelve Days of Christmas, that the recited rhyme in various forms was already popular. In 1817 E. and J. Wallis issued The Gaping Wide-mouthed Waddling Frog, adapted to a Game of Forfeits, coloured Plates. The Osborne copy, and which appears to compare to the present copy, is dated to 1822 - from an manuscript inscription. A watermark date can be seen on [f.6] of 1821. A copy which sold at Christies in 2003, and which they suggested was 1822, had a variant title-page correcting the number of embellished engravings from sixteen to 15, as is in fact the case. Interestingly, that copy had ‘just 13 illustrations which are fully paginated’ (Christies, Dr Nigel Temple Collection of Children’s Books, 2003, lot 53).

1819.]. 12mo, pp. 116; with woodcut frontispiece, woodcut title-page vignette, and 34 small wood engraved portraits; without front free endpaper; title-page with some offsetting from frontispiece, a little browned throughout due to paper quality, with some marginal soiling and foxing in places, some insignificant nicking to upper margin of p. 53, with some creasing in places; contemporary red morocco backed marbled boards, spine ruled in gilt, head of spine nicked with small loss, spine sunned with some ink staining at tail, joints rubbed, covers with some surface abrasions, extremities bumped and lightly worn; with contemporary(?) ownership signature of ‘Edward Lawrence, Marsh House, Thatcham, Berks’ on front paste-down; despite slight wear still an appealing copy. Scarce first edition of this attractive historical work for children, including 34 circular woodcut portraits of Scottish monarchs, and the work of Alexander Bower (fl. 1804-1830), one time teacher and then assistant-librarian at the University of Edinburgh. In his brief preface Bower notes that he has consulted ‘the best authorities on the subject, viz. Fordoun, Boethius, Buchanan, Leslie, Pinkerton, Lord Hailes, Robertson, Laing, &c. The transactions of a more recent date are taken from the most authentic sources; and nothing is advanced of the truth of which the young reader can have any doubt, if credit can be given to the early history of any nation’. Bower begins with the reign of Fergus I and concludes with the death of Anne in 1714. Barely a paragraph is given over to the Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1745, and Bower concludes by saying ‘During the reign of his present majesty, George III., very little can be mentioned in regard to Scotland which does not equally apply to the other parts of the British dominions. In every public question the Scots take a similar interest with their other fellow subjects; and in the late arduous contest in particular, have distinguished themselves by their loyalty and zeal for the prosperity of the public service’ (p. 111).
Bower published a similar abridged history of Ireland for children in 1819, and it is commonly assumed that the present work was published in the same year. He is also remembered for his ‘Account of the Life of James Beattie’ (1804), ‘Life of Luther’ (1813), a three volume ‘History of the University of Edinburgh’ (1817-1830) and ‘The Edinburgh Student’s guide’ (1824).

1840-1845]. Three volumes, large 4to; I. pp. 648, with 39 engraved plates, several folding; II. pp. viii, 672, with 55 engraved plates, several folding; III. pp. viii, 672, with 66 engraved plates, several folding; in all 160 plates; according to the three plates lists all present, though not all bound in the correct volume, and with a number of additional plates not called for; many of the plates somewhat foxed and browned, with some irregular creasing due to folding errors, one or two of the larger folding plates with tears at the gutter, the majority not impacting the image, though more prominent to plates at Vol I. p. 252, p. 278, p. 626 (with old repair), Vol II. p. 200 (marginal tear touching image); small ‘burn holes’ affecting upper margin Vol I. pp. 621-626, small paper flaw in Vol. II p. 641; overall very good; in contemporary half calf over marbled boards, spines and joints neatly repaired retaining the original spine, lettered and tooled in gilt, some light wear to extremities; a good copy. First edition, all published, of this extensively illustrated and comprehensive scientific periodical, the brain-child of James Ainsworth in Manchester, born out of the burgeoning mechanics institute movement. This encyclopaedic periodical seems to have been first published by Ainsworth, and printed by Mackenzie in Glasgow, in around 1840-1841, although the exact date of issue appears uncertain.
According to the preface of Volume I, the journal was a subscription publication, though we have been unable to establish how frequently the parts were issued. It was published in response to what they believed to be ‘a want of some useful work, affording - at a cheap rate, and in such portions as may be easily perused by those whose time is chiefly occupied in providing for the wants of the day - the means of acquiring all that knowledge which will assist them to perform well the various duties of life’. A further paragraph in the main text preface shines light upon their intentions: ‘The general way in which the working classes attain scientific knowledge is, by attending Mechanics’ Institutions. The benefits of such institutions cannot be too highly extolled; but the experience of every student must teach him, that something more than the fleeting words of the lecturer is necessary to make his studies satisfactory. Reading and investigation are necessary; and although our libraries afford an easy access to books, those books cannot be retained long enough to afford time to digest their contents. The next resource is to purchase books; but the high price of scientific works places them beyond the reach of working men. There is, therefore, a great desideratum, which it is the purpose of the Imperial Journal to supply. Each illustrated essay on Science will be a lecture - the whole work a Mechanics’ Institute’ (Vol I. p. iii).
We have previously handled copies of the particularly striking phrenological chart which is found in Vol. II. Bearing in mind that the work was published in parts, and may well have been used lecturers for the Mechanical Institute, this does perhaps, go some way to explaining why some of the more popular plates are therefore found separately, sometimes laid down onto linen to allow for wall-hanging. As interesting example of readership and the adaptation of such works.

