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ref. BOH 217FASCINATING MEDIEVAL BOOK OF HOURS WITH EXTENSIVE ILLUMINATIONS BY THREE DIFFERENT ARTISTS. In Latin and some French illuminated manuscript on parchment Southern Netherlands Mons c. 1460 original portion c. 1480-1490 updated. Dimensions 167 x 116 mm. 199 folios lacking one text leaf written by two different scribes in gothic textualis bookhand in single column on 17 lines; BINDING: seventeenth century brown calf over wooden boards spine with four raised bands gold-tooled gilt title "OFFICIU / BEATEM / VIRGIN" partly worn out gilt edges. ILLUSTRATION: 22 full-page miniatures within full rinceaux borders by the Mildmay Master 13 the Master of Philippe de Croÿ 7 and a third Mons illuminator follower of Simon Marmion 2 and 4 small miniatures by the Mildmay Master additional sixteen full rinceaux borders and 5-line initials in pink or blue on burnished gold grounds. The Mildmay Master was responsible for the core of the original manuscript; the artist paints elongated figures with small heads and slender bodies mostly situated on pale yellow tiled grounds. His outdoor landscapes are cursory. Unusual here are his delicate acanthus and floral borders sprinkled with fanciful grotesques. The artist responsible for updating the manuscript is the Philippe de Croÿ Master. He favors tiled floors in brown or gray and white with a generally somber almost grisaille palette with blue and white grey and a burnt brownish orange. A third painter a follower of Simon Marmion intervened during this second campaign. The most skilled of the three illuminators his delicate figures are well-modeled with tiny hands and individualized faces. PROVENANCE: The manuscript was made in Southern Netherlands probably in two different stages. The core of the Hours and the calendar were written in Mons for an unknown patron c. 1460. Then around 1480 the manuscript was updated also in Mons for a couple represented in prayer in the manuscript: Jean Antoine de Mahieu Lord of Bosqueau and his wife Jacqueline de Sivry Lady of Buath; belonged to Jean-Baptiste-Florentin Gabriel de Meyran marquis de Lagoy 1764-1829; inside front cover: "Jean Fransois de Lescluse demeurant a Frasne." CONDITION: ink stain in the margin of f. 1 water stains in lower margins of first 32 leaves colors slightly faded on marginal decoration f. 120v stain in the marginal decoration f. 77v other minor signs of use otherwise in very good condition. Binding condition: leather very rubbed gold tooling worn front cover almost detached hinges of the back cover fragile. Full description and images available. BOH 217 Southern Netherlands, Mons, c. 1460 (original portion), updated c. 1480-1490
ref. BOH 217FASCINATING MEDIEVAL BOOK OF HOURS WITH EXTENSIVE ILLUMINATIONS BY THREE DIFFERENT ARTISTS. In Latin and some French illuminated manuscript on parchment Southern Netherlands Mons c. 1460 original portion c. 1480-1490 updated. Dimensions 167 x 116 mm. 199 folios lacking one text leaf written by two different scribes in gothic textualis bookhand in single column on 17 lines; BINDING: seventeenth century brown calf over wooden boards spine with four raised bands gold-tooled gilt title "OFFICIU / BEATEM / VIRGIN" partly worn out gilt edges. ILLUSTRATION: 22 full-page miniatures within full rinceaux borders by the Mildmay Master 13 the Master of Philippe de Croÿ 7 and a third Mons illuminator follower of Simon Marmion 2 and 4 small miniatures by the Mildmay Master additional sixteen full rinceaux borders and 5-line initials in pink or blue on burnished gold grounds. The Mildmay Master was responsible for the core of the original manuscript; the artist paints elongated figures with small heads and slender bodies mostly situated on pale yellow tiled grounds. His outdoor landscapes are cursory. Unusual here are his delicate acanthus and floral borders sprinkled with fanciful grotesques. The artist responsible for updating the manuscript is the Philippe de Croÿ Master. He favors tiled floors in brown or gray and white with a generally somber almost grisaille palette with blue and white grey and a burnt brownish orange. A third painter a follower of Simon Marmion intervened during this second campaign. The most skilled of the three illuminators his delicate figures are well-modeled with tiny hands and individualized faces. PROVENANCE: The manuscript was made in Southern Netherlands probably in two different stages. The core of the Hours and the calendar were written in Mons for an unknown patron c. 1460. Then around 1480 the manuscript was updated also in Mons for a couple represented in prayer in the manuscript: Jean Antoine de Mahieu Lord of Bosqueau and his wife Jacqueline de Sivry Lady of Buath; belonged to Jean-Baptiste-Florentin Gabriel de Meyran marquis de Lagoy 1764-1829; inside front cover: "Jean Fransois de Lescluse demeurant a Frasne." CONDITION: ink stain in the margin of f. 1 water stains in lower margins of first 32 leaves colors slightly faded on marginal decoration f. 120v stain in the marginal decoration f. 77v other minor signs of use otherwise in very good condition. Binding condition: leather very rubbed gold tooling worn front cover almost detached hinges of the back cover fragile. Full description and images available. BOH 217 Southern Netherlands, Mons, c. 1460 (original portion), updated c. 1480-1490 books
ref. LCS-18476Provenance: Rothschild; Baron Alexis de Rédé. Vredeman de Vries, Jan (1527-1609), Floris, Cornelis (1514-1575) et Galle, Philippe (1537-1612). - Hortorum viridariorumque elegantes & multiplicis formae… Anvers, Philippe Galle, 1583. In-folio oblong (260 x 323 mm). Titre-frontispice et 20 planches de jardins, numérotées. Edition originale. Berlin Kat. 3390 ; Hollstein XLVIII, 470-490. - [Relié avec] : du même : Jardins. Anvers, Philippe Galle, c. 1583. 6 gravures numérotées. Edition originale. - [Relié avec] : du même : Artis Perspectiuae plurium generum elegantissimae Formulae, [graphic], multigenis Fontibus, nonnullisq[ue] Hortulis affabre factis exornatae, in comodum Artificum, eorumq[ue] qui Architectura, aedificiorumq[ue] comensurata uarietate delectantur, antea nunquam impressae. Anvers, Gerardus de Jode, 1568. Titre-frontispice et 17 gravures. Edition originale. - [Relié avec] : du même : Puits et fontaines. Anvers, Philippe Galle, 1573. 24 gravures numérotées sur 12 feuillets, minime déchirure à une planche. - [Relié avec] : Floris, Cornelis. Veelderleij niewe inventien van antijcksche sepultueren diemen nou zeere ghebruijkende is met noch zeer fraeije grotissen... Anvers, Jerôme Cock, 1557. Titre et 15 planches gravées montrant des décorations fantastiques, et des monuments funéraires dans le style grotesque. Edition originale rarissime. Reliure en vélin ancien, gardes renouvelées. Titre de la première suite frotté et effrangé avec déchirures marginales et pliure et joint à la garde ; taches à quelques planches. 257 x 326 mm.
