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HUXLEY Thomas Henry
Physiography. An Introduction to the Study of Nature. [Second Edition, Ninth Thousand].
8vo., Second Edition, Ninth Thousand, with a double-page coloured map as frontispiece, a coloured plate, 2 coloured maps (one double-page; one full-page) and 122 engraved illustrations in the text, neat contemporary inscription on half-title; original red cloth, upper board framed, blocked and lettered in blind, gilt back, yellow endpapers, upper hinge starting (but binding entirely sound), case a little shaken else a very good, clean copy. First published in 1877, this is a systematic approach to natural science presented with characteristic clarity by 'Darwin's Bulldog'. Freeman, 1866 (recording the first edition).
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BURTON, Richard - SPEKE, John Hanning
Early Maps and Expedition Reports from The East Africa Expedition - 1859
4to, original buff wrappers with all the ads, as issued. Seldom seen in such good and original condition. BURTON and SPEKE's DISCOVERY OF THE NILE SOURCES with TWO of the best MAPS of the time! This is the September and December 1859 issue of the pre-eminent Geographical Journal published in Germany containing one of the first reports of the Burton/Speke Expedition. This publication pre-dates both Burton's and Speke's respective books which did not appear until the 1860's. On this expedition which was sponsored by the Royal Geographical Society, Richard F. Burton traveled with John Hanning Speke - on their second journey together - in order to find the Mountains of the Moon and shed some more light on the Sources of the Nile. They made a brief examination of Lake Tanganyika, but with failing health they were forced to return to Kazeh to recuperate. Following this, Burton sent Speke off by himself to investigate a large lake north of their camp. Speke reached this lake after a few days marches and found its altitude to be much higher than the surrounding country. Hence, even without being able to prove his claim because all his instruments were lost or broken, Speke became convinced that this was the source of the Nile; a conclusion disputed by Burton which led to their falling out and, probably, Speke's mysterious death in 1864. The Nile debate raged on for the next 15 years and as it turns out Speke was indeed correct. This however was not conclusively proven until late in the 1870's when Henry Morton Stanley marched around Lake Victoria and brought an end to all speculation.
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RIMROD, Frederick Augustus
Über die Bildung der Erdfläche; besonders auch der Gegenden von der Ostsee von Hannover bis Cölln. ..
... [On the Formation of the Earth's Surface, in Particular the Environs of the Baltic Sea from Hanover to Cologne.] 8vo. 18 pages. Text is in German. This is a complete monthly issue, containing the above mentioned account. Attractively bound booklet style in recent blue paper covers with label. This issue contains an earth science study on the formation of our planet's surface, using the areas of the Baltic Ocean (Ostsee), and the region between Hannover and Köln, as examples. Accompanied by a charming map showing the course of the lower Lahn River and its tributaries, mainly Ohm, Wieseck, Kleebach, Dill, Solmsbach, Weil, Elbbach, and Aar. Also showing part of the Rhine river and the Moselle, a tributary of the Rhine, joining it at Koblenz. These are the original pages printed in 1807, and NOT a reprint. This narrative is from a rare multi-volume geographical and scientific journal titled "Allgemeine Geographische Ephemeriden", which issued fifty volumes from 1798-1816 and which encompassed critical contemporary topics of geography and astronomy. Adam Christian Gaspari and Franz Xaver von Zach were editors of this important scientific journal.
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STRUVE, F.G.W.
Sur l'emploi de l'instrument des passages pour la détermination des positions géographiques. A l'usage des officiers de l'étât-major-général en Russie, par F.G.W. Struve.
[On the Use of the Transit Instruments for the Determination of Geographical Positions. For use by Officers of the State in Russia, by F.G.W. Struve] Translation of Struve's German work into French, by Alexandre Schyanoff. 4to. vi, 93 pages, plus 3 folding plates and single leaf errata. Bound in green continental paper boards with gilt titled label to spine. Near fine condition and very crisp. An early treatise on the transit telescope, consisting of detailed theory and instruction for use of the apparatus, as set forth by renowned astronomer Struve while he was teaching at the Dorpat observatory in Estonia. With 3 diagrams for illustration. This is the original French translation - expanded and augmented with new material - of a separately printed pamphlet by Struve, published in German Language in St. Petersburg 1833. This french edition evidences formulae corrections by the author and also a new comparisons beween transit instruments devised and built by Troughton and by Ertel. A fascinating work revealing scientific advance in the making of instruments which would revolutionize navigation. Quite rare as COPAC only finds 15 copies in Libraries Worldwide.
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Lieut.-Col. W. Barron; Major A. W. Baird; And Major J. Hill
The Cadastral Survey of India [WITH] Spirit-Levelling Operations of the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India [WITH] Some Remarks on Clinometrical, or Approximate Heights.
3 reports in one issue, altogether 45 pages. Plus a fold-out graph. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. The three authors outline methods and intricacies in the surveying of unknown regions and vastly unique terrains, while also elucidating their contemporaries to customs and law in Indian territories in which great potential is seen for the British Empire. Barron expounds on the complex system of proprietary and cultivating tenures, claimed by decendants of ancient lineage, conquerors of the latter, village headmen fighting for hereditary rights, farmers and servants of the State, each ultimately contributing to a most profitbale source of revenue for the Indian Government.
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Horses and Schleswig Holstein - Verruf - Einblatt Druck - Edict - Proclamation
Placat wodurch die Ausfuhr der Pferde aus den Herzogthümern Schleswig und Holstein, der Herrschaft Pinneberg, Grafschaft Ranzau und Stadt Altona in die Fremde bis weiter verboten Wird
Broadside preventing the Export of Horses to Foreign Lands........ [Christiansburg 1 October 1788]. Folio (22 x 32cm), 1 leaf folded, uncut and unbound as issued, very strong impression, light discoloration at bottom margin, otherwise in very good condition. Text in German. An interesting broadside issued by the King of Denmark in 1788 who at the time ruled over the Province of Schleswig Holstein (today part of Germany) and the City of Altona (today part of Hamburg) attempting to prevent the export of horses…"by land or sea…" This edict was most likely issued as a result of the 'Theatre War' which had started just a week prior on 24 September. Any available horses were most likely needed for the war effort. Rare and Unusual. No Copies in KVK.
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FORBES, Henry O.
Notes on the Cocos or Keeling Islands.
8 pages. Plus a fold-out colour map, measuring approximately 8.25 x 9 inches (21 x 23cm). Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. This is a fascinating expedition report on the Malay Archipelago, specifically the Cocos or Keeling Islands, accompanied by a visually appealing and valuable fold out colour map for illustration. Charles Darwin formulated a theory of the origin of coral reefs, This report mentions Darwin's theories and observations frequently, and is an excellent example of how early and how widely Darwin's work and theories were accepted by all his peers regardless of the apparent controversy he stirred up.
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A.C.D. Crommelin - Einstein
An Adaptation of Major Grant's Graphical Method of Predicting Occultations to the Elements Now Given in the Nautical Almanac.
8vo. 6 pages, plus 2 large folding diagrams. A rare separate offprint printed for the Royal Geographical Society. Publisher's blue titled wrappers, string-tied and bearing the society's crest. Some light foxing, otherwise in very good and original condition. The results from these observations were crucial in providing confirmation of the General Theory of Relativity, which Albert Einstein had proposed in 1916. The author, a respected astronomer and well-known authority on comets, renders praise to the primary research and calculations of Major S.C.N. Grant in 1896, which forms the basis for his dissertation. With meticulous and detailed instruction Crommelin presents a simplified method to predict and decipher the instantaneous and momentary occultation of stars. He further introduces the application to the Solar Eclipse phenomenon. Exceedingly rare dissertation by an important nineteenth century astronomer. Six years prior to Crommelin's study, Grant published a six page report and illustration, titled "Diagram for Determining the Parallaxes in Declination and Right Ascension of a Heavenly Body, and its Application to the Prediction of Occultations." Crommelin was famed for his computations of cometary orbits. He took part in expeditions to observe total solar eclipses in 1896, 1900, 1905, 1912, and 1927. In 1919 he participated in the solar eclipse expedition to Brazil which aimed to determine the amount of the deflection of light caused by the gravitational field of the Sun.
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BAGNOLD, Major R. A.
The Transport of Sand by Wind.