1840.]. 36mo, pp. 70, [2] publisher’s advertisements; with hand-coloured engraved frontispiece and three further uncoloured engraved plates; paper a little browned with some minor offsetting from plates, in the original printed embossed wrappers, all edges gilt, inner hinge cracked but holding, upper cover ruled and lettered in black though faded, covers a little soiled, and scuffed, with crease mark to front lower corner, extremities a little rubbed; with contemporary inscription on front free endpaper, ‘Charlotte Wills from her affectionate sister Bessie, March 1st, 1841’; an appealing copy. Second edition of this charming work for young children, first published in 1837. ‘In the eighteen-thirties the range of useful knowledge was considerably extended - even to include conchology. The author is no other than Samuel Clark (1810-1875), of Darton & Clark. He gave up publishing to be ordained, but continued to write as “The Rev. T. Wilson” (James, Children’s Books of Yesterday, p. 55). This was not his only pseudonym, Clark also writing under the pen name of “Peter Parley” and “Reuben Ramble”. A keen advocate of scientific education for the young, he wrote a number of works on subjects such as geology, minerals, geography, chemistry and the physical sciences. The Monthly Review called the work ‘a little gem’ and ‘one of the sweetest tiny volumes that was ever published’, with Tait’s Magazine describing it as ‘a nice sea-side book’.

1840. 8vo sheet (130 x 215mm), printed on grey card (verso off-white), with letterpress and three wood engraved illustrations; two folds, wallet-style with one panel forming a flap; very clean and crisp; wallet style construction apparently stiffened with printer’s waste, with some show through. A charming battledore published by the Kettering printer Joseph Toller. "The battledore was an offshoot of the hornbook, and was printed... for the double purpose it had to serve. In school it was used for teaching children the alphabet, whilst out of school it served as the battledore in the game of shuttlecock and battledore" (Rosenbach). 
Apparently four issues of Toller’s Kettering ‘New Royal Battledore’ are known, with different illustrations. Here we have one of a girl spinning next to a cottage, and a marine guardian angel with cupid on a raft. The final wood engraving is of Old Mother Hubbard and her cat, and z zebra on the flat.
The other one with a different illustration on a person spining, an elaborate courtroom battle scene, again Old Mother Hupbbard with a cat and a dog, and a zebra on the flap. 