ref. 5572SLND [Pays-Bas ou Belgique, circa 1470-1480]. 1470 1 vol in-12° (186 x 135 mm) manuscrit de [110] ff. de parchemin rédigé à lencre sur réglures tracées à lencre pâle de: [1] f. bl.), [6] ff. Note manuscrite de mariage à l'encre brune sur la 1ére contre-garde datée 1590. (calendrier calligraphié à l'encre brune et rouge sur 32 lignes avec lettrines enluminées), [102] ff. avec texte calligraphié sur 20 lignes, textualis formata ; 14 miniatures pleine page, 22 vignettes enluminés (Péricopes, Obsecro te, O intemerata et suffrages), initiales champies peintes dorées à la feuille avec entrelacs de fleurs trilobées en leur centre (sur six lignes), initiales champies dorées à la feuille (sur deux lignes) parfois avec antennes filigranées et fleuries, initiales dorées ou filigranées dans le texte, encadrements sur fonds criblé doré avec feuilles dacanthe bleues et oranges et petite végétation simple aux couleurs vives, bouts de lignes à lencre rouge et bleue avec un écu doré au milieu (litanies), rubriques, [1] f. bl. (rares salissures, traces dusage ou de frottements, corps douvrage demeuré frais et avec des coloris très vifs). Plein veau à entrelacs d'époque Renaissance avec vestiges de cires colorées et médaillon central (XVIe s.), dos à 5 nerfs orné, plats à riche décors dentrelacs dans encadrement de filets avec frise de feuillages et oiseaux, trace de cire blanche, bleue et rouge dans les entrelacs, roulette sur les coupes, tranches dorées, écoinçons et fermoirs de laiton. (restaurations au dos, petites usures ou défauts dusage)
1827ref. 15962Brussels 1827. 540 by 410mm. 21.25 by 16.25 inches. 6 volumes. Folio 6 letterpress half-titles and title-pages dedication leaf 42 pages of text 'Statistique de l'Europe' 7 lithographed index maps one of comparative heights with contemporary hand-colour in full and 382 numbered double-page maps by Henri Ode with contemporary hand-colour in outline some very occasional spotting; contemporary half tree calf drab paper boards some wear. The maps in the atlas make up the first map of the world on a uniform scale constructed as a modified conical projection and if assembled forming a globe with a diameter of 7.75 metres although only one such was known to have been made by the author himself and requiring a specially designed room. "Philippe Vandermaelen was born in Brussels in 1795 the son of a rich soap manufacturer. After his father's death in 1816 he devoted himself to maps and eleven years later produced this quite remarkable atlas. It was totally at his own expense and like so many innovations in the past it came about through the single-minded efforts of a man who could afford failure. It offered the largest picture of the earth's surface available in the nineteenth century thereby giving the lesser known areas such as Australia South Africa and the West coast of America all developing countries a much greater coverage than before. And perhaps most importantly of all it was the first atlas to be produced by lithography" Wardington Catalogue. cf. Koeman III Vdm 1; NMM 3:179; Philips Atlases 749 hardcover
1789ref. 51612Paris: chez Dezauche 1789. Updating the work of "one of the key figures in the development of French cartography" First edition thus and uncommon with just four listings on WorldCat three of these for the BnF and no complete copy at auction for 30 years; an excellent complete and inclusive French atlas of the 18th century. Jean-Claude Dezauche 1745-1824 was one of the geographer-publishers most influential in the establishment of the French theoretical approach to cartography. This movement which downplayed the decorative elements valued by the Dutch school in favour of scientific rigour and accuracy can be traced back to the work of Guillaume Delisle - "one of the key figures in the development of French cartography" Tooley - who had studied under Jean-Dominique Cassini director of the Paris observatory. Delisle's business was inherited by his son-in-law Philippe Buache who had studied with him and who entered the Depôt des Cartes et Plans de Marine in 1721 in 1729 being appointed "premier géographe du roi" a position previously held by his father-in-law. On Buache's death his widow sold his work to Jean Nicholas Buache de la Neuville Philippe's nephew and in 1780 Dezauche bought it from him together with work by Delisle Jaillot and others. He in turn made his own alterations and improvements to the maps and then re-issued them in a revised form. For example the twin- and four-hemispheric world maps in volume I the former dated 1792 have been revised to include the latest discoveries from Cook's voyages. 2 vols folio 453 x 375 mm. Engraved allegorical title page and contents leaves to each and 151 double-page or folding maps all coloured in outline. Contemporary calf rebacked red morocco labels. Somewhat rubbed and with some restoration at the corners light dampstain in the lower margin of vol. I slightly heavier at the title page which has been reinforced with archival tissue map of Paris shaved to the ruled border at the upper margin a few minor splits and chips in the margins but overall very good. unknown
ref. 114525Paris Imprimerie Royale 1819. . First edition; elephant folio; 80 plates including 70 lithographs 8 aquatints & 2 engravings; contemporary calf over blue paper boards red morocco label to upper cover vellum tips; spine rubbed corners worn; internally a fine clean uncut example. The scarce first edition of Forbin's Voyage with text and plates together of which Brunet says only 325 copies were printed. Forbin's was one of the first important French books to use lithography on a grand scale and the standard of production is equal to that of Napoleon's Description de l'Égypte. The plates are after drawings by Forbin Isabey Prevost Fragonard and Carle Vernet. The aquatinted plates are all after drawings by Forbin himself. Most of the plates illustrate views in Egypt and Syria including the famous view of Drovetti French consul in Egypt measuring a giant head. In 1816 Forbin replaced Denon as Director of Museums and in 1817 he undertook a year-long voyage to the Levant having been authorised to purchase antiquities for the Louvre. He travelled to Milos where his son-in-law had negotiated the purchase of the recently discovered Venus de Milo and from there to Athens Constantinople Asia Minor Syria and Palestine. From Jaffa he travelled overland to Egypt and visited Alexandria. Atabey 447; Blackmer 614; Colas 1089; Hilmy I 163; Koç I 209; Weber 70; Paris, Imprimerie Royale, 1819. hardcover
ref. elala5777Paris: Simon Le Moyne 1635. First Edition of the first Canadian flora and one of the earliest North American herbals. The author Jacques Philippe Cornut was professor of medicine at the University of Paris. Although he himself never visited New France he was able to study specimens which were brought or sent back to France by explorers and Jesuits. Many were provided by Jean and Vespasien Robin who supervised the gardens of Henry IV and the garden of the Paris Faculty of Medicine and from Pierre Morin and his family who owned several Parisian commercial nurseries. Eighty-six different species are described thirty native to north-eastern America a number of them for the first time. Among these is the Guernsey lily so-named from its introduction into England some fifty years later when specimens were found on the island following the wreck of a ship lost en route from Cape Town with bulbs among the cargo cfBlunt The Art of Botanical Illustration 1950. Also illustrated here for the first time are five South African bulbous plants. The sixty-eight finely executed botanical etchings have been attributed to Louis Vallet 1575-1657. Appended to the main text is a catalogue of plants by Cornut entitled L’Enchiridion botanicum parisiense apparently the first made of the flora of the environs of Paris. Linnaeus made reference to Cornut's work several times in his Species Plantarum and Charles Plumier named the genus Cornutia in the family Lamiaceae in his honour. "The fact that the Historia was grounded in medical botany is important to understanding the convention by which Cornut and his artist worked in producing and engraving the illustrations. Cornut's work stands near the end of a very old tradition of herbal literature and the illustrations reflect a convention established in the mid-sixteenth century. At the same time Cornut's illustrations were not printed from woodcuts but from engraved copper plates and his text reflected not only medical usage but horticultural observations. The title of Cornut's work also suggests that he has at least attempted to prepare a regional flora and he has prepared it by working with a living collection a garden. These two aspects of Cornut's work herbal on the one hand and regional flora on the other mark it as transitional between the Renaissance and the early modern period" Victoria Dickenson Drawn from Life: Science and Art in the Portrayal of the New World page 80-81. European Americana 635/37. Bell C493. Blunt p. 102. Brunet Suppt. 316-17. Dionne II 99. Gagnon II 519. Harrisse 59. Hunt 227. JCB II p. 255. Lande 157. Leclerc 705. Muller p. 36. Nissen 406. Pritzel 1894. Sabin 16809. TPL 4663. Vlach 183. Wellcome 1612. 4to. pp. 8 p.l. 238 2. 68 full-page botanical etchings in the text. woodcut ornaments initials & title vignette. modern morocco paper lightly browned marginal dampstain to 2 leaves ownership entries on title inked out although the date ‘1670’ is clearly visible it is this owner who appears to be the author of the ms. notes found in the text – mostly in the appendix. bookplate of American botanist Edward Sandford Burgess. elala5777 Paris: Simon Le Moyne, 1635 unknown