30 pages, including sketch illustrations. Plus two black and white plates. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. An important report on the scientific investigation of the transport of sand by wind, providing valuable information with ample mathematical equations and data charts. During his expeditions into the Libyan Desert, Bagnold had been fascinated by the shapes of the sand dunes, and after returning to England he built a wind tunnel and conducted the experiments which are the basis of this report. Bagnold made significant contributions to the scientific understanding of desert structures such as sand dunes, ripples and sheets. He developed the dimensionless Bagnold number and Bagnold formula for characterizing sand flow. He also proposed a model for singing sands and made contributions to the science of sedimentology.
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WHYMPER, Edward.
A Journey Among the Great Andes of the Equator.
23 pages, including an in-text illustration of Sangai. Plus a fold-out sketch diagram. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. Twenty-three years after his triumphant and disastrous conquest of the Matterhorn, Whymper turned his attention to the soaring Andes peaks of Ecuador. This expedition was designed primarily to collect data for the study of mountain sickness and of the physical effects of altitude. The summits of Chimborazo (20,948 feet) and six other mountains between 15,000 and 20,000 feet were reached for the first time. A night was spent on the top of Cotopaxi (19,613 feet), and the features of that great volcano were studied. In his valuable report, Whymper includes a data table of temperatures and heights of mountain summits of Chimborazo, Corazon, Cotopaxi, Sincholagua, Antisana, Pichincha, Cayambe, Sara-urcu, Cotocachi, and Carihuairazo. From the wider points of view of the geographer, the geologist, and traveller, Whymper brought home much valuable material. This illuminating account pre-dates the author's book, "Travels Amongst the Great Andes of the Equator" published in 1891. Accompanied by a sketch diagram, illustrating the northern part of Mr. Whypmer's travels.
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BATES, Henry Walter
Original Prospectus for the Bates Memorial Fund.
Original Memorial Fund Prospectus printed in 1892, single leaf, single sided, measuring approximately 5 x 6 inches (12.5 x 15cm), in very good condition. It contains a list of contributors' names, among them include highly acclaimed explorers and naturalists such as Douglas W. Freshfield, Francis Galton, Sir Joseph Hooker, Admiral Sir McClintock, E.A. Petherick, Baron von Richthofen, H.M. Stanley, Joseph Thomson, A.R. Wallace, E. Whymper, as well as Mrs. Darwin. Bates spent over 11 years in the Amazon area, and formed a most impressive enormous collection of over 14,000 insects, which occupied scientists for years in classifying them. He went to South America with Alfred Russell Wallace and the two journeyed together for a time. Darwin encouraged him to write and publish his work. In Darwin's words: Bates is only excelled by Humboldt in his description of the tropical forest. His observations and speculations contributed to Darwin's theory of evolution, making Bates a crucial figure in the annals of history.
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BUCHAN, Alexander.
The Meteorological Results of the Challenger Expedition in Relation to Physical Geography.
21 pages including 6 colour maps on 5 fold-out sheets. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. Buchan's incredible paper is on the scientific questions that arose when discussing the general movements of the atmosphere and of oceanic circulation, with particular relations to physical geography. The amazing Challenger expedition was thereby undertaken for both observational purposes and scientific research. Alexander Buchan was a Scottish meteorologist, oceanographer and botanist, credited with establishing the weather map as the basis of weather forecasting. This extraordinary report is accompanied by six fold-out colour maps.
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Lord Holland
Original ALS on Salmon Fisheries by Avid Angler Baron Vassall Holland of England.
Original Signed Letter by Lord Holland. 8vo. 4 pages on a double-leaf measuring approximately 11cm x 17cm. Very good condition. An interesting letter between English upper class aristocrats, pertaining to the natural history of fresh water fish, and the sport of angling, with reference to reports by respected angler and author on the subject, Sir Humphrey Davy, as well as Lord Kinnaird of Scotland. The recipient is unidentified, but could be MP Thomas Creevey, or Samuel Rogers the famous author and banker, both of whom the Baron was frequently communicating with at the time. Dated, Holland House, 17 July 1826, and signed Vassall Holland, the letter was originally sent with two reports from the Select Committee on the Salmon Fisheries of the United Kingdom, published for the Great Britain Parliament, House of Commons, in 1825. Sir Humphrey Davy (1778-1829), English Baron, was highly respected for his study and skill as an angler. In 1828, two years later than this letter which refers to his expertise, the baron published a book on the subject, titled "Salmonia or Days of Fly Fishing." Very well received, it was a few editions, and an American edition followed four years later. In it he compares the habits and physiological attributes of river and lake fish throughout Europe, including numerous rivers in England, the Danube, Glommen river in Norway, Lake Morat in Switzerland, the Rhine, and so forth. Naturally, the self-touted philosophical angler, also contemplates various fishing strategies.
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Naval Manuscript
Fortifications in Martinique - West Indies
Martinique, 1897. Folio journal. French manuscript abstract of a French naval captain M. Vailhen. 55 pages in two parts. String-tied vellum boards, titled by the captain. Very slight chips to leaf edges, otherwise very good condition, a crisp and clean manuscript document with wide margins, 12 printed military diagrams pasted within, as well as several hand drawn diagrams by the captain. With the captain's signature in three places including front. Cours - Historique Succint de l'artillerie de côte et de l'artillerie navale. [Succint Dissertation on the History of Coastal Artillery and Naval Artillery] The captain's abstract on the history of naval artillery used at sea and on the coast, dated 1897, begins with the antiquitity of war as early as the thirteenth century, including the first use of gun powder and the alchemical work of Roger Bacon. A substantial portion of this work covers the progression of the canon, and its uses in several theatres of war, from the time of Louis XI, in which numerous models are named and described, and, several diagrams are discussed and annotated. Vailen's detailed study records dates of the first significant advances in the field of artillery, and continues describing structural and scientific advances to artillery employed the navy. The work comprises many specific calculations relating to gun powder, pressure, elements, fabrication, and the like. Furthermore, the captain frequently compares French and English advancements, indicative of the ongoing rivalry of the colonial period. Together with an official stamped and signed authorization for brief leave in the following year. 8vo. single leaf, dated Fort-de-France 3 August 1898. Signed and stamped by the Colonel, Senior Commander of the 6th Battery in Martinique. Also signed by the Chief Commander of Artillery, and the Commissioner. The authorization for leave, and order for transportation, indicates that a campaign had just ended, and that the captain was permitted to return to France for a vacation. He was assigned to embark a 'paquebot' or steamer which was departing the French colony of Martinique on the 10th of August 1898. The document further indicates that the officer had received his pay up to the 31st July 1898, but was evidently due remuneration up to the 24th of August upon his arrival in France. This document predates the Mount Pelé eruption of 1902 by only four years, a pivotal event which propelled Fort-de-France into commercial success. "Capitaine M. Vailhen... en second à la 6ème batterie de l'Artillerie de Marine, groupe d'Afrique et des Antilles... est ordonné... de rentrer en France pour y jouir d'un congé de fin de campagne" Cet officier s'embarquera sur le Paquebot transatlantique quittant la Colonie vers le 10 Août 1898..." Fascinating work on naval artillery with particular attention to cannons, by a knowledgeable nineteenth century French naval captain stationed in the Caribbean. All text in French.
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MARKHAM, Clements R.
Discovery by Baron Nordenskiöld that Fresh Water Will Be Found by Boring Through Hard Chrystalline Rocks for 30-35 Meters.
4 pages, including 2 illustrations. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. Difficulty of obtaining good drinking water at many stations situated on rocky islets off the Swedish coasts, led Nordenskiold, a respected geologist, mineralogist and Arctic explorer, to the discovery of this new and important geological principle. This is a succinct scientific report on Nordenskiold's system of boring fresh water through the granite rocks, including some remarks on his geological observations made during his expeditions to Spitsbergen in 1861 and 1864.
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HINGSTON, Major R. W. G.
Animal life at High Altitudes.
14 pages. Plus black and white plates. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. A narrative replete with natural history facts from Major Hingston, a member of the ill fated 1924 British Everest Expedition looks specifically at animal life in Tibet at various altitudes. Interesting examination of animal coping strategies: hibernation, burrowing, camouflage capabilities. Features the residents of the highest altitudes: the minute Attid spiders at 22,000 feet; the highest plant seen was a small arenaria (A. musciformis) at 20,000 feet; at Camp III, 21,000 feet, Hingston saw choughs and a jungle crow, both of which seem to have followed up the camp. And a rose-finch which he saw there seemed to have been migrating across the range. Another visitor was a humble-bee. Traces of fox and hare were seen at 21,000 and they were both seen above 20,000 feet. The camp at 20,000 feet on the Kharta glacier was daily visited by lammergeier, raven, red-billed chough, alpine chough, and black-eared kite. Droppings of burrhel were seen at 20,000, and the sheep themselves were fairly common between 17,000 feet and 19,000 feet. A pika of a new species (Ochotona wollastoni) was found from 15,000 feet to 20,000 feet. An unseen mouse entered the tents and ate food at 20,000 feet. At 19,000 feet in the Kharta Valley dwarf blue meconopsis, many saxifrages and curious sasusureas, large composites packed with cotton-wool, were found. At 18,000 feet were the smallest rhododendrons (R. Setosum and R. Zepidotum), a dwarf blue hairy delphinium (D. brunnoneanum) in the Kharta Valley; and Wollaston also saw there at this altitude the very handsome red-breasted rose-finch. And Hingston found immature forms of a new genus of grasshopper on the desolate moraines at 18,000 feet, and at the same height was a Guldenstadt’s redstart. At 17,000 feet life forms multiplied substantially.