1785-90.]. Partially hand-coloured engraved map mounted on wood and backed with plain paper and then dissected, cut loosely into 53 pieces in the shape of the coastline of England and Wales, approximately 46 x 52 cms, a little browned and dust-soiled, with some spotting in places, pieces interlocking though a couple not very close fitting, with possible loss of one tiny lug of an area of sea, otherwise exceptionally fine and complete; pieces housed within the original oak box 18 x 19 x 5cms, with mounted engraved pictorial label on sliding lid (somewhat browned and faded), with the key sheet of a square engraving bearing the imprint of Sayer mounted on the inside of the sliding lid; an extremely scarce survivor. The earliest examples of what we now call jigsaw puzzles were dissected maps, originally intended as educational games to teach geography. Surviving puzzles from this early period are extremely rare, and the present example is a most attractive and so far unrecorded variant.
Hannas records only one example of this dissection (author’s collection), and which appears to be a variant. The date on the box label is 1st Jany. 1786, and the pieces are not interlocking. The dimensions reveal that it was presented as a square, and used a variant issue of Rocque’s map, including a cartouche of a coach and four horses, with two further riders seen visible below the imprint. The Library of Congress appears to hold the same version. It seems almost impossible to determine which dissection precedes the other. As Shefrin highlights, an advertisement from a 1775 Sayer print catalogue, noted that: ‘Any of the foregoing maps may be had dissected on boards, for the use of such as are learners of geography; whereby they may readily learn the situation of every kingdom, state, or division’ (Shefrin p. 20). ‘The wording of the advertisement implies that puzzles could be made up on request from existing sheet maps rather than necessarily being available for sale in the shop already mounted and dissected, and some dissected maps appear to have been sold this way, produced from stray maps on hand’ (ibid). The present example has clearly been deliberately cut close around the coastline. Rocque’s Traveller’s companion map was originally issued in 1760 and went through various states. The copper plate was acquired by Robert Sayer after Rocque’s death, who appears to have made some modifications himself to the cartouche.
John Spilsbury (1739-69) is associated with some of the earliest examples which he produced during the 1760s, and is thus regarded as one of the first commercial producers of puzzles. How successful he might have been is uncertain, as he died at the age of 29 in 1769. By the 1780s a number of other printers had taken up the mantel, with early manufacturers of ‘jigsaws’ including William Darton & Son, John Wallis & Sons, Elizabeth Newbery and Robert Sayer (as here). 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. All manner of subject matters were used, though maps and religious scenes were the most popular, although a number relating to historical subjects were created. The word ‘jigsaw’ wasn't applied to these puzzles until 1909. By the 1810s John Wallis was proclaiming himself their inventor, Spilsbury’s claim having fallen by the wayside.

1903]. Large 8vo, pp. [vii], 126, [ii, plates half-title]; with striking chromolithograph frontispiece, 21 folding double-page chromolithograph plates mounted on guards, with a number of half-tone images and text diagrams in the text; title-page a little foxed, with further light foxing and soiling throughout, though otherwise clean and crisp; in a contemporary presentation binding of full dark calf, all edges marbled and with marbled endpapers, spine in compartments with raised bands, with deep tan morocco label lettered in gilt, elaborately tooled in gilt, with gilt armourial lozenge on upper cover, ‘Presbyterian Ladies College, Sydney’, head and tail of spine and joints somewhat rubbed and lightly worn, with further light rubbing to extremities, covers very lightly scuffed and stained, otherwise very good; with presentation book-plate on front pastedown from the College, ‘First Prize, the gift of the College Council, awarded to Marjorie Smythe for Latin Class I, Christmas 1905’. An attractive presentation copy of the uncommon first edition of this most attractively illustrated layman's guide to astronomy. The full gamut of 'heavenly knowledge' is covered by Heath, who was first assistant astronomer at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh. Most of the plates, including the celestial maps, are on a blue background. They are all attractively executed and informatively annotated. The particularly striking chromolithograph frontispiece depicts 'the total eclipse of July 28th 1851, Bue Island, Norway', and is taken from a drawing by Piazzi Smyth. This charming atlas has been bound for presentation by the Presbyterian Ladies College in Sydney, (established in 1888 and still running today), and awarded in December 1905 to Marjorie Smythe for her achievements in Latin. The copy later was in the collection of Richard Green, and was sold by Christie's at the sale of his scientific collection in New York on June 17th 2008 (part of lot 314).

1806. Small 16mo (104 x 82 mm), pp. 16, illustrations, one per letter, two per page for the body of the text, some offsetting of illustrations on the inside wrappers, occasional staining and dust-soiling in text but generally fairly clean, in the original printed wrappers, small worm hole on the front wrapper, darkened spine strip as printed, some dusting and small water-stains, vignette illustrations to front and rear wrappers. A charming illustrated American primer, first published in 1806, consisting of alphabets in different types, vowels and consonants, letter formations and spelling and syllable exercises. In this edition, the illustrated wrappers depict a horse standing in front of a grove of trees on the front wrapper (differing from that illustrated by Gumuchian) and a ruined castle on the rear wrapper, while the title page bears an attractive vignette of a woman with a dove and lamb. The full alphabet in large type is given on the verso of the title, while p. 3 gives a selection of alphabets and letters in different types, including double letters and numbers. The text proper begins on p. 4 and is presented in multiple columns. The top of each page is divided into two columns, with each column dedicated to one letter: starting with the letter at the top, beneath which is an illustration and then the word describing that illustration, ie. X, [portrait], Xerxes and X, [illustration], Zebra. Beneath this section, the columns vary in number according to the length of syllables or words given below. These are presented in simple lists, the first pages giving simple letter ties, ‘ba’, ‘re’, ‘py’ and so on, forming six columns. These get more complex through the primer until the final page has only three columns, listing longer words with divided syllables such as ‘Ac tor’, ‘Quar rel’, ‘Gar ter’ and ‘Yon der’.