1500ref. 627This magnificent historiated initial R depicting the Resurrection of Christ is among the finest surviving remnants of a monumental illuminated gradual produced in Paris during the opening decade of the sixteenth century for the celebrated Abbey of Saint-Victor. Painted on an imposing scale for use upon the choir lectern the initial introduced the Introit for the Mass of Easter Sunday Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum "I have risen and I am still with you" one of the most important chants of the entire liturgical year. Within the initial Christ rises triumphantly from the open sarcophagus his right hand raised in blessing as he steps forward in serene majesty. The artist contrasts Christ's calm monumental presence with the animated reactions of the Roman soldiers below who lie asleep. In the background the Three Marys approach the tomb. Mary Magdalene is distinguished by her ointment jar while beyond them Jerusalem rises. The composition masterfully compresses moments of the Resurrection narrative into a single unified image. The lower margin displays the arms of the Abbey of Saint-Victor supported by two graceful angels. Blazoned azure with eight fleur-de-lys scepters these distinctive arms firmly identify the manuscript's original owner. Founded in 1113 the Abbey of Saint-Victor became one of the most renowned Augustinian houses of medieval Europe. It was celebrated equally for its theological school distinguished scholars and remarkable library. Although a portion of its medieval library survives today in the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Bibliothèque Mazarine the great Renaissance liturgical choirbooks commissioned for its choir were largely dispersed or destroyed. The illumination of the present Gradual is attributable to the Master of Philippe de Gueldres one of the leading illuminators active in Paris during the beginning of the sixteenth century. The artist takes his modern name from his work in the Vie de Christ a French translation of Ludolph of Saxony's Vita Christi made in 1506 for Philippe Philippa de Gueldres 1464–1547 Duchess of Lorraine Lyon Bibliothèque municipale MS 5125. First distinguished as an independent artistic personality by John Plummer the Master was once associated with Bourges because of stylistic affinities with the work of Jean Colombe and subsequently with Rouen. François Avril and Nicole Reynaud situate his mature career firmly in Paris where he collaborated with other Parisian illuminators including Jean Pichore and supplied illustrations for deluxe books produced by the celebrated publisher Antoine Vérard. His patrons belonged to the highest circles of French court and ecclesiastical society and included in addition to the Duchess of Lorraine King Louis XII and Cardinal Georges d'Amboise. Among his most important liturgical commissions were the monumental Graduals made for Louis XII and Anne of Brittany for the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. These choirbooks were subsequently dismantled and dispersed a fate strikingly similar to that of the Saint-Victor Gradual from which the present miniature derives. Of particular importance is the Master's continuing relationship with the Abbey of Saint-Victor itself. The Gradual was not his only commission for this important Parisian Augustinian house. An illuminated Missal made for Saint-Victor now Paris BnF MS lat. 14818 is likewise attributed to the Master providing further evidence of his association with the abbey. Another richly illuminated Missal from Saint-Victor BnF MS lat. 14448 belongs to the same broader milieu of Parisian illumination and merits comparison with the work of the Master and his contemporary Jean Pichore. BnF MS lat. 14448 prominently incorporates the arms of the abbey supported by two kneeling angels providing particularly striking visual testimony to its institutional provenance and a close parallel for the same heraldic device preserved beneath the present Resurrection fragment. Taken together these manuscripts and the dispersed Gradual attest to the rich tradition of illuminated liturgical book production at Saint-Victor and provide compelling evidence for the Master's sustained relationship with the abbey around the turn of the sixteenth century. At least six historiated initials can presently be associated with the dispersed Saint-Victor Gradual. A group of four fragments appeared together in the sale of the collection of renowned bibliophile Ambroise Firmin-Didot in Paris in 1884 lot 73: the Presentation in the Temple the Resurrection the present miniature the Trinity and Saint Michael Slaying the Dragon. The Trinity reappeared with Les Enluminures Catalogue 9 no. 34. A fifth initial depicting Saint Victor was sold at Sotheby's London 23 June 1992 lot 25. A sixth fragment depicting the Last Supper appeared at Christie's London 15 November 2006 lot 9 and may likewise have formed part of the same monumental choirbook. Other important manuscripts attributed to the Master include a Book of Hours now at the Huntington Library HM 1101 as well as manuscripts in Paris BnF MSS fr. 54 702 and 2678–2679 and Vienna ÖNB Cod. 2565 and Cod. 2582. His oeuvre encompasses both secular and devotional manuscripts although much of his surviving work is found in secular commissions for courtly and aristocratic patrons. Provenance: 1. Abbey of Saint-Victor Paris. 2. Collection of Ambroise Firmin-Didot 1790–1876. 3. Paris Hôtel Drouot Collection Ambroise Firmin-Didot 10–14 June 1884 lot 73. 4. France Private Collection 5. Published: Les Enluminures Chicago and Paris published in Catalog 8: Symbolism and the Medieval World # 33 1999 6. Published: Les Enluminures Chicago and Paris published in Catalog 15 France 1500: The Pictorial Arts at the Dawn of the Renaissance # 2010 7. USA Private Collection Literature: Avril François and Nicole Reynaud. Les manuscrits à peintures en France 1440–1520. Paris 1993 pp. 278–281. Plummer John. The Last Flowering: French Painting in Manuscripts 1420–1530. New York 1982 pp. 69–71. Victor Leroquais Les sacramentaires et les missels manuscrits des bibliothèques publiques de France 3 vols. Paris 1924 vol. III. pp. 222-223 Ambroise Firmin-Didot Catalogue illustré des livres précieux manuscrits et imprimés faisant partie de la bibliothèque de M. Ambroise Firmin-Didot Paris Hôtel Drouot 10–14 June 1884 lot 73 p. 57. Illuminated Miniature on parchment
1827ref. 9452Bruxelles, PMG Vandermaelen éditeur, 1827 ; cinq tomes (Europe, Asie, Afrique, Amérique Septentrionale, Amérique Méridionale), in-folio atlantique (52,5 x 36 cm) ; demi-veau havane à petits coins verts, dos à faux-nerfs dorés, palette décorative dorée en tête et en pied, titre doré, tranches marbrées (reliure uniforme de l'époque) ; 1- Europe : (4), 43 pp., (1) p., tableau comparatif des principales hauteurs du globe (illustré en couleurs), carte d'assemblage de l'Europe et 29 cartes doubles. 2- Asie : (6) pp., carte d'assemblage de l'Asie et 111 cartes doubles. 3- Afrique : (4) pp., tableau d'assemblage de l'Afrique et 60 cartes doubles. 4- Amérique Septentrionale : (4), tableau d'assemblage et tableau provisoire d'assemblage d'une partie de l'Amérique Seple et d'une partie de l'Amérique Méridionale et 77 cartes doubles. 5- Amérique Méridionale : (4), carte d'assemblage d'Amérique Méridionale et 44 cartes doubles. Toutes les cartes sont en couleurs à quelques rares exceptions près et montées sur onglets.
ref. 98481Paris Arthus Bertrand 1837. . First edition. 3 vols comprising 2 vols 4to text and 1 vol. folio atlas 53 x 35 cms text a little spotted as usual atlas with 56 plates comprising 34 lithographed views and portraits after V. Adam Sabatier and others from sketches by E.B. de la Touanne printed by Bernard & Frey 12 hand-colored engraved natural history plates after P. Bessa and J.-G. Pretre by Coutant H. Legrand Oudet Dumenil and Massard double-page hand-colored aquatint of various native vessels folding engraved map 2 double-page coastal profiles and 6 double-page engraved maps and charts by A. Tardieu after E.B. de la Touanne usual sporadic toning and light staining plate 4 a bit foxed contemporary calf-backed marbled boards atlas rebacked to match a very good set. The official record of Bougainville's voyage around the world. The main intention of the voyage was political: to extend French influence in Indochina. However Bougainville also touched at Pondicherry Manila Macao Surabaya Sydney Port Jackson Valparaiso and Rio de Janeiro. Bougainville son of the explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville had served as an eighteen-year-old ensign on the Baudin voyage and after distinguished service in the Napoleonic wars he was given command of the frigate La Thetis and the corvette L'Esprance. He spent several months in and around Sydney where most of the ornithological material gathered by the voyage had been collected here and resulted in three drawings by Bessa of four species of birds including 'superb illustrations' Wood of the male and female Gang-gang or red-crested parrot. From here both ships crossed to Valparaiso where La Touanne commenced his overland journey to rejoin the expedition at Rio. The account of this journey takes up much of the second volume together with R.-P. Lesson's account of the natural history. Ayer/Zimmer p83; Borba de Moraes I115; Ferguson 2236; Fine Bird Books p79; Hill 162; Nissen ZBI 483; Sabin 6875; Whittell p68; Wood p251. Paris, Arthus Bertrand, 1837. hardcover