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CLOWES, Laird.
Ships of Early Explorers.
20 pages. Plus black and white plates. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. This engaging report, rich in historical detail, deals with 'ships of early explorers'. The author discusses Viking ships and other vessels that were found at the bottom of various bodies of water, each one providing information on the smaller details of early ship building over a period of about 3000 years. Accompanying this informative report are numerous sketch illustrations of ancient and important ships, some found near Arabia 1457, in the Indian Ocean 1500, in the South Atlantic 1529 as seen on ancient maps, and specifically of the Chinese Funk in the Red Sea 1375, the Golden Hind near Celebes circa 1595, and Captain Cook's ships Resolution and Adventure prior to his second voyage of 1772.
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CROSSLAND, Cyril
The Island of Tahiti.
21 pages, including sketch maps and illustrations. Plus photographic plates. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. This is an exceptional report on the geology and natural history of the Island of Tahiti provided by a distinguished naturalist, Dr. Crossland, illustrated with several sketch maps showing Tahiti and Taiarapu; the mouth of the Fautaua River, Taunoa Harbour; the mouth of the Punaruu river, as well as, amazing photographs depicting west coast of Tahiti; the island of Moorea from Atine; the north-east side of Tahara Head; Papeari; beach of Pocillopora on Motu Au; a wrecked islet off Hitiaa; and "Nansouty" islet. The author also discusses how the three easternmost groups of Polynesia differ one from another by decribing their volcanic origin, maritime flats, and coral reefs. Crossland was praised in his obituary in the journal "Nature" as 'one of the last explorer-naturalists of the Darwin type'.
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CHAPMAN, Dr. Frank M.
Darwin's Chile.
17 pages. Plus photographic plates. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. The author was an ornithologist who devoted much of his time and energy, over thirty years, exploring South America. With a deep reverence for the prominent naturalist, Charles Darwin, who as a young man of twenty made the most notable journey to Chile, Dr. Chapman provides an exceptional report delineating valuable information on certain traces that he found of Darwin and of Darwin's influence in the country. Among author's many fascinating remarks include those of Chilotans - the inhabitants of the island of Chiloe, south of Puerto Montt; Alacalufes or Channel Indians - the cave dwellers; and the inhabitants of British Chile. This is a well written report, depicted with amazing photographs and accompanied by an interesting 4-page discussion, among them include Charles Darwin's son, Major Leonard Darwin, who shared some quotation from the manuscript of the "Voyage of the Beagle", most of which were not printed in the book.
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WARD, F. Kingdon.
The Himalaya East of the Tsangpo.
29 pages. Plus black and white plates and a large fold-out colour map measuring approximately 9 x 8 inches (23 x 20cm). Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. Kingdom-Ward's typically compelling narrative unveils the flora and points of geographical interest in the unexplored area east of the Tsangpo gorge via Assam, the Lohit valley and Rima. Kingdom-Ward's expedition reveals a wealth of information related to climate, topography, botany, zoology and geology. Summarising the journey, he underlines the significance of what he describes as 'a great climatic barrier' stretching across the country from the head of the Tsangpo gorge, south-eastwards towards the Yangtze - a climatic barrier that served also as a biological and human one. A very detailed and involving report accompanied by an amphibian and reptile related appendix, numerous stunning photographs (some full page) and a large, folding map.
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LEWIS, R. G.
The Orography of the North Sea Bed.
8 pages. Plus a fold-out colour map measuring approximately 13 x 9 inches (33 x 23cm). Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. Having accepted the fact that much, and possibly all, of the North Sea Bed stood above present sea-level, in this report the author examines its orography with the idea of discovering in what channels the great rivers which now flow into this sea flowed then, what were the features of that drowned country, and what evidence of tetonic movements could be discovered. The beautifully colourful accompanying map illustrates the soundings gathered.
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BATES, Henry Walter
Obituary and Photogravure Portrait of Henry Walter Bates. Together with an Original Prospectus for the Bates Memorial Fund.
Official Obituary and Photogravure Portrait of Henry Walter Bates: An incredible report detailing the life and work of the extraordinary Henry Walter Bates, known as the Naturalist of the Amazons, whose work influenced to a great degree Charles Darwin, as well as Alfred Russel Wallace London: Royal Geographical Society, April, 1892. 18 pages. Plus a full-page photogravure portrait with a tissue guard, published in two consecutive issues of the Royal Geographical Society. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. Two complete issues, seldom found in such good and original condition. Together with an Original Prospectus for the Bates Memorial Fund: Original Memorial Fund Prospectus printed in 1892, single leaf, single sided, measuring approximately 5 x 6 inches (12.5 x 15cm), in near fine condition. It contains a list of contributors' names, among them include highly acclaimed explorers and naturalists such as Douglas W. Freshfield, Philip Lutley Sclater, E.A. Petherick, Joseph Duncan Thomson, E. Whymper, and the renowned publisher, John Murray. Bates spent over 11 years in the Amazon area, and formed a most impressive enormous collection of over 14,000 insects, which occupied scientists for years in classifying them. He went to South America with Alfred Russell Wallace and the two journeyed together for a time. Darwin encouraged him to write and publish his work. In Darwin's words: Bates is only excelled by Humboldt in his description of the tropical forest. His observations and speculations contributed to Darwin's theory of evolution, making Bates a crucial figure in the annals of history.
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Tobacco Archive
Archive of Scarce and Significant Broadsides on Tobacco, from Berlin, Concerned Primarily with Despotism over Manufacturing, Selling, Exporting, and Using Tobacco at a Personal Level.
Seven official decrees issued by the Royal Prussian Court, dealing solely with tobacco usage and trade. The earliest are printed by Christian Albrecht Gäbert, the others by Georg Jacob Decker. Folio. Double leafs, early handmade laid paper, untrimmed edges, several featuring woodcut engravings. Text is in German, ranging from 2-6pages of text, each document concluding with the woodcut initials 'LS' in cameo. Very good original condition, beautifully preserved. Seven separate edicts, from Berlin mid-1700s, are concerned primarily with despotism over manufacturing, selling, exporting, and even using tobacco at a personal level. Topics specifically address matters of potential fire induced by tobacco smoke, quality improvement, regulations and privileges for cigar makers, collection of duties on tobacco and transport, taxation of imported tobaccos, proper procedures for purchasing and selling which most often bereaves any small grower or entrpreneur from profit, and, finally, penalties for disobeying the laws. The collection includes the following: 22 June 1726. 3 pages, issued by the March (Margraviate) of Brandenburg, a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire, prohibits tobacco smoking in the any wooded terrain, forests, and the like. 20 October 1742. 2 pages with a cherub and crown woodcut engraving, prohibits civilians from smoking on hay wagons, and from bringing cigars into a barn. 8 July 1744. 6 pages on 2 double leafs, with a cherub and crown woodcut engraving, issued by the March (Margraviate) of Brandenburg,concerning careless and dangerous tobacco smoking practices. The substantial edict reinstates or re-proclaims an edict of 28 April 1723, appears to present consequences for contravening the law, and mentions in the first paragraph Valangin in Neufchatel-en-Bray, Haute-Normandie, France. Annotations from 1746 to front. 3 May 1745. 3 pages with a cherub and crown woodcut engraving, issued by the March (Margraviate) of Brandenburg, being a declaration of general privileges for the tobacco spinner, also known as a cigar maker, which regulates the market, specifically preventing the sale of any tobacco which does not bear the official "duties paid" sticker, and also preventing the purchase of tobacco from directly from farmers. 4 September 1766. 2 pages with a lovely regal woodcut engraving, a declaration of the 15th article, which controls the rights for trade, preventing civilians to sell tobacco to anyone other the Prussian state government. 20 February 1768. 3 pages, outlines eight separate points, this edict addresses foreign shipment and trade, specifically naming Chur, Prussia, Pomerania, Magdeburg, Halberstadt, and Silesia, stating that all shipments must be appropriately recorded and also reported to the authorities. 1 August 1770. 6 pages on 2 double leafs, with three woodcut engravings, comprises nineteen matters on the subject of tobacco contravention, outlining penalties for the illegal possession or transgressional usage of tobacco on which duties have not been paid.