G

1883.]. Large 4to, pp. [22], comprised of six pages of text, the first and last as paste-downs to covers, together with 6 full-page chromolithograph illustrations by Kronheim & Co., all mounted on linen and printed on one side only, bound so description and illustration face each other; some light browning, and minor offsetting onto text, but otherwise clean and bright; stitched as issued in the original pictorial covers, upper cover with chromolithograph image of a rhinoceros, with lettering in red and black, lower cover with a series of publisher’s advertisements, inner hinges a little exposed but holding firm, head and tail of spine a little worn, covers slightly soiled with some minor edgewear; contemporary inscription ‘For dear cousin Hannah. A more deluxe issue mounted on linen, of this vibrant work for children, although the date of publication is uncertain. Frederick Warne’s ‘Aunt Louisa’s London toy book’ series began in 1865, and as the advertisement on the present rear wrapper reveals, was to go on to include over 90 titles. Laura Valentine (née Jewry, 1814-1899), who used the pseudonym Aunt Louisa, was the general editor of Warne’s publishing house and contributed text and verses for many in the series. Their address is given as ‘Bedford Street, Strand’. The copy held at the Cotsen library appears to be another variant, including an additional American publisher of Scribner, Welford and Armstrong. Two other works in the series are noted on the rear cover, though eventually a further selection of animals was added to the series. The reader is here introduced to the giraffe, the hippopotamus, the Elk or Moose Deer, the rhinoceros, the reindeer, and finally the wild boar.
Toy Book number 44 had introduced the brown bear, elephant, leopard, dromedary, kangaroo, and the zebra. Number 46 focused upon hyaenas, the stag, the jaguar, the fox, the otter and the camel. The fourth part highlighted the lion, the tiger, the wolf, the polar bear, the orangoutang and the buffalo. Later editions seemingly abandon the text.

but ca. 1785]. Folio, [iv], 111, [1]; with one large folding engraved plate; entirely engraved throughout; quality of impressions varies throughout, with some engravings a little faint, and some staining visible around plate marks; without front free endpaper or half-title; occasional light staining and soiling, mainly marginal, a little more prominent in a couple of places; in contemporary green vellum, title in ms on upper cover, head and tail of spine bumped and lightly worn, joints lightly rubbed, covers somewhat soiled and darkened, extremities lightly bumped and worn; signed by the publisher Blondeau at the tail of title-page. First edition, variant issue, of an attractively printed introduction to harmony and composition, entirely engraved throughout, and intended for the use of students at the École Royale de Musique, founded in 1783, and which was subsequently to become the famous Paris Conservatoire. ‘The lessons, arranged in terms of fundamental bass theory, each introduce a different harmony from Rameau’s chord catalog, first treating so-called ‘harmonies naturelles,’... followed by a discussion of ‘harmonies artificielles’ or ‘composées’ that is, dissonant harmonies derived through various ‘artificial’ or compositional procedures for prepared chordal dissonances. Among his natural harmonies, Rodolphe, following Rameau, includes major and minor triads, the dominant seventh chord, major and minor seventh chords, the sous-dominante, as well as half-diminished and fully diminished seventh chords... Rodolphe presents each lesson in two parts: an initial dialogue describing the construction of the specific chord under consideration and its inversions... followed by a figured bass exercise demonstrationg the harmony’s standard use in one or two familiar cadential patterns’ (Masci, Charles-Simon Catel’s Treatise on Harmony and the disciplining of harmony at the early Paris Conservatory, p. 22-23).
Though described on the title-page as ‘Oeuvre 2me’, the present work is complete in itself, as noted in RISM Écrits. Rodolphe had previously published Solfège ou nouvelle méthode de musique divisée en deux parties in 1784, and the present work appears to be a separately published companion volume - in effect this being his second ‘opus’. An amendment has been made to the imprint, with a new engraved label by Blondeau posted over the original imprint ‘Gravée par F. P. Le Roy, Graveur de l’Ecole Royale de Musique; A Paris Chez le Même, Marchand de Musique Place du Palais Royal, aux Neuf-Souers, Maison du Cassé de la Régence et aux adresse Ordinaires’. Indeed the present copy has been signed by Blondeau. A second edition, with a re-engraved title-page and an imprint of ‘Chez M. Nadermann’ was published in ca. 1799. Both works were to prove immensely popular and influential at the time.
Jean Joseph Rodolphe (1730-1812) had a distinguished career as a violinist, horn player and composer during the second half of the 18th century. After studying in Paris, his early years were spent performing in Italy and Stuttgart, where he was a student Italian composer Niccolò Jommeli. Upon returning to Paris he had a successful career as a virtuoso horn player, and is known to have befriended the young Mozart during the latter’s visit to Paris in 1778. From 1784 until the Revolution, Rodolphe taught composition at the École Royale de Chant, and was later Professor of Solfège at the Paris Conservatoire (1798–1802). ‘Rodolphe was apparently an exceptionally fine horn player. It is likely that he independently developed a technique for hand-stopping, and was probably the first to introduce this innovation to Parisian audiences. By demonstrating the horn’s virtuoso and expressive resources, including a tone so sweet it was said to resemble that of a flute, he persuaded Jommelli and other composers to treat it as a solo instrument’ (New Grove online).