1954ref. 55808New York: Simon and Schuster 1954. First edition. Very good. Lavishly inscribed association copy with multiple drawings from the surrealist master - signed to movie studio mogul Jack Warner and his wife. Jack Warner 1892-1978 was the legendary co-founder and CEO of Warner Bros. Studios which produced such classic films as THE JAZZ SINGER 1927 the first feature-length "talkie" LITTLE CAESAR and PUBLIC ENEMY 1931 THE MALTESE FALCON 1941 CASABLANCA 1943 A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE 1951 THE SEARCHERS 1956 MY FAIR LADY 1964 and WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF 1966 as well as innumerable other iconic films. By the time Dalí inscribed this copy in 1954 the two had already known each other for at least a decade. In 1944 Dalí had come to Hollywood to work on the Hitchcock film SPELLBOUND for which the artist contributed a pioneering dream sequence. By 1945 Warner had commissioned Dalí to paint portraits of both Warner and his wife Ann with Dalí actually living with the couple while he completed the works Sperling and Millner 269. This unconventional arrangement in fact led to a now-famous meeting between Dalí and Walt Disney an encounter that resulted in "a lifelong friendship between the man behind the mouse and the painter of melted clocks" Jukareddy. At a dinner party hosted by Warner Dalí and Disney were introduced and hit it off so well they began a collaboration that would eventually result in the production of "Destino" a six-and-a-half-minute surrealist animated film: "Dalí and Disney immediately connected and an overjoyed Dalí accepted Disney's proposal to collaborate on a surrealist animated short. Over the next eight months they created more than 200 storyboard sketches" ibid. A work of myth-making and fame-enhancement as much as anything Dalí's whimsical MUSTACHE finds him and his mustache answering questions "Your mustache looks so rigid - how does it react to the winds of public opinion" with playful responses "She bends" all accompanied by surrealist photographs and photo collages. A close and important association between these two titans with among the most elaborate and exuberant Dalí inscriptions we've seen. Original black-and-white pictorial boards. No jacket as issued. 126 pages. Illustrated throughout with photos of Dalí by Philippe Halsman. Preface by Dalí with a "Postface" by Halsman plus publisher's notes "on how some of the photographs were made." Inscribed in year of publication by Dalí to Jack Warner and his wife Ann across the front pastedown and endpaper: "Pur sic a pun / Prince des Gouts Felines / Jack / ei / Anunshka / L'amour de sur tout / Dalí / Gala / 1954. Roughly: "Purr for the Prince of Feline Tastes Jack and Ann Love above all." Dali has added numerous figures including a crown a shooting star a drawing of two figures dancing in a desert plus three scurrying ants and a moon playing a trumpet overhead. Chipping to head of spine with top centimeter or so of spine beginning to separate but holding. Some toning to endpapers and some starting at gutter before title-page. Housed in a custom clamshell box. Simon and Schuster unknown
1954ref. 55808New York: Simon and Schuster 1954. First edition. Very good. Lavishly inscribed association copy with multiple drawings from the surrealist master - signed to movie studio mogul Jack Warner and his wife. Jack Warner 1892-1978 was the legendary co-founder and CEO of Warner Bros. Studios which produced such classic films as THE JAZZ SINGER 1927 the first feature-length "talkie" LITTLE CAESAR and PUBLIC ENEMY 1931 THE MALTESE FALCON 1941 CASABLANCA 1943 A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE 1951 THE SEARCHERS 1956 MY FAIR LADY 1964 and WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF 1966 as well as innumerable other iconic films. By the time Dalí inscribed this copy in 1954 the two had already known each other for at least a decade. In 1944 Dalí had come to Hollywood to work on the Hitchcock film SPELLBOUND for which the artist contributed a pioneering dream sequence. By 1945 Warner had commissioned Dalí to paint portraits of both Warner and his wife Ann with Dalí actually living with the couple while he completed the works Sperling and Millner 269. This unconventional arrangement in fact led to a now-famous meeting between Dalí and Walt Disney an encounter that resulted in "a lifelong friendship between the man behind the mouse and the painter of melted clocks" Jukareddy. At a dinner party hosted by Warner Dalí and Disney were introduced and hit it off so well they began a collaboration that would eventually result in the production of "Destino" a six-and-a-half-minute surrealist animated film: "Dalí and Disney immediately connected and an overjoyed Dalí accepted Disney's proposal to collaborate on a surrealist animated short. Over the next eight months they created more than 200 storyboard sketches" ibid. A work of myth-making and fame-enhancement as much as anything Dalí's whimsical MUSTACHE finds him and his mustache answering questions "Your mustache looks so rigid - how does it react to the winds of public opinion" with playful responses "She bends" all accompanied by surrealist photographs and photo collages. A close and important association between these two titans with among the most elaborate and exuberant Dalí inscriptions we've seen. Original black-and-white pictorial boards. No jacket as issued. 126 pages. Illustrated throughout with photos of Dalí by Philippe Halsman. Preface by Dalí with a "Postface" by Halsman plus publisher's notes "on how some of the photographs were made." Inscribed in year of publication by Dalí to Jack Warner and his wife Ann across the front pastedown and endpaper: "Pur sic a pun / Prince des Gouts Felines / Jack / ei / Anunshka / L'amour de sur tout / Dalí / Gala / 1954. Roughly: "Purr for the Prince of Feline Tastes Jack and Ann Love above all." Dali has added numerous figures including a crown a shooting star a drawing of two figures dancing in a desert plus three scurrying ants and a moon playing a trumpet overhead. Chipping to head of spine with top centimeter or so of spine beginning to separate but holding. Some toning to endpapers and some starting at gutter before title-page. Housed in a custom clamshell box. Simon and Schuster unknown books
ref. LCS-17816« Dernière édition publiée du vivant de l’auteur, elle est très complète, très belle et justement estimée ». (Tchemerzine, II, 890). Paris, Mamert Patisson, 1600. 1 volume in-8 de (8) ff., 338 pp., (6) ff. Maroquin rouge, plats ornés d’un décor doré à la fanfare, dos à nerfs richement orné, filet or sur les coupes, roulette intérieure, tranches dorées sur marbrures. Reliure signée de Trautz-Bauzonnet vers 1860. 172 x 105 mm.
ref. 16085Paris, Delisle, Buache, 1757.
ref. 3092New York: The Neikrug Press 1981. First edition. Original linen clamshell box. Very Good. THE RARE STUNNING COMPLETE PORTFOLIO OF 10 LARGE ICONIC SILVER GELATIN PRINTS OF MARILYN MONROE BY PHILIPPE HALSMAN. EXTREMELY RARE ARTIST PROOF: From the collection of John Springer one of Monroe's press representatives. This portfolio was given to Springer by Yvonne Halsman at the time of publication. Nine of the prints are from Halsman's famous 1952 shoot at Monroe's apartment for LIFE Magazine including the cover shot for the April 7 1952 issue; one "Marilyn Jumping" from his 1959 "Jumpology" series. Halsman explained the circumstances of the 1952 shoot: "I drove to the outskirts of Los Angeles where she lived in a two-room apartment. What impressed me in the living room was the obvious striving for self-improvement. I saw a photograph of Eleanora Duse and a multitude of books that I did not expect to find there like the works of Dostoevsky Freud the history of Fabian socialism etc. On the floor were two barbells." Philippe Halsman website. In addition to the LIFE cover photograph and "Marilyn Jumping" the portfolio includes: "Portrait of Marilyn 1952"; "Marilyn with Barbells 1952"; "Marilyn Entering the Closet 1952"; "Marilyn Flirting 1952"; "Marilyn at the Drive-In 1952"; "Marilyn Listening to Music 1952"; "The True Marilyn 1952"; "Marilyn-Mao 1952". Limitation signed by Yvonne Halsman Philippe Halsman died two years before the portfolio was issued and with artist's proof designation "a/p". Each photograph with hand-stamped copyright on the reverse and the limitation number left blank indicating the artist's proof. Size: 11x14 inch prints; archivally fastened and matted onto 16x20 inch Museum Rag Board. Note: Two of the original mattes have recently been replaced with nearly indistinguishable archival matte boards. New York: The Neikrug Press 1981. Large portfolio. Prints loose as issued in linen clamshell box with title label. Some soiling to box as often; photographs fine. Over the years many sets have been broken up and the prints sold individually; complete sets are now very rare. The Neikrug Press unknown
ref. 3092New York: The Neikrug Press 1981. First edition. Original linen clamshell box. Very Good. THE RARE STUNNING COMPLETE PORTFOLIO OF 10 LARGE ICONIC SILVER GELATIN PRINTS OF MARILYN MONROE BY PHILIPPE HALSMAN. EXTREMELY RARE ARTIST PROOF: From the collection of John Springer one of Monroe's press representatives. This portfolio was given to Springer by Yvonne Halsman at the time of publication. Nine of the prints are from Halsman's famous 1952 shoot at Monroe's apartment for LIFE Magazine including the cover shot for the April 7 1952 issue; one "Marilyn Jumping" from his 1959 "Jumpology" series. Halsman explained the circumstances of the 1952 shoot: "I drove to the outskirts of Los Angeles where she lived in a two-room apartment. What impressed me in the living room was the obvious striving for self-improvement. I saw a photograph of Eleanora Duse and a multitude of books that I did not expect to find there like the works of Dostoevsky Freud the history of Fabian socialism etc. On the floor were two barbells." Philippe Halsman website. In addition to the LIFE cover photograph and "Marilyn Jumping" the portfolio includes: "Portrait of Marilyn 1952"; "Marilyn with Barbells 1952"; "Marilyn Entering the Closet 1952"; "Marilyn Flirting 1952"; "Marilyn at the Drive-In 1952"; "Marilyn Listening to Music 1952"; "The True Marilyn 1952"; "Marilyn-Mao 1952". Limitation signed by Yvonne Halsman Philippe Halsman died two years before the portfolio was issued and with artist's proof designation "a/p". Each photograph with hand-stamped copyright on the reverse and the limitation number left blank indicating the artist's proof. Size: 11x14 inch prints; archivally fastened and matted onto 16x20 inch Museum Rag Board. Note: Two of the original mattes have recently been replaced with nearly indistinguishable archival matte boards. New York: The Neikrug Press 1981. Large portfolio. Prints loose as issued in linen clamshell box with title label. Some soiling to box as often; photographs fine. Over the years many sets have been broken up and the prints sold individually; complete sets are now very rare. The Neikrug Press unknown books