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CROMMELIN - LONGITUDE AT SEA
An Adaptation of Major Grant's Graphical Method of Predicting Occultations to the Elements Now Given in the Nautical Almanac
8vo. 6 pages, plus 2 large folding diagrams. A rare separate offprint printed for the Royal Geographical Society. Publisher's blue titled wrappers, string-tied and bearing the society's crest. Some light foxing, otherwise in very good and original condition. The author, a respected astronomer and well-known authority on comets, renders praise to the primary research and calculations of Major S.C.N. Grant in 1896, which forms the basis for his dissertation. With meticulous and detailed instruction Crommelin presents a simplified method to predict and decipher the instantaneous and momentary occultation of stars which greatly simplifies the detremination of Longitude at Sea. He further introduces the application to the Solar Eclipse phenomenon. Exceedingly rare dissertation by an important nineteenth century astronomer. Six years prior to Crommelin's study, Grant published a six page report and illustration, titled "Diagram for Determining the Parallaxes in Declination and Right Ascension of a Heavenly Body, and its Application to the Prediction of Occultations." Crommelin was famed for his computations of cometary orbits. He took part in expeditions to observe total solar eclipses in 1896, 1900, 1905, 1912, and 1927. In 1919 he participated in the solar eclipse expedition to Brazil which aimed to determine the amount of the deflection of light caused by the gravitational field of the Sun. The results from these observations were crucial in providing confirmation of the General Theory of Relativity, which Albert Einstein had proposed in 1916.
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FARRER, Reginald
Among the Hills
Among the Hills: A Book of Joy in the High Places. - First Edition. Dedication Copy With Beautiful Original Ink Drawing. Headley Brothers, London, [nd] 1911. 8vo., [vi], 326 pages, and 1 page of publisher's ads. Illustrated with photographic plates as well as 14 colour plates of paintings by two artists, the latter mounted to teal-grey linen leafs with tissue guard. Publisher's original teal cloth, gilt title to front and spine. [Later editions were printed on ordinary paper rather than the finer production mounted in this first edition; tissue guards were also omitted.] Slight shelf wear to spine, otherwise in very good and original condition, a pleasing volume with a splendid drawing. The front end paper features a charming ink drawing of two birds fluttering over a river, by a skilled artist. The artist is identified only as A.J., who dedicates the volume to E. Horace Walpole, 1-10-1912. The recipient is perhaps the illegitimate son of Horatio Walpole (1813-1894) 4th Earl of Oxford (second creation) and Lady Susan Hamilton Douglas (1814-1889) wife of the 5th Duke of Newcastle. Research to this effect is warranted to substantiate. Farrer's narrative recounts a six week exploration in the Gratian, Cottian and Maritime Alps looking for particularly rare and precious plants, so stated in his first chapter. Written for the cultivator and lover of plants who share his passion, as opposed to the collector of samples, his work is a beautifully written and highly detailed account of the plants' features, habitat, preferred conditions for growth, and so forth. At the end of the work he evidently felt it necessary to dispel an accusation of having devastated regions in the valleys of the Alps, a charge which contradicted the very essence of his work.
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FARRER, Reginald
Eaves of the World
On the Eaves of the World. - First Edition. Edward Arnold, London, 1917. The Rare First Edition, first printing. 8vo, two volumes: xii, viii, 311, 314 pages and additional 13 page index. Illustrated with 62 photographic plates distributed between the volumes, and one folding map. Publisher's original blue cloth, gilt title to fronts and spines. Photographic frontispiece in each volumes with tissue guards. Lacking half titles, otherwise in very good and original condition, a splendid work. Excerpt from the author's Preface, volume I: "The expedition of which these two volumes tell the first half of the tale was definitely planned (though long dreamed of) in 1913, and got going on February 7, 1914. Its object was to explore thoroughly, in the interests of horticulture and forestry, the whole of the Kansu-Tibet Border, from South to North. I will but say succinctly here that these two volumes deal only with my wanderings of 1914, round the extreme South-West March of Kansu, and up the Border, coming to rest for the winter at Lanchow in mid-November. The tale of the second year, 1915, yet remains to be written " Reginald Farrer (1880-1920) was a wealthy plant collector who travelled extensively, and a writer of a number of books, best known for 'My Rock Garden'. In 1902 Farrer embarked on the first of his expeditions to Eastern Asia, visiting China, Korea and, particularly Japan. In 1914 he travelled to Asia in search of a variety of plants, many of which he brought back to England and planted near his home village of Clapham, North Yorkshire, many of which are a permanent feature of English gardens. Farrer's narrative recounts an ambitious expedition to Tibet and the Province of Kansu province of North-west China along, travelling along the entire border with the aim of discovering and catalogue alpine flora. He was accompanied by another well known English plant collector, Kew-trained William Purdom, whom during this expedition remained in China when he was appointed to the Chinese Government Forestry Commission. Farrer drew many illustrations, often painted in the most uncomfortable of circumstances. Many of these, and his landscape water-colours of Kansu and Tibet, were exhibited by the Fine Art Society in 1918. He made a final voyage to the mountains of Upper Burma with E.H.M Cox, who recorded the trip in 'Farrer's Last Journey, Upper Burma 1919-20' (1926). Farrer died in 1920 at Nyitadi in the remote Minshan mountains on the Burmese/Chinese frontier at the early age of 40. The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh holds a collection of Reginald Farrer papers, correspondence and photographs.
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URE, Dr. Andrew
Manuscript Note Certifying a Shipment of "Perfectly Pure Cocoa" for the Royal Navy Together with a Printed Biography of Ure and an Orginal Photograph
London, 28 November 1849. Manuscript Signed Letter to approbate the cocoa served by the Royal Navy to its nearly 200,000 mariners, written by important Scottish chemist Andrew Ure. 8vo. Double-leaf measuring approximately 18.5 x 17 cm. Very good, original condition. A most unusual document of unexpected consequence. Together with a privately printed biography published in London 1874, featuring an original albumen portrait photograph frontis of Dr. Ure. Small 8vo. measuring 10.5 x 14.5 cm. 18, [3] pages, giltedged leafs, gilt tooled and titled green leather boards, minor wear to corners, otherwise in Very Good condition. The favourable result from a formal investigation of a specific company's cocoa purchased and consumed by the British Navy at 400 tonnes per year, Dr. Ure suggests that many English producers were at the time compromising quality during production, however, he confirms the purity of Graham & Hedley's Genuine Roll Cocoa which was manufactured in Liverpool. A new product, the cacao was moulded into rolls and stamped. For a fee of £10.10 and commissioned by the Lords of the Admiralty [Sir James Whitley Deans Dundas, &c.], this analysis may very well have secured enormous profitability and longevity for the chocolate company. Competitors immediately denounced the assessment, such as Taylor Brothers for example, whom stated that public preference or 'taste test' was all that truly mattered. Evidently significant not only to the Navy, but also to the public as a whole, Ure's letter was published in the "Law Times" volume 15, 1850. Subsequently, numerous publications touted Graham & Hedley's product as "the best preparation of cocoa for morning and evening meals.... advantageous for invalids to whom it is essential to have the article genuine... the most economical substance offered to the public... superior homeopathic cocoa..." and so on. Excerpt from the letter: "Having been employed by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to analyze and improve the Cocoa and Chocolate of which 400 tonnes are annually manufactured for Navy at the Deptford Victualling Yard... " "I take pleasure in testifying that the Roll Cocoa of Messrs Graham & Hedley of Liverpool is perfectly pure, and so well prepared as to afford with hot water or milk, a bland, aromatic, salubrious, and highly nutritious an article of diet." End Excerpts. The letter is accompanied by a rare biographical sketch which commemorates Dr. Ure's important works, a lovely volume printed for private distribution only. Excerpts from the book: "... To Dr. Ure belongs the honour of having taken the lead in a movement which has had incalculable power in developing national wealth... In 1809, when the Glasgow Observatory was about to be established, Dr. Ure came to London, commissioned to make the scientific arrangements. Here he met, and acquired the friendship of Maskelyne, Pond, Groombridge, and other Astronomers, and also of Davy, Wollaston, Henry, and other distinguished chemists of that day... in London... appointed in 1834, Chemist to the Board of Customs... important researches on sugar refining... his skill and accuracy as an analytic chemist were well known, as well as the ingenuity of the means employed in his researches..." Dr. Andrew Ure (1778-1857) was a Scottish physician, analytical chemist, and a highly respected professor of chemistry. A foremost (possibly the first) consulting chemist in Britain, doing much work in London where he settled in 1830, his work entailed investigative tours of several industries in England, Belgium and France, various government commissions such as the one outlined above, and speaking as an expert witness. His visits to English textile mills led to his famous publications of "The Philosophy of Manufactures" (1835) and "The Cotton Manufactures of Great Britain" (1836). His exposure to factory conditions led him to consider methods of heating and ventilation, and he is credited with being the first to describe a bi-metallic thermostat. "The Great Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines" (1837), was Ure's chief and most encyclopaedic work. In 1840 he helped found the Pharmaceutical Society. The Board of Commissioners for the Victualling of the Navy, often called the Victualling Commissioners or Victualling Board, was for 150 years the body responsible under the Navy Board for victualling ships of the British Royal Navy. It oversaw the vast operation of providing serving naval personnel (140,000 men in 1810) with enough food, drink and supplies to keep them fighting fit, sometimes for months at a time, in whatever part of the globe they might be stationed. It was in 1795 that Dr. Joseph Fry of Bristol employed a steam engine to grind cocoa beans, which led to the manufacture of chocolate on a large scale. By 1825 the Royal Navy purchased more cocoa than for the rest of Britain. It was considered perfectly nutritious beverage for sailors on watch duty, being hot and non-alcoholic was of further benefit. Sailors in the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea coined the term "chocolate gale" in reference to the cold wind from the northwest, which ultimately granted them the comforting treat. By the nineteenth century chocolate was being tested for commercial distribution as a "homeopathic" and "dietetic" product. According to Hassall's survey of British made chocolate, producers of homeopathic chocolates included Graham & Hedley, Taylor Brothers, Leaths, J.S. Fry & Sons, Cadbury, Barry and Company, Epps' and others. Manuscript
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Dr. F. von Hochstetter; Dr. A. Petermann
The Geology of New Zealand: In Explanation of the Geographical and Topographical Atlas of New Zealand - Rare NZ Imprint.