1823. 8vo, pp. [iv], ii, 248; with woodcut publisher’s monogram on title-page; small tear at head of half-title and front free endpaper but without loss, text lightly browned and foxed throughout, but generally clean and crisp; in publisher’s full red morocco, spine ruled and lettered in gilt, with gilt monogram on upper cover, and tooled floral border, inner gilt dentelles, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, some light wear to head and tail of spine, some minor surface wear; an attractive copy. First edition, and a most attractive copy, of this work intended to help students prepare for their philosophy examinations, the study of which was a required component of the Bachelor of Arts degree in France at the time. The ‘Bachelier ès-lettres’ was the first ‘grade’ available to students upon leaving school, and included the study of Latin and Greek, rhetoric, history, and philosophy (divided into logic and metaphysics). The passing of this largely oral exam was a condition for all further study in subjects such as theology, law, science and medicine.
We have so far found very little biographical information about the author, though he wrote a number of similar works aimed at aspiring students. He divides his work into two sections dealing in term with logic and metaphysics, each further subdivided into numbered ‘thèses’. These are presented in dialogue form, comprised of a series of questions and answers and thus resembling an oral examination.

1900.]. Transformational lotto games, comprised of six chromolithograph cards each with framed with gold braid (slightly varying in size but approx. 225 x 125 mm each), three cards from two separate lotto games but on the same theme, each depicting a child with 10 numbers around its edge, together with accompany sets of 10 chromolithograph transformational cards (approx. 45 x 60 mm), noting the arithmetical operation to be performed (addition, subtraction, division and multiplication); some light signs of use and wear, larger chromolithographs mounted on later card, with the smaller counters seemingly the original card; lacking original instructional sheets, and without cloth bag; the two games housed within a later 20th century box, (250 x 330 x 25 mm) with mounted chromolithograph sheet bearing three of the figures from ‘Le Bal masqué des enfants’, also edged with gilt braid, inner lid with stamp of Parisian bookseller; an appealing set. A later made up box combining two appealing transformational lotto/bingo games which aimed, in addition to entertaining children, to introduce them to arithmetic and the four common operations of calculation.
This ‘set’ includes three cards from ‘La lessive de mes poupées’ or ‘My Dolls' Laundry’, in which the child must wash the dirty dolls and get them back into a clean state. The large cards depict the dirty dolls, and contain the answers to the arithmetical problems which are posed on the accompanying set of smaller cards. According to a set of the instructions found online, we appear to have Caspar and Lise who are covered and stained in ink, and little greedy Frédéric who has covered himself in chocolate. Not present are Pierre and Lise with dishevelled hair, and Trine - another lover of chocolate! The smaller cards would be placed into a small cloth ‘laundry bag’ (not present), each child taking it in turn to draw a card. The winner is the first person to correctly place the answers on the larger card, making his or her doll ‘clean’.
The other three cards come from ‘Le Bal masquè des enfants’, and which is based on the same principle. Three children (here two girls and a boy) are heading to a ball, and to reveal their disguise, the arithmetical problems must be answered. Thus a young girl is transformed into a beautiful gardener, another becomes Little Red Riding Hood, and a young boy turns into a chimney sweep. The three other cards not found here apparently transformed into Prince Charming, and Pierrot and Pierrette.
Clearly produced by the same publisher, the site jeuxanciensdecollection.com suggest perhaps Saussine. They point too, to the possible German origin. Though not present here, the character Pierre in ‘La lessive de mes poupées’ bears a striking resemblance to Hoffmann’s Struwwelpeter, as does ink stained Lise, with her long fingernails. Complete sets appear rare, and the present made up set is nevertheless both attractive and playable.