1569ref. 5032541569. Book. A lengthy series of royal edicts / decrees / writs produced by the court under Philippe's close scrutiny in 1569 regarding financial and other obligations on the part of the persons in the area of Castro del Rio and elsewhere. 49 vellum leaves 98pp of manuscript 4 blank pages. The last page of which bears the date 18 November 1569 and the elaborate signatures and marks of the King and a number of his courtiers. Each page of the text bears 2 flourishes ie initials likely by the King and by the person responsible for the production of the document. In the original leather covers much rubbing and wear with remnants of the binding ribbons but the document still well-bound and with we think the original tri-coloured spine-cord binding the text to the cover. The first page with ornate decoration and illustrations in ink embellished with gold detailing and flourishes. Exquisite calligraphy throughout on well-preserved vellum. No seals present. 14" x 10". hardcover
1772ref. 30530Paris: Edme 1772. Folio. 19 3/4 x 13 1/8 inches. Engraved frontispiece by B.L. Prevost after Sullier engraved portrait frontispiece by J. Baptiste Michel after Harguinier engraved title vignette by and after Prevost engraved arms of Charles-Eugene de Lorraine on dedication 56 hand-coloured engraved plates by B. Michel Adam femme Fessard F.A. Aveline C. Baquoy Benard Ch. Beulier L. Bosse Prevost and others after Harguinier Lafosse Saullier 19 folding and 7 engraved headpieces by Delaunay Hubert Levilain Lucas Mlle Massard Mesnil Michel after Le Carpentier type-ornament headpieces woodcut head- and tailpieces and initials. Contemporary calf covers bordered with gilt double fillet expertly rebacked to style spine gilt retaining the original red morocco lettering piece period marbled endpapers Deluxe hand-coloured first edition of the best 18th century French work on equine medicine and the anatomy of the horse. Cours d'hippiatrique is distinguished not only by Lafosse's anatomical skill and knowledge of equitation gained through both study and practice of the subject but also by the excellence of its execution: "Ce livre est un veritable monument eleve a l'Hippologie. Papier impression dessin gravure sont egalement signes" Mennessier de la Lance. The vivid colouring of the anatomical plates elevates this hand coloured issue far beyond the regular black and white edition. "Ouvrage fort bien execute et qui a ete longtemps le meilleur que l'on eut sur cette science" Brunet. Brunet III 765; Cohen-de Ricci col.587; Huth p.46; Mellon Books on Horses and Horsemanship 61; Mennessier de la Lance II pp.20-21; Nissen ZBI 2360. Edme unknown
1772ref. 30530Paris: Edme 1772. Folio. 19 3/4 x 13 1/8 inches. Engraved frontispiece by B.L. Prevost after Sullier engraved portrait frontispiece by J. Baptiste Michel after Harguinier engraved title vignette by and after Prevost engraved arms of Charles-Eugene de Lorraine on dedication 56 hand-coloured engraved plates by B. Michel Adam femme Fessard F.A. Aveline C. Baquoy Benard Ch. Beulier L. Bosse Prevost and others after Harguinier Lafosse Saullier 19 folding and 7 engraved headpieces by Delaunay Hubert Levilain Lucas Mlle Massard Mesnil Michel after Le Carpentier type-ornament headpieces woodcut head- and tailpieces and initials. Contemporary calf covers bordered with gilt double fillet expertly rebacked to style spine gilt retaining the original red morocco lettering piece period marbled endpapers Deluxe hand-coloured first edition of the best 18th century French work on equine medicine and the anatomy of the horse. Cours d'hippiatrique is distinguished not only by Lafosse's anatomical skill and knowledge of equitation gained through both study and practice of the subject but also by the excellence of its execution: "Ce livre est un veritable monument eleve a l'Hippologie. Papier impression dessin gravure sont egalement signes" Mennessier de la Lance. The vivid colouring of the anatomical plates elevates this hand coloured issue far beyond the regular black and white edition. "Ouvrage fort bien execute et qui a ete longtemps le meilleur que l'on eut sur cette science" Brunet. Brunet III 765; Cohen-de Ricci col.587; Huth p.46; Mellon Books on Horses and Horsemanship 61; Mennessier de la Lance II pp.20-21; Nissen ZBI 2360. Edme unknown books
ref. 15999Paris, Chez Fessard, 1737 - 1746. In-folio de [60] feuillets montés sur onglets, plein veau moucheté, dos à nerfs orné de filets et fleurons dorés, triple filet doré en encadrement des plats, roulette dorée aux coupes, dentelle dorée intérieure. Jolie reliure pastiche signée Pagnant.Pretty binding imitation signed by Pagnant.
1693ref. 6467Paris: Typographia Regia 1693. First edition. First edition a very fine copy of this collection of early Greek writings on technology especially military technology and hydrostatics. It contains several treatises on the mechanics and siege operations or poliorcetica of the Hellenistic period the period between Alexander and Augustus including the construction and management of projectile engines. . DIBNER 84: ANCIENT GREEK TECHNOLOGY. First edition of this collection of early Greek writings on technology especially military technology and hydrostatics. It contains several treatises on the mechanics and siege operations or poliorcetica used in the Hellenistic period the period between Alexander and Augustus including the construction and management of their projectile engines. The first six works in the volume comprise the writings on the subject of military engines that were compiled by Athenaeus Apollodorus Biton Heron and Philon. These works include the first edition in both Greek and Latin of Biton's Construction of War Machines and Artillery of extant part of the Mechanike Syntaxis attributed to Philon of Byzantium and of the Poliorcetica of Apollodorus of Damascus. These are followed by the Greek and Latin texts of Hero of Alexandria's works on hydrostatics the Pneumatica and Automata which include what some regard as the first description of a steam-engine; this is the first printing of the Greek text of these works. Thévenot the King's librarian to Louis XIV prepared the present work from a rather defective secondary manuscript Codex Parisinus 2435. After Thévenot's death in 1692 it was revised by the mathematician La Hire with insightful annotations by Boivin an official in the King's library. It is one of three early publications of the French Academy of Sciences grouped together as Dibner 84. "Printed at the royal press in small editions they were intended as gifts for the King and Academy. In size binding and beauty of the plates they are among the most sumptuous books in science" Dibner. This is a rare book on the market only eight copies having appeared at auction in the last 40 years. The Evelyn copy was sold at Christie's in 1977. To gain access to the walls of a site under siege a siege tower or ram was brought into position and used to launch an attack onto the walkway aided by missile fire from the higher levels of the tower. Simultaneous attacks with scaling ladders took place. A siege tower is a specialized siege engine constructed to protect assailants and the ladders used when approaching the defensive walls of a fortification. The tower was usually rectangular with four wheels and a height roughly equal to that of the wall; it was sometimes higher to allow archers to stand on the top and fire into the fortification. The tower was made chiefly of wood but sometimes there were metal components as well. They were unwieldy to manoeuvre and slow to assemble and consequently were usually constructed at the siege site. Sometimes siege towers themselves incorporated other devices including artillery rams and dropbridges. Two main types of artillery equipment were used in this period: bolt-throwers ballistae: used for picking off prominent individuals and stone-throwers scorpiones onagri. Stone throwers could cause structural damage but were generally confined to firing at towers gates or siege machinery. Artillery might use incendiary ammunition when firing at gates or equipment. In common with much Byzantine literature poliorcetica draw heavily on earlier classical material. Since these were composed before the development of heavy artillery the poliorcetica are not so much concerned with large machines but rather with describing techniques for bringing men close to fortifications and then ways of undermining them. They also suggest various psychological tricks which might be used to outwit the enemy. Such ancient works on military machines were a source of fascination to the Italians of the late 15th and 16th centuries not only because of their historic interest but also as a source for modern inventions to be used in contemporary warfare and several of these works were first published in Renaissance Italy. The present volume begins with the De Machinis of Athenaeus a Cilician ex-statesman living in Rome in the 20s B.C. and a contemporary of the architect-engineer Vitruvius who like Vitruvius worked under the patronage of the Emperor Augustus Vitruvius devoted Book 10 of his De Architectura to machines. In addition to describing individual siege engines and theorizing on tactics Athenaeus draws on actual instances from history of the use of these machines in order to make various points and elucidate his text. The author of the next text is Apollodorus of Damascus who was a Roman architect and engineer of the late 1st to early 2nd century A.D. As Emperor Trajan's architect and military engineer he was responsible for Trajan's forum and possibly Trajan's column and produced designs for new siege machines. In his treatise Poliorcetica he describes a system of banks and ditches and also sheds that would be needed to protect the legionaries during undermining work or to carry battering rams against a tower gate or wall. Next he describes the construction of a siege tower followed by a system of interlocking ladders. He concludes his treatise with a description of a battlemented raft for river assaults. Although some of the elaborations are considered somewhat unrealistic − for example the addition of a torsion-powered truncheon to the end of a battering ram − and some of these are believed to have been added by a later editor the core of Apollodorus' text is believed to be authentic and to accurately describe highly effective machinery. Apollodorus dedicated Poliorcetica to the Emperor Hadrian perhaps an attempt to gain forgiveness for an earlier insult. On that occasion Trajan was discussing with Apollodorus the buildings which the great architect had built in Rome. Hadrian's assessment only demonstrated his ignorance which was bluntly pointed out by