An English translation by Dr. C. F. Fisher, from the Scientific Publications of the Novara Expedition, comprising important and fascinating observations and survey work by German-Austrian geologist Ferdinand von Hochstetter at the onset of British settlement in the region. 8vo. 113 pages, plus table of contents, title page. Red cloth boards titled in gilt to front. Volume measures approximately 14 x 21 cm. Faint blemish to boards, otherwise very good condition, clean and bright. An early work presenting discoveries made in New Zealand, specifically in Auckland and Nelson, during the Austrian Imperial Novara Expedition. It includes two important lectures delivered by esteemed geologist and expedition leader Ferdinand von Hochstetter. A principal member of the expedition, Hochstetter was involved in its planning from the onset. His surveys were used in the making of the first geological map of New Zealand, created the bases for future geological research. The Novara Expedition (1857-1859) was the first large-scale scientific, around-the-world mission of the Austrian Imperial navy. In 1859, during the expedition, Hochstetter was funded by the government of New Zealand to make a rapid geological survey of the islands. Over 150 years later, his work is regarded as an authoritative primary source still today. the volume's content centers largely on Hochstetter's survey of Auckland, beginning with his lecture on the region's geology. Subjects further include its extinct volcanos, Lake Rotomahana and its hot springs [Te Tarata thermal springs], and three inlets on North Island - Whaingaroa [now known as Raglan], Aotea, and Kawhia. Approximately one quarter of the text is devoted to his geological work in the Province of Nelson.
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COX, W. Gibbons
The Artesian Water-Supply of Australia from a Geographical Standpoint.
8vo. 17 pages including in-text illustrations, plus a folding colour map measuring approximately 38 x 26 cm. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, containing other accounts as well, seldom found in such good and original condition. Irrigation and drainage engineer Gibbons W. Cox examines for the first time the Artesian basin of Australia, for the purpose of offsetting periods of drought by way of a "fuller utilization of the artesian water conserved in the crust of the Earth." Noting that Australia's rivers are few, and suggesting that it will become increasingly costly to hold their flood-time waters in canals and reservoirs, he calls attention to the immediate need for "remedy to the existing defects in administration of this valuable asset." To substantiate the concept, he examines similar regions, including Madras, Persia, the Sahara Desert regions of Algeria, and especially the United States of America, providing impressive statistics of success, where in some regions whole communities survive only by the "transformations produced by artesian waters upon sandy wastes" even with the most primitive systems in place. Following this, he illustrates the current usages of outflow waters tapped into with bore holes, and the loss of invaluable water. Alarming and factual statistics are presented, the loss of 31,340,000 sheep from 1890-1899, and 975,645 cattle in the year 1900 alone, to bring awareness to the critical water problem. Costs and effectiveness of river irrigation versus better management of artesian waters support his urgent recommendation. Together with photographic and sketch illustrations, and a colour map showing the expanse of the underground basin and partially reclaimed regions within Queensland alone, Cox makes a most compelling argument, concluding that, "... the only alternative lies in a greater increase in artesian supplies, and their adoption for systematic irrigation (for at least fodder and stock), and thus induce a larger pastoral and agricultural population to settle on the land... It is easily conceivable that sufficient water might be tapped by a great increase or artesian borings in Australia, which would provide permanent rivers and creeks in the interior from which systematic irrigation could be carried out... there would be greater evaporation, increased moisture, and a far more equable climate..." A discussion then ponders the sustainability of the water source, a most important topic which remains a question still today 110 years later! [A recent study, 2013, has assessed the sustainability of the artesian reservoir, through a comprehensive examination of the Basin's water flows, hydrology and geology.]
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HAY, Thomas.
Mountain Form in Lakeland.
16 pages, including a full-page tinted sketch map. Plus black and white plates. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. An outstanding geological survey report illuminating the remarkable topography of the Cumbrian Mountains. Hay attempts to discover the cause for the rounded appearance of the Scottish Southern Uplands mountain tops and the similarly rounded summit land in the Cumbrian mountains, a feature then ascribed by some (the Scottish geologists) to be the result of ice action and by others (John Edward Marr et al) to be the remnant of a preglacial surface. Hay examines rock contrasts, the distribution and development of the subdued land and the two integral summit areas: the central area - that block of land between Thirlmere and Derwent Water, its southern end forming the Langdale Pikes; the Glaramara ridge running down to Rosthwaite, Great Gable, the land between Borrowdale and the Buttermere valley; the Skiddaw slate between Hindscarth and Grasmoor, another great triangular wedge with its apex at Great Gable, its southwest margin on Wast Water and its base on the Cumberland plain and the Ullswater Glacier
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Darwin, Emma
ALS Autograph Letter Signed By Emma Darwin, Wife of Naturalist Sir Charles Darwin. ca.1889, addressed to Her friend Frances (presumably Frances Julia "Snow" Wedgwood
One Original Signed Letter, written Springfield Newnham, Cambridge, Nov 24 [1879]. 2 pages, 8vo. Bi-folium on headed paper with mourning border, "Down, Beckenham, Kent, Railway Station, Orpington S.E.R." Leaf measures approximately 11,5cm x 18cm (4.5 inches x 7 inches), when folded. Very Good Condition, nicely preserved. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. The Letter reads: My dear Frances, I see in the papers that you have lost your dear mother. I remember when you kindly wrote to me by her wish, that she felt herself that her end could not be very distant. I should be very grateful for a line, and I trust you will be able to tell me that she did not suffer very much; but rather that her placid & happy nature remained with her to the last. Believe me , Very sincerely yours, Emma Darwin" Frances Julia "Snow" Wedgwood (9 July 1833 – 26 November 1913) was an English feminist novelist, biographer, historian and literary critic. She was described as "a young woman of extreme passions and fastidious principles" and "at once a powerful reasoner and an inexorable critic of reason” Manuscript
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Darwin, Emma
ALS Autograph Letter Signed By Emma Darwin, Wife of Naturalist Sir Charles Darwin. ca.1889, addressed to Her friend Frances (presumably Frances Julia "Snow" Wedgwood
One Original Signed Letter, written ca.1889, 2 pages 8vo. Bi-folium on headed paper, "Down, Farnborough R.S.O, Kent". Leaf measures approximately 11,5cm x 18cm (4.5 inches x 7 inches), when folded. Very Good Condition, nicely preserved. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. The letter reads: My dear Frances, I am anxious to know how your cousin is today, & whether you have hopes of being able to move tomorrow. If you had leisure to come & see me this afternoon for a short time, I should be glad; but only send me a verbal answer at all events. yours very sincerely, E. Darwin, (Mrs. Charles Darwin)" Frances Julia "Snow" Wedgwood (9 July 1833 – 26 November 1913) was an English feminist novelist, biographer, historian and literary critic. She was described as "a young woman of extreme passions and fastidious principles" and "at once a powerful reasoner and an inexorable critic of reason. Manuscript
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BEKE, Charles Tilstone - RENCZYNSKI, Captain
The Moabite Stone & Dr. Beke's Semitic Symbols Found on Mt. Sinai in 1873
deciphered and translated into the Hebrew and English Languages. 2 photographic plates, 4 large folding lithographed plates, viii, 44 pages, Octavo, frontis of Captain Renczynski, bound in red cloth with gilt lettering on spine, some sunning to boards and spine, otherwise a nice and tight copy of this rare book.The Moabite Stone is a dark-colored, basalt monument about four feet high by two feet wide, dating to the reign of King Mesha in about 850 B.C. This artifact is another important source that corroborates the biblical account of the early Israelites. It currently resides in the Louvre Museum, Paris. A very interesting piece of Judaica and an item of Archeological interest. Extremely Scarce.