Apollodorus. Hadrian never forgot the insult and when he came to power banished Apollodorus accused him of several crimes and had him put to death. The third text in the volume is the Mechanike Syntaxis attributed to Philon of Byzantium who is believed to have been born about 280 B.C. in Byzantium and to have died around 220 B.C. Only the fourth and fifth books of this work have come down to us. Although there are few references to him in literature he is mentioned by Vitruvius. Amongst other weapons of siegecraft he describes the catapult recently invented by Ctesibius fl. 285-222 BC a Greek or Egyptian inventor and mathematician and probably the first head of the Museum at Alexandria. From this Philon's treatise can be dated fairly accurately to around 250 B.C. He describes journeys he made to Rhodes and to Alexandria to study catapults and it seems he may have earned his living advising military rulers. "The fourth book is headed κ τν Φιλνο βελοποιικν and the general subject is the manufacture of missiles. He mentions in it an invention of his own which he denominates ξυβλη p. 56. In the fifth book we are shocked to find that while recommending a besieging army to devastate the open country on the approach of an enemy he advises them to poison the springs and the grain which they cannot dispose of p. 103; and what renders this the worse he mentions his having treated of poisons in his book on the preparations that should be made for a war. What principally attracted attention to this work in modern times is his notice of the invention of Ctesibius p. 77. &c. The instrument described by him named εÏτονο acted on the property of air when condensed and is evidently in principle the same with the modern air-gun" A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology William Smith ed. Philon's work is followed by the brief treatise of Biton of Pergamon 3rd or 2nd century B.C. about whom little is known; it is the only extant work to give a full description of advanced tension catapults. Biton's handbook describes four tension bow catapults a helepolis city-taker = siege tower and a sambuca mechanical scaling ladder. The bow catapults consisted of two stone throwers small and large and two bolt shooters a medium "belly bow" and mountain "belly bow". The latter took their name from the concave rest at their rear end against which the archer braced his stomach while drawing the bow. The work is dedicated to a King Attalus and was therefore composed between about 230 BC when Attalus I assumed the title of King and 133 BC death of Attalus III. As Biton mentions older types of catapults but not the torsion catapult that was otherwise well attested from the end of the 4th cent. BC the work probably belongs to the early years of the reign of Attalus I King of Pergamum 241-197 B.C. We do not know if Attalus employed the devices Biton described but they were definitely used in numerous later sieges and naval battles. The final two texts of siegecraft in the volume the Belopoeica and the Cheiroballistra are both attributed to Heron of Alexandria ca. 10-75 AD. Heron possibly taught at the Museum at Alexandria since many of his writings have the appearance of student lecture notes. The Belopoeica "On arrow making" describes the hand-held "belly bow" also discussed by Biton. The Cheiroballistra describes a small hand-held catapult. Some of Heron's designs derived from the works of Ctesibius none of whose works survive although they are mentioned by Vitruvius Athenaeus and Philo of Byzantium as well as Heron. In 1616 Bernardino Baldi 1553-1617 published a Latin translation of Heron's Belopoeica along with Heron's Greek text and a biography of Heron also written in Latin. Some of Baldi's commentary is appended to the present work. The volume concludes with the Pneumatica and Automata of Hero or Heron of Alexandria fl. 62 CE. "The Pneumatica in two books describes a menagerie of mechanical devices or "toys": singing birds puppets coin-operated machines a fire engine a water organ and his most famous invention the aeolipile the first steam-powered engine. This last device consists of a sphere mounted on a boiler by an axial shaft with two canted nozzles that produce a rotary motion as steam escapes" Britannica. "The introduction treats the occurrence of a vacuum in nature and the pressure of air and water . Some of the theory is right some is wrong for instance the horror vacui of nature but it was the best theoretical explanation to be had at the time . The first chapters most of them taken from Philo's Pneumatics describe experiments to show that air is a body and that it will keep water out of a vessel unless it can find an outlet and will keep water in if it cannot enter. Hero goes on to siphons . With very few exceptions it is evident that the chapters were written by Hero himself and without exception they are very clear: each instrument can be reconstructed from the description and the figure. While there is no order at all in the general arrangement of the chapters we find here and there a short series of related chapters in which it is clear that Hero is searching for a better solution to a mechanical problem. This shows unmistakably that he was an inventor; it is therefore probable that he himself invented the dioptra the screw-cutter and the odometer as well as several pneumatic apparatuses" DSB. The first appearance in print of Pneumatica was a Latin paraphrase in Giorgio Valla's De expetendis et fugiendis rebus 1501; the complete text was first published in Latin by Federico Commandino 1509-75 in 1575. The excellence of Commandino's translation persuaded the editors that it was unnecessary to include a further Latin translation in the present work and therefore only the Greek text of Pneumatica appears. Some of the commentary on Pneumatica from the 1589 Italian translation by Giovanni Battista Aleotti 1546-1636 is appended to the present work. "The Automata or Automatic Theater describes two sorts of puppet shows one moving and the other stationary; both of them perform without being touched by human hands. The former moves before the audience by itself and shows a temple in which a fire is lit on an altar and the god Dionysus pours out a libation while bacchantes dance about him to the sound of trumpets and drums. After the performance the theater withdraws. The stationary theater opens and shuts its doors on the performance of the myth of Nauplius. The shipwrights work; the ships are launched and cross a sea in which dolphins leap; Nauplius lights the false beacon to lead them astray; the ship is wrecked; and Athena destroys the defiant Ajax with thunder and lightning. The driving power in both cases was a heavy lead weight resting on a heap of millet grains which escaped through a hole. The weight was attached by a rope to an axle and the turning of this axle brought about all the movements by means of strings and drums. Strings and drums constituted practically all the machinery; no springs or cogwheels were used. It represents a marvel of ingenuity with very scant mechanical means" DSB. The Automata was first published in Italian by Baldi in 1589. "The design of this collection was formed by Thévenot 1620-92 deputy librarian of the Royal library in the reign of Louis XIV and after his death it was carried out by De la Hire 1640-1718. Thévenot's plan was to publish an accurate transcript of the MSS. of the several authors. The inevitable obscurity arising from the numerous corruptions which had crept into the manuscripts was to be remedied by an appendix of notes and a Latin translation. But for the Pneumatics of Hero it seemed sufficient to adopt the already well-known translation of Commandine; and in consequence of the eight MSS. of this treatise existing in the Royal Library that one was chosen which most nearly agreed with the Latin version" The Pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria translated and edited by Bennet Woodcroft 1851 preface. Brunet V 1163; Dibner Heralds 84; Norman 2148; Schweiger I 358. For a detailed account of the works contained in the present volume see Marsden Greek and Roman Artillery: Historical Development 1969. Folio 432 x 288 mm pp. xvi including half-title 279 290-365 9 index & colophon occasional mostly light browning. Text in double columns Greek or parallel Greek and Latin many engraved diagrams and illustrations in text engraved head- and tail-pieces. Contemporary blind-stamped vellum. A very fine copy. Typographia Regia unknown
1693ref. 4930Paris: Typographia Regia 1693. First edition. First edition the Stanhope copy of this collection of early Greek writings on technology especially military technology and hydrostatics. It contains several treatises on the mechanics and siege operations or poliorcetica of the Hellenistic period the period between Alexander and Augustus including the construction and management of projectile engines. . DIBNER 84: ANCIENT GREEK TECHNOLOGY. First edition the Stanhope copy of this collection of early Greek writings on technology especially military technology and hydrostatics. It contains several treatises on the mechanics and siege operations or poliorcetica used in the Hellenistic period the period between Alexander and Augustus including the construction and management of their projectile engines. The first six works in the volume comprise the writings on the subject of military engines that were compiled by Athenaeus Apollodorus Biton Heron and Philon. These works include the first edition in both Greek and Latin of Biton's Construction of War Machines and Artillery of extant part of the Mechanike Syntaxis attributed to Philon of Byzantium and of the Poliorcetica of Apollodorus of Damascus. These are followed by the Greek and Latin texts of Hero of Alexandria's works on hydrostatics the Pneumatica and Automata which include what some regard as the first description of a steam-engine; this is the first printing of the Greek text of these works. Thévenot the King's librarian to Louis XIV prepared the present work from a rather defective secondary manuscript Codex Parisinus 2435. After Thévenot's death in 1692 it was revised by the mathematician La Hire with insightful annotations by Boivin an official in the King's library. It is one of three early publications of the French Academy of Sciences grouped together as Dibner 84. "Printed at the royal press in small editions they were intended as gifts for the King and Academy. In size binding and beauty of the plates they are among the most sumptuous books in science" Dibner. This is a rare book on the market only eight copies having appeared at auction in the last 40 years. The Evelyn copy was sold at Christie's in 1977. Provenance: Philip Stanhope 2nd Earl Stanhope 1714-86 bookplate on front paste-down. Stanhope was a Fellow of the Royal Society from 1735 and had a lifelong interest in mathematics. A student of Abraham de Moivre Stanhope made significant contributions to probability theory. He was also a patron of various mathematicians notably Thomas Bayes; Stanhope was responsible for Bayes's election to the Royal Society and probably also for Bayes taking up the study of probability Bellhouse pp. 190 & 201. To gain access to the walls of a site under siege a siege tower or ram was brought into position and used to launch an attack onto the walkway aided by missile fire from the higher levels of the tower. Simultaneous attacks with scaling ladders took place. A siege tower is a specialized siege engine constructed to protect assailants and the ladders used when approaching the defensive walls of a fortification. The tower was usually rectangular with four wheels and a height roughly equal to that of the wall; it was sometimes higher to allow archers to stand on the top and fire into the fortification. The tower was made chiefly of wood but sometimes there were metal components as well. They were unwieldy to manoeuvre and slow to assemble and consequently were usually constructed at the siege site. Sometimes siege towers themselves incorporated other devices including artillery rams and dropbridges. Two main types of artillery equipment were used in this period: bolt-throwers ballistae: used for picking off prominent individuals and stone-throwers scorpiones onagri. Stone throwers could cause structural damage but were generally confined to firing at towers gates or siege machinery. Artillery might use incendiary ammunition when firing at gates or equipment. In common with much Byzantine literature poliorcetica draw heavily on earlier classical material. Since these were composed before the development of heavy artillery the poliorcetica are not so much concerned with large machines but rather with describing techniques for bringing men close to fortifications and then ways of undermining them. They also suggest various psychological tricks which might be used to outwit the enemy. Such ancient works on military machines were a source of fascination to the Italians of the late 15th and 16th centuries not only because of their historic interest but also as a source for modern inventions to be used in contemporary warfare and several of these works were first published in Renaissance Italy. The present volume begins with the De Machinis of Athenaeus a Cilician ex-statesman living in Rome in the 20s B.C. and a contemporary of the architect-engineer Vitruvius who like Vitruvius worked under the patronage of the Emperor Augustus Vitruvius devoted Book 10 of his De Architectura to machines. In addition to describing individual siege engines and theorizing on tactics Athenaeus draws on actual instances from history of the use of these machines in order to make various points and elucidate his text. The author of the next text is Apollodorus of Damascus who was a Roman architect and engineer of the late 1st to early 2nd century A.D. As Emperor Trajan's architect and military engineer he was responsible for Trajan's forum and possibly Trajan's column and produced designs for new siege machines. In his treatise Poliorcetica he describes a system of banks and ditches and also sheds that would be needed to protect the legionaries during undermining work or to carry battering rams against a tower gate or wall. Next he describes the construction of a siege tower followed by a system of interlocking ladders. He concludes his treatise with a description of a battlemented raft for river assaults. Although some of the elaborations are considered somewhat unrealistic − for example the addition of a torsion-powered truncheon to the end of a battering ram − and some of these are believed to have been added by a later editor the core of Apollodorus' text is believed to be authentic and to accurately describe highly effective machinery. Apollodorus dedicated Poliorcetica to the Emperor Hadrian perhaps an attempt to gain forgiveness for an earlier insult. On that occasion Trajan was discussing with Apollodorus the buildings which the great architect had built in Rome. Hadrian's assessment only demonstrated his ignorance which was bluntly pointed out by Apollodorus. Hadrian never forgot the insult and when he came to power banished Apollodorus accused his of several crimes and had him put to death. The third text in the volume is the Mechanike Syntaxis attributed to Philon of Byzantium who is believed to have been born about 280 B.C. in Byzantium and to have died around 220 B.C. Only the fourth and fifth books of this work have come down to us. Although there are few references to him in literature he is mentioned by Vitruvius. Amongst other weapons of siegecraft he describes the catapult recently invented by Ctesibius fl. 285-222 BC a Greek or Egyptian inventor and mathematician and probably the first head of the Museum at Alexandria. From this Philon's treatise can be dated fairly accurately to around 250 B.C. He describes journeys he made to Rhodes and to Alexandria to study catapults and it seems he may have earned his living advising military rulers. "The fourth book is headed κ τν Φιλνο βελοποιικν and the general subject is the manufacture of missiles. He mentions in it an invention of his own which he denominates ξυβλη p. 56. In the fifth book we are shocked to find that while recommending a besieging army to devastate the open country on the approach of an enemy he advises them to poison the springs and the grain which they cannot dispose of p. 103; and what renders this the worse he mentions his having treated of poisons in his book on the preparations that should be made for a war. What principally attracted attention to this work in modern times is his notice of the invention of Ctesibius p. 77. &c. The instrument described by him named εÏτονο acted on the property of air when condensed and is evidently in principle the same with the modern air-gun" A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology William Smith ed. Philon's work is followed by the brief treatise of Biton of Pergamon 3rd or 2nd century B.C. about whom little is known; it is the only extant work to give a full description of advanced tension catapults. Biton's handbook describes four tension bow catapults a helepolis city-taker = siege tower and a sambuca mechanical scaling ladder. The bow catapults consisted of two stone throwers small and large and two bolt shooters a medium "belly bow" and mountain "belly bow". The latter took their name from the concave rest at their rear end against which the archer braced his stomach while drawing the bow. The work is dedicated to a King Attalus and was therefore composed between about 230 BC when Attalus I assumed the title of King and 133 BC death of Attalus III. As Biton mentions older types of catapults but not the torsion catapult that was otherwise well attested from the end of the 4th cent. BC the work probably belongs to the early years of the reign of Attalus I King of Pergamum 241-197 B.C. We do not know if Attalus employed the devices Biton described but they were definitely used in numerous later sieges and naval battles. The final two texts of siegecraft in the volume the Belopoeica and the Cheiroballistra are both attributed to Heron of Alexandria ca. 10-75 AD. Heron possibly taught at the Museum at Alexandria since many of his writings have the appearance of student lecture notes. The Belopoeica "On arrow making" describes the hand-held "belly bow" also discussed by Biton. The Cheiroballistra describes a small hand-held catapult. Some of Heron's designs derived from the works of Ctesibius none of whose works survive although they are mentioned by Vitruvius Athenaeus and Philo of Byzantium as well as Heron. In 1616 Bernardino Baldi 1553-1617 published a Latin translation of Heron's Belopoeica along with Heron's Greek text and a biography of Heron also written in Latin. Some of Baldi's commentary is appended to the present work. The volume concludes with the Pneumatica and Automata of Hero or Heron of Alexandria fl. 62 CE. "The Pneumatica in two books describes a menagerie of mechanical devices or "toys": singing birds puppets coin-operated machines a fire engine a water organ and his most famous invention the aeolipile the first steam-powered engine. This last device consists of a sphere mounted on a boiler by an axial shaft with two canted nozzles that produce a rotary motion as steam escapes" Britannica. "The introduction treats the occurrence of a vacuum in nature and the pressure of air and water . Some of the theory is right some is wrong for instance the horror vacui of nature but it was the best theoretical explanation to be had at the time . The first chapters most of them taken from Philo's Pneumatics describe experiments to show that air is a body and that it will keep water out of a vessel unless it can find an outlet and will keep water in if it cannot enter. Hero goes on to siphons . With very few exceptions it is evident that the chapters were written by Hero himself and without exception they are very clear: each instrument can be reconstructed from the description and the figure. While there is no order at all in the general arrangement of the chapters we find here and there a short series of related chapters in which it is clear that Hero is searching for a better solution to a mechanical problem. This shows unmistakably that he was an inventor; it is therefore probable that he himself invented the dioptra the screw-cutter and the odometer as well as several pneumatic apparatuses" DSB. The first appearance in print of Pneumatica was a Latin paraphrase