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Linnaeus
Mezzotint Engraved Portrait of Carolus Linnaeus, Eighteenth Century Swedish Botanist, Discover and Physician, Large Limited Edition. Together with a Single Leaf Biographical Sketch.
Large Limited Edition mezzotint engraved portrait of Carolus Linnaeus, eighteenth century botanist, discover and physician, together with a single leaf biographical sketch, 1926-1929. Painted and engraved by T. Hamilton Crawford from a painting made in 1775 by Alexander Roslin and held in London's National Portrait Gallery. Very Good and original condition, protected with a tissue guard, clean and bright with strong impression, suitable for framing. A Rare and Large Portrait - Medium Quarto. Engraving measures approximately 9 x 11.5 inches. Matte measures approximately 18.5 x 23 inches. From a limited edition work (only 400 copies) issued by the museum from 1926-1929, titled "The Museum Galleries, London" and being a collection of coloured mezzotint artist signed portraits of famous men and women. Alexander Roslin (1718-1793) was a Swedish portrait painter who worked in Scania, Bayreuth, Paris, Italy, and St. Petersburg, primarily for members of aristocratic families. He combined insightful psychological portrayal with a skillful representation of fabrics and jewels. His painting of Jeanne Sophie de Vignerot du Plessis, Countess of Egmont Pignatelli, fetched US$3 million in 2006. Thomas Hamilton Crawford (1860-1933) was a respected British painter and illustrator known for his architectural, urban settings, mezzotint portrait engravings, and watercolours.
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David Rordorf-Mahler
Massive Primary Source Archive of over 700 Original Architectural Drawings of Swiss Architect David Rordorf-Mahler, architect in Zurich (1856-1936)
The archive contains a plethora of material. Original Artwork in different formats, namely a collection of 14 original sketchbooks with numerous original colored drawings, approx. 540 original pencil drawings, 16 original water colored pencil drawings, 24 original watercolors, 15 original ink drawings, 32 original pencil ink drawings, 18 original watercolors, 79 original etchings, partly in aquatint, 30 manuscript pages of notes, 4 original oil studies and 3 photographs. Sheet dimensions from approx. 4 x 8 inches to approx. 22 x 26 inches. The archive includes manuscript cost calculations and numerous, partly large-scale construction drawings for the restoration work at the town hall Bülach. With his keen sense and appreciation of history, the Swiss architect Rordorf was an attentive observer of Swiss culture. As a result of the restoration work based on his designs at the town hall Bülach (around 1905) and in the Castle Greifensee (historic room conversions 1917) he drew the attention of the Swiss public to his work. Also, architectural and floor plan drawings, beautiful views (between 1876-1933) of Switzerland, including Bremgarten, Dübendorf, Effretikon, Lugano, Freiburg, New Bechburg, Thierstein, Bern-Thun, Mariastein, Aarberg, Castle Burgdorf, Kyburg, Locarno, Arbon, Brugg, Zurich, Erlach, as well as Italy, France and Germany. Documents include announcement and invitations and manuscripts of the Société "On the Wall" in Zürich, manuscript letters, poems, purchase contracts and dividing documents between David and Paul Rordorf, etc., as well as a district plan of the city of Zurich. Rordorf-Mahler was a member of the Zurich Artist Society, the Swiss Association of Engineers and Architects, the Société "On the Wall" in Zurich, and at times its President. All in all, an impressive archive of original drawings and at the same time, an important primary source material for the history of architecture in Switzerland. Manuscript
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Sir Richard Croft, Medical Baronet
Medical Manuscript Letter by a British Physician to King George III and the Royal Family, Describeing Complications of a Pregnancy Four Years Before the "Triple Obstetrical Tragedy.
Manuscript letter by Sir Richard Croft, Physician to King George III and the Royal Family, accoucheur (obstetrician), and British peer, describes complications of a pregnancy four years before the "triple obstetrical tragedy" Princess Charlotte which has become his unfortunate infamy. 8vo. 2 pages in manuscript. Double leaf measuring approximately 12 x 18,5 cm, watermarked with the year 1811, with integral address, two postal ink stamps and a lovely red wax seal. Very faint age-toning only to sections of the leaf exposed for mailing, otherwise in very good condition, beautifully preserved and highly relevant to the writer's occupation as a manmidwife and the complications of pregnancy and birthing in the early nineteenth century. "Sir Richard Croft (1762-1818) physician and man-midwife gained notoriety after his involvement in the labor of Princess Charlotte, which resulted in her death. He never shook off the shame of the tragedy, and shot himself three months later." (Oxford DNB). Manuscript signed letter from the Royal Physician and Male Midwife to the late Princess Charlotte, Sir Richard Croft, who is remembered for causing the "Triple Obstetrical Tragedy" of 1817, in which is a primary source account of early nineteenth century complications and precepts surrounding pregnancy and child deliveries. The writer is Sir Richard Croft, 6th Baronet (9 January 1762 - 13 February 1818), English physician to the British Royal Family and the obstetrician to Princess Charlotte, who is famed for his role in "the triple obstetrical tragedy" of her death in 1817. He received his medical training from, among others, his father-in-law, Dr. Thomas Denman, a preeminent obstetrician in London whose textbook on childbirth had been first published in 1788. He graduated with his MD from the University of Oxford in 1789. Croft was appointed the personal physician of King George III. He was also a member of the Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, and Physician to the Lying-in Charity on Old Burlington Street. He was the primary accoucheur or midwife to Princess Charlotte, granddaughter of the reigning King George III. Manuscript
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Miss Todd
Primary Source Manuscript Account Featuring Pioneer Aviators Blériot - Védrines - LeBlanc - Bellenger Wright Brothers - Letterbook of an English Governess at Pau - the Center of Aviation
Pau, 16 September 1911 - 16 July 1912. Manuscript letterbook containing primary source, contemporary, information on notable early aviators and fascinating descriptions by a first-time observer of the new air travel inventions, written at Pau, France, the city where the Wright Brothers had established the first flying school in history just one year earlier, and where the aerospace industry was beginning to flourish, by Doris Dowser Todd, English Governess to Dr. Louis Goudard, a founder of the Société Médicale de Pau et du Béarn. In this volume, Miss Todd has transcribed her own letters, written to family, while in Pau, France. Towards the end of the volume she writes to a man of romantic interest. 8vo. 152 pages in manuscript. Burgundy cloth boards, initials and border blindstamped to front, ruled leaves with the globe motif watermark of Midland Educational Company Birmingham. Inserted within the volume: one contemporary theatre program, one draft letter, one personalia document dating to the Great War. Wear to boards, book block split at hinge, otherwise internally in very good condition, a delightful account in a neat hand, by an inquisitive and enthusiastic young lady. Manuscript
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DIESEL, Rudolf
Signed Manuscript Letter in German By the Inventor of Diesel Engine, Concerning About the Installation of His Prototype Diesel Engine.
[Berlin], 22 February [1895]. Rudolf Diesel's retained copy of his own signed manuscript letter to Samuel Breslauer, following up on previous correspondence concerning the installation of his prototype diesel engine, during the design stage. Text is in German. 4to. Single leaf, 4 lines of text on onion skin paper measuring approximately 30 x 24 cm. Minor age-toning, otherwise in very good condition. Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel (1858-1913), needing no introduction, was a German inventor and mechanical engineer who is world-famous for having invented the Diesel engine. At the time of this letter, Diesel was diligently working on altering and perfecting his 1893 engine design. This design would later be known as the diesel engine. The first prototype Motor 150/400, had been completed 12 July 1893. Initial tests proved it to be a successful concept. By October 1895, after the first prototype had been converted into the second prototype Motor 220/400, it had become clear that, a completely new engine had to be designed from scratch. On 20 February 1896, Krupp, Maschinenfabrik Augsburg, and Diesel, decided to start the development of the new engine. The new engine was supposed to be a 250 mm bore engine with a 400 mm stroke. On 5 March 1896, Diesel filed a patent application for supercharging; on 26 March, it was decided to build the new engine with a supercharger. In order to improve the efficiency of the development process, a new design bureau was built directly into Diesel's Augsburg testing laboratory. Several young engineers worked there, including Imanuel Lauster. On 30 April 1896, after Lauster had completed the drawings, the workshop at Augsburg began making parts for the engine. The first successful Diesel engine Motor 250/400, designed by Rudolf Diesel, was officially tested in 1897 by German industrial engineer Moritz Schröter. Schröter concluded, "we are beholding a quite marketable machine that has been thoroughly designed with great attention to every single detail." At this time, several firms bought licences for building legal copies of the Motor 250/400. It is now on display at the German Technical Museum in Munich. The recipient of the correspondent is Samuel Breslauer (1870-1942), a lawyer, journalist and editor, who rose to be head of the Politics department for the Berlin newspaper "Berliner Lokal Anzeiger", a daily newspaper with one of the highest national circulations of its time. Breslauer is remembered as one of the numerous Jews who were captured and deported camp during the holocaust. Surely his public role would have made him an immediate target by the German extremist leader. In August 1942, Breslauer and his wife Bertha were taken to the Theresienstadt concentration camp where they both died, she within four days.
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Diesel, Rudolf
Signed Manuscript Letter in German By the Inventor of Diesel, Concerning the Installation of a Gas Engine.
Rudolf Diesel's retained copy of his own signed manuscript letter to Samuel Breslauer, concerning the installation of a gas engine. Text is in German. 4to. Two single leafs, 2 pages of text on onion skin paper measuring approximately 30 x 24 cm. Minor age-toning, otherwise in very good condition. In this correspondence, Diesel describes alterations being made to the design of his first prototype, making comments on the compressor, transmission, and the lighting system (ignition), among other things. The second prototype, described here, would be built by October the same year. The specific plan for this engine model is noted in the upper margin: Plan F.B.930. Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel (1858-1913), needing no introduction, was a German inventor and mechanical engineer who is world-famous for having invented the Diesel engine. At the time of this letter, Diesel was diligently working on altering and perfecting his 1893 engine design. This design would later be known as the diesel engine. The first prototype Motor 150/400, had been completed 12 July 1893. Initial tests proved it to be a successful concept. By October 1895, after the first prototype had been converted into the second prototype Motor 220/400. After testing, and always seeking to improve, again it was decided that a completely new engine had to be designed from scratch. On 20 February 1896, Krupp, Maschinenfabrik Augsburg, and Diesel, decided to start the development of the new engine. The new engine was supposed to be a 250 mm bore engine with a 400 mm stroke. On 5 March 1896, Diesel filed a patent application for supercharging; on 26 March, it was decided to build the new engine with a supercharger. In order to improve the efficiency of the development process, a new design bureau was built directly into Diesel's Augsburg testing laboratory. Several young engineers worked there, including Imanuel Lauster. On 30 April 1896, after Lauster had completed the drawings, the workshop at Augsburg began making parts for the engine. The first successful Diesel engine Motor 250/400, designed by Rudolf Diesel, was officially tested in 1897 by German industrial engineer Moritz Schröter. Schröter concluded, "we are beholding a quite marketable machine that has been thoroughly designed with great attention to every single detail." At this time, several firms bought licences for building legal copies of the Motor 250/400. It is now on display at the German Technical Museum in Munich. The recipient of the correspondent is Samuel Breslauer (1870-1942), a lawyer, journalist and editor, who rose to be head of the Politics department for the Berlin newspaper "Berliner Lokal Anzeiger", a daily newspaper with one of the highest national circulations of its time. Breslauer is remembered as one of the numerous Jews who were captured and deported camp during the holocaust. Surely his public role would have made him an immediate target by the German extremist leader. In August 1942, Breslauer and his wife Bertha were taken to the Theresienstadt concentration camp where they both died, she within four days.
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Matthiae Dögens - DOEGEN - DÃGEN
Heutiges Tages Übliche Kriges Krieges Bau-kunst mit vilen ausserläsenen, so wol alten als neuen, geschichten bewähret und mit den vornämsten Fästungen der Christenheit lehr=bilds=weise Aufsgezieret
Bound in Continental full vellum. The engraved title depicting the author showing a geometrical drawing to William Prince of Orange. Engraved title. (6),475 pp. and 70 double-page engraved plates. Bottom Margin of title page with old owners name clipped. This was the largest work hitherto published on fortification, and it is specially interesting for containing 29 plans of European fortresses. It was originally published in Latin the year before and a French translation appeared the same year as this German edition. (Willems, Les Elzevier No 1064). - Sotheran Second Suppl. No 20981 (French edition) - Brunet II:788. - Klaus Jordan No 911. - Sloos, Warfare and the Age of Printing, 8029
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Iwasaki Tsunemasa (Kan-en)
Honzo Zufu [Illustrated Manual of Medicinal Plants / Iconographia Plantarum]
A most pleasing and highly illustrative Japanese monograph on mushrooms, being a copy of the work on medicinal mushrooms, from the multi-volume compendium of Iwasaki Tsunemasa titled Honzo Zufu. 8vo. 54 pages, offset colour-printed facsimile. Traditional karitoji paper binding string-stitched at spine, fukurotoji style ("bound-pocket" with folded leafs bound into spine), and opening from left to right. Ivory paper covers, title label, official red ink stamp to the first text leaf. All text is in Japanese. Volume measures approximately 17,5 x 26 cm. Very good condition, a visually striking historic work. Only six original sets of his work exist in Japan. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, also possesses a complete set of the original manuscript volumes with hand-coloured woodblock print illustrations; else this monumental work is exceedingly scarce. Honzo Zufu or "Illustrated Manual of Medicinal Plants" is the work of Tsunemasa Iwasaki (1786-1842), a Japanese botanist, zoologist and entomologist who compiled and published the valuable compendium in 93 volumes between 1830 and 1844. Honzo Zufu comprises illustrations and descriptions of some 2,920 plants, chiefly of Japanese origin. A classic work of botanical classification, begun in woodcut, then continued in manuscript form during the mid-19th century, it was finally edited by Shirai and published in final form, printed by colour woodblock with descriptions of species in Japanese, and accompanied by a Japanese-Latin index, in 1920-22. In 1828 the first volumes of Honzo Zufu were printed, with uncolored woodcut prints. Beginning in 1829, he issued manuscript volumes of a vastly expanded work under the same title, beautifully illustrated by watercolour paintings. Tsunemasa Iwasaki continued to work diligently, printing and distributing new volumes at the rate of about four volumes per year until the work was finished. A complete set is said to have been presented and dedicated to the Shogun in 1844, signaling its completion on a most honourable manner. Iwasaki was better known as Kan-en, his sobriquet which translates literally to "irrigation of a garden for plants". He was a samurai in the service of the Tokugawa Shogunate, a born naturalist, and had access to about 150 illustrated volumes of Japanese botanical books. In 1826 at Edo, he had also become acquainted with the German physician and botanist Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold (1796-1866) who achieved prominence by his studies of Japanese flora and fauna and the introduction of Western medicine in Japan. He was the father of the first female Japanese doctor educated in Western medicine, Kusumoto Ine.
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Anon
Album of Watercolour Albums: South Africa Botanicals.