in Giorgio Valla's De expetendis et fugiendis rebus 1501; the complete text was first published in Latin by Federico Commandino 1509-75 in 1575. The excellence of Commandino's translation persuaded the editors that it was unnecessary to include a further Latin translation in the present work and therefore only the Greek text of Pneumatica appears. Some of the commentary on Pneumatica from the 1589 Italian translation by Giovanni Battista Aleotti 1546-1636 is appended to the present work. "The Automata or Automatic Theater describes two sorts of puppet shows one moving and the other stationary; both of them perform without being touched by human hands. The former moves before the audience by itself and shows a temple in which a fire is lit on an altar and the god Dionysus pours out a libation while bacchantes dance about him to the sound of trumpets and drums. After the performance the theater withdraws. The stationary theater opens and shuts its doors on the performance of the myth of Nauplius. The shipwrights work; the ships are launched and cross a sea in which dolphins leap; Nauplius lights the false beacon to lead them astray; the ship is wrecked; and Athena destroys the defiant Ajax with thunder and lightning. The driving power in both cases was a heavy lead weight resting on a heap of millet grains which escaped through a hole. The weight was attached by a rope to an axle and the turning of this axle brought about all the movements by means of strings and drums. Strings and drums constituted practically all the machinery; no springs or cogwheels were used. It represents a marvel of ingenuity with very scant mechanical means" DSB. The Automata was first published in Italian by Baldi in 1589. "The design of this collection was formed by Thévenot 1620-92 deputy librarian of the Royal library in the reign of Louis XIV and after his death it was carried out by De la Hire 1640-1718. Thévenot's plan was to publish an accurate transcript of the MSS. of the several authors. The inevitable obscurity arising from the numerous corruptions which had crept into the manuscripts was to be remedied by an appendix of notes and a Latin translation. But for the Pneumatics of Hero it seemed sufficient to adopt the already well-known translation of Commandine; and in consequence of the eight MSS. of this treatise existing in the Royal Library that one was chosen which most nearly agreed with the Latin version" The Pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria translated and edited by Bennet Woodcroft 1851 preface. Brunet V 1163; Dibner Heralds 84; Norman 2148; Schweiger I 358. For a detailed account of the works contained in the present volume see Marsden Greek and Roman Artillery: Historical Development 1969. Folio 432 x 284mm pp. xvi including half-title 279 290-365 9 index & colophon occasional mostly light browning. Text in double columns Greek or parallel Greek and Latin many engraved diagrams and illustrations in text engraved head- and tail-pieces. Eighteenth-century mottled calf spine richly gilt in compartments with red lettering-piece. Bookplate of Philip Earl Stanhope on front paste-down. This is a very large copy 10mm taller than the Norman copy. Typographia Regia unknown
ref. 51-0523Paris: Alphonse Lemerre Editeur 1869. 10.5 x 14.5 inches. width x height 270 x 370 cm. Bound in contemporary red cloth. Original wrappers bound in. One of 350 copies this one certified by the printer of the text J.Claye and of the etchings A. Salmon. The editor who selected the poets and artists was Philippe Burty. This is considered the first livre de peintre with text by the major poets of the period and accompanying full page etchings by the major French artists of the mid Nineteenth century. There are 42 etchings. This one includes a second copy of the etching by 10 artists .VICAIRE.MANUEL DE L'AMATEUR de Livres du xixe siècle1801-1893579SONNETS et eaux-fortes. MDCCCLXIX. Alphonse Lemrerre éditeur Paris Impr. J. Claye in-fol. couv. impr.1 f. faux-titre; au v° justification du tirage ; 1 f. titre rouge et noir orné d'un dessin de E. Renard gravé sur boispar A. Prunaire; x f. « Aux poëtes et aux artistes qui ont collaboré à cette OEuvre à M. Philippe Burty qui en adirigé l'illustration. L’éditeur reconnaissant A. Lemerre » ; 42 ff. sonnets; 1 f. n. ch. table; et 1 f. n. ch. achevéd'imprimer.45 42 in fact eaux-fortes et 1 dessin hors texte savoir1° La Mer sonnet de Jean Aicard eau-forte de Léon Gaucherel.2° Le Masque sonnet de Joseph Autran eau-forte d'Emile Lévy.3° Promenade galante sonnet de Théodore de Banville eau-forte d'Edmond Morin.4° To Kalon sonnet d'Auguste Barbier eau-forte de Giacomotti.5° Le Sang des géants sonnet de Louis Bouilhet eau-forte de Célestin Nanteuil.6° Le Sphinx sonnet d'Henri Cazalis eau-forte de Queyroy.7° Le Lion sonnet de Léon Cladel eau-forte de Gustave Doré.8° Le Fils de Louis XI sonnet de François Coppée eau-forte de Charles Courtry.9° Supplice de Judas sonnet d'Antoni Deschamps eau-forte de Veyrassat.10° Dernier mirage; sonnet d'Émile Deschamps eau-forte de Ranvier.11° Révolte sonnet de Léon Dierx eau-forte de G. Howard.12° Les Incroyables sonnet d'Emmanuel des Essarts eau-forte de Jundt.13° Un Sénateur romain sonnet d'Anatole France eau-forte de Gérôme.14° Promenade hors des murs sonnet de Théophile Gautier eau-forte de Leys.15° Le Roman comique sonnet d'Albert Glatigny eau-forte de Félix Régamcy.16° La Salina sonnet d'Edouard Grenier eau-forte d'E. Edwards.17° Les Conquérants sonnet de José-Maria de Heredia eau-forte de Claudius Popelin.18° La Rookery sonnet d'Ernest d'Hervilly eau-forte de Seymour Haden.19° Le Pays inconnu sonnet d’Arsène Houssaye eau-forte de Tancrède Abraham.20° La Fontaine sonnet de Georges Lafenestre eau-forte de Lansyer.21° Au bord du puits sonnet de Victor de Laprade eau-forte de Francais.22° Réverie sonnet de Laurent-Pichat eau-forte de Jules Héreau.23° Le Combat homérique sonnet de Leconte de Lisle eau-forte de Léopold Flameng.24° Paysage normand sonnet d'André Lemoyne eau-forte de Corot.25° Batavia sonnet de Robert Luzarche eau-forte de Jongkindt Jongkind.26° Le Verger sonnet de Gabriel Marc eau-forte de Daubigny.27° La Pivoine sonnet de Judith Mendès eau-forte de Jacquemart.28° Théodora sonnet de Catulle Mendès eau-forte d'Ingomar Frankel.29° Sur une composition de F. Millet sonnet d'Albert Mérat eau-forte de F. Millet.30° L'Eclair sonnet de Paul Meurice dessin de Victor Hugo.31° Le Dernier amour de Charlemagne sonnet de Claudius Popelin eau-forte d'Ehrmann.32° Fleur exotique sonnet d'Armand Renaud eau-forte de Manet.33° Théroigne de Méricourt sonnet de Louis Xavier de Ricard eau-forte de Victor Giraud.34° Le Pont des Arts sonnet de Sainte-Beuve eau-forte de Maxime Lalanne.35° Une grande douleur sonnet de Joséphin Soulary eau-forte de Ribot.36° Silence et nuit des bois sonnet de Sully Prudhomme eau-forte d'Hédouin.37° Nénuphars sonnet d'Armand Silvestre eau-forte de Feyen-Perrin.38° Souvenir du Bas-Bréau sonnet d'André Theuriet eau-forte de Michelin.39° L'Éclipse sonnet d'Auguste Vacquerie eau-forte de Bracquemond.40° La Chute sonnet de Léon Valade eau-forte de Solon.41° Le Pitre sonnet de Paul Verlaine eau-forte de Rajon.42° Après la harangue sonnet de Jean Vireton eau-forte de Boilvin. Paris: Alphonse Lemerre Editeur, 1869. hardcover
ref. ABAA-75TH-VBF-16Antwerp 1582. Oblong 8vo 260 x 113 mm with 1 frontispiece and 47 plates. Restoration in the white margin of plates 46 and 47. Quarter-vellum ex libris Sir Thomas North Dik Lauder of Grange and Fountain Hall Brt. 1822 on the front cover flat spine. Case. Binding from the beginning of the 19th century. First edition second Issue. Cat. Schwerdt I 76; Sage A catalogue of the coll. of books on angling… p. 38. One of the most beautiful collections of engravings from the sixteenth century dedicated to hunting and fishing illustrated with a frontispiece inserted in a frame animated with scenes of hunting and fishing and 47 copper engravings 212 x 82 mm illustrating the art of hunting falconry and fishing. Bibliographers underline the rarity of this collection: " Very rare. To compose this magnificent series of figures J. Bol was undoubtedly inspired by Stradanus' prints whose first edition of 'Venationes' was published in 1578 ". J. Thiebaud Bibliographie des ouvrages français sur la chasse 110. First edition second issue according to Schwerdt I 76 with the plates numbered. Second edition according to Thiébaud 110. Philippe Galle a draftsman and a chisel engraver became a member of the Guild of Antwerp in 1570 and a citizen of the same city in 1571. An eminent member of the Dutch School he mainly engraved works by Brueghel. his talent applied to hunt falconry and fishing excels in this series of engravings one of the most famous of the 16th century. FR Anvers 1582. In-8 oblong. 1 titre-frontispice et 47 planches. Restauration ds. la marge blanche des pl. 46 et 47. Demi-vélin à coins ex-libris Sir Thomas North Dik Lauder of Grange and Fountain Hall Brt. 1822 accolé sur le plat supérieur dos lisse. Étui. Reliure du début du XIXe siècle. 260 x 113 mm. Edition originale seconde émission. Cat. Schwerdt I 76; Sage A catalogue of the coll. of books on angling… p. 38. L'un des plus jolis recueils de gravures du XVIe siècle sur la chasse et la pêche orné d'un titre-frontispice inséré dans un encadrement animé de scènes de chasse et de pêche et de 47 estampes gravées sur cuivre 212 x 82 mm illustrant l'art de la chasse de la fauconnerie et de la pêche. Les bibliographes soulignent la rareté de ce recueil : " Très rare. Pour composer cette magnifique série de figures J. Bol s'est sans doute inspiré des estampes de Stradan dont la première édition des 'Venationes' parut en 1578 ". J. Thiebaud Bibliographie des ouvrages français sur la chasse 110. Première édition seconde émission selon Schwerdt I 76 avec les planches numérotées. Seconde édition selon Thiébaud 110. Philippe Galle dessinateur et graveur au burin devint membre de la Gilde d'Anvers en 1570 et citoyen de cette même ville en 1571. Membre éminent de l'École Hollandaise il a principalement gravé des œuvres de Brueghel. Son talent appliqué à la chasse à la fauconnerie et à la pêche excelle dans cette suite de gravures l'une des plus célèbres du XVIe siècle. hardcover