Album of watercolours devoted to flowering plants native to South Africa. Contains 30 images hand drawn and painted recto only one per leaf, most named in manuscript by the artist. A presentation copy inscribed to front pastedown, "E. Lawdon. From J. Bincker Dec. 1906". Oblong 8vo. sketch book made by Winsor & Newton whose label is affixed to front pastedown, with Whatman's drawing paper, taupe cloth boards, pencil sleeve (pencil not present), and a stretch band for secure closure. Volume measures approximately 19 x 13 cm. Minor age-toning to boards, small ink marks to verso, otherwise in very good condition, internally clean and bright, A pleasing work with lovely renderings of South African flora. Some of the flora painted in the present album include: Protea; Erica; Morea (commonly known as the Cape tulip); Aloe Davyama; Erythina Caffra (the African Coral tree); Ornithogalum; Gladiolous; Striilitzia; Vellozia retinerius; Striga elegans; Watsonia; Crassula; Hypoxis; Salvia africana; Gomphocarpus. The artist may be Johanna Jacoba Brincker (1842-1923, née KNAB) of Stellenbosch, South Africa. Johanna Jacoba Knab was born in South Africa, on 12 June 1842 in Stellenbosch. Little is known about Johanna, though she lived in South Africa and Southwest Africa [now Namibia] for her whole life, and she was a missionary to the Herero people, having a complete understanding of their language and customs. We get a fuller picture of her adult life through her husband, putting her in the circles of notable German Rhenish missionaries. On 10 February 1864 in Stellenbosch she married German missionary Peter Heinrich Brinckner, born 9 May 1836 in Isselhorst, Westfalen. Brinckner had arrived in South Africa in 1863. After completing his theological training, Brincker was ordained in November 1862 and seconded to German South West Africa on 5 November 1862, with the task of proselytizing the Herero and Nama, who were at odds with one another. After an 83-day journey, he landed in Cape Town at the beginning of February 1863. In Stellenbosch, about 50 kilometers east of Cape Town, he was welcomed by missionary brothers. There he met his future wife Johanna Rath and became engaged to her. Missionary Johann Rath, who had worked with the Herero for 15 years, introduced Brincker to the Herero language. By early 1864 Peter had returned to Stellenbosch, where he married Johanna. Together, on 20 February 1864, they took over the work in the mission station of Otjikango, called Klein-Barmen, which had been founded twenty years earlier. Because of fighting between Herero and Nama, the couple had to flee to Otjimbingwe seven times over the next year and a half. In September 1865 the station in Otjikango was destroyed by the Nama and had to be painstakingly rebuilt.
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Ryuzando Shujin
Kyuba Shinron. [A New Theory on Raising Horses]
Japan: Suharaya, and others, Kaei 7 (1854). Fascinating and scarce account of a samurai's son whose personal determination led him to rise above the family's financial poverty, to properly care for his horse, build his own stables, and breed additional horses, all by learning the ancient long-forgotten ways of the ancient samurai. 8vo. 1 volume, 78 pages, including 9 full-page illustrations, two of which are hand coloured. Woodblock print. All text is in Japanese. Postscript records the first edition being published in 1806. Traditional karitoji paper binding string-stitched at spine, fukurotoji style ("bound-pocket" with folded leafs bound into spine), and opening from left to right. Natural paper covers, with manuscript title label to front. Together the volumes measure approximately 18 x 25,5 x 1 cm. Negligible creasing to boards and age-toning to upper margins, otherwise in very good and original condition, a pleasing and uncommon work. Based primarily on contemporary descriptions of the financial distress felt by the long-standing prestigious samurai class, such as the present account, it is accepted, without dissent that the ruling samurai class suffered increasing poverty during the Tokugawa (Edo) period. Seifu Murata (1746-1811) wrote: "For years now, the samurai have suffered from poverty and their minds have been occupied by making a living. ‘Buy this, sell that’ and ‘pawn this to pay for that’ has become all of their lives. Even for those dedicated to their duties, it was inevitable to debase themselves and to engage in unsavory conduct (i.e., engage in trading)". Even the wives of those who were earning as much as 200 koku busied themselves in trading and in shops. This is the hero's journey, imparted firsthand, of a brilliant young samurai born into poverty but wide-eyed and unrelentingly in pursuit of mastering the skills of a samurai and honouring his destined status in this class of nobility. Young Ryuzando Shujin began by learning the equestrian warrior traditions with a borrowed horse, and was eventually able to convince his father to buy him a horse of his own, despite of the family's economic situation. When the cost of caring for the horse became a burden no longer bearable, and he was told the horse would be sold, he fixated on finding a solution. Immediately, he began conducting extensive research into the ancient methods employed when most samurai were farmers who held the role of warrior in the event of a battle. The solution to combating the costs was breeding and selling. He began the process, while being scrutinized, mocked and judged by others, in particular jeering his rudimentary (cost-effective) hand-made stables. But he did not let any outside opinions pierce his confidence. After repeated trial and error, it was not long that he possessed six horses. Surely too, he had solved the challenges of the household finances. Shujin championed horsemanship as a duty of all samurai. With the belief that all samurai should therefore possess their own horse, in part to best perform archery, spearmanship, and swordsmanship, and owing to the fact that this was an era where some samurai families were poor, he published his methods for others to follow, and ultimately uphold their rights and responsibilities that their title suggests. The volume includes instructions for building horse stables by hand, without incurring high costs. He describes the breeding process, his training methodology, and proper feeding. His own experiences with horses falling to sickness and how he treated them back to health are also shared. Clearly a man with a charitable and honest heart, he concludes by stating that all of this aside, the single most important thing for a healthy and happy horse is "aishin" (affection).
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HUXLEY, Henry Minor
Five Manuscript Letters from the American Archaeological Expedition To Middle East in which he discusses Stone Inscription Discovery which were subsequently Concealed
Beirut, Damascus, Hama, Bhamdoun: 28 February 1900 - June 1901. Lot of 5 manuscript letters written and signed by Harvard anthropologist Henry Minor Huxley, concerning anthropological work performed for the Howard Crosby Butler Archaeological Expedition to the Middle East, as well as a noteworthy archaeological discovery of an ancient and curious stone inscription, its location guarded with secrecy by the few expedition members having this knowledge. 8vo. double-leafs varying in size. 24 pages combined, each letter signed in the original. Two letters are on hotel stationery. Occasional light creasing, otherwise in very good condition, clean and bright, a fascinating and candid primary source account. Writing to a trusted source, his mother, Huxley's reveals the discovery of an ancient inscription carved into an overturned stone, in a language possibly not yet identified, stating that he took the first photograph of it, and that only a select few expedition members are privy to knowing its location. His commentary on experiences with the local civilians and officials are straightforward and occasionally blunt. Henry Minor Huxley, A.M. accepted the offer to join the American Archaeological Expedition led by American archaeologist Howard Crosby Butler. The first part of the archaeological work took place from mid-October to mid-December 1899, and a second trip was made for continued work from March to June, 1900. In the summer of 1900, he was devoted to acquiring a working knowledge of the vernacular Arabic. Huxley's work, however, involved a broader scope. During this second trip, he was also tasked with the study of physical anthropology, as is apparent in the present correspondence. This work proved so valuable that Huxley, owing to the patronage of New York businessman and archeological enthusiast B.T. Babbitt Hyde, remained for another year to further these anthropological observations, independently. What does not appear to be officially documented in publications, but is highly fascinating, is what Huxley writes in his last letter of the present lot. That is, in June 1901, just prior to returning to America, he alone returned to the site of a stone inscription discovered during the earlier part of the expedition (presumably in 1899), to copy it, photograph it, and turn it back face down so that no others would see it. This would increase the likelihood that he and one other would have a better chance of being the first to decipher it.
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Jacolliot, Louis
Le Spiritisme dans le Monde
This is a good softcover copy in the original printed wrappers with some wear. Binding firm. Covers have several light stains, edges and corners worn. Very clean inside. Text in French. The only date of 1879 is printed on the front cover and title-page, however in the list of works by this author this title occurs about midway in the list, so perhaps a later printing. 9" high X 5 1/2" wide, 364 pages. This book will be securely wrapped and packed in a sturdy box and shipped with tracking.
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Patten, Christopher
East and West
x, 342 pages, illustrated, index, name of a previous owner on the preliminary title page. eng
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Watson, Patrick; Barber, Benjamin
Struggle for Democracy
298 pages, illustrated, bibliography, index. eng
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Gubbay, Jon, Chris Middleton and Chet Ballard (eds.)
Student's Companion to Sociology, The
391 pages, illustrated , tables, bibliographical references, index. eng
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Abercrombie, Nicholas; etc.
Contemporary British Society: A New Introduction to Sociology
590 pages, illustrated, maps, references, index. eng
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Kiely, Ray
Sociology and Development: The Impasse and Beyond
195 pages, references, index. eng
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