Marin

Monument élevé a la gloire de Pierre-Le-Grand

1777réf. 115583Paris: Nyon and Stoupe 1777. The invention of ball bearings making possible one of the great engineering feats of the 18th century First edition of this account of this remarkable feat the first practical use of ball bearings in engineering. Charged with designing the bronze equestrian statue of the Russian emperor Peter the Great that remains a celebrated landmark of St Petersburg the French sculptor Etienne Falconet decided that the traditional pedestal for equestrian statues would be too mundane. Only a massive rock would suffice. Eventually an enormous piece of granite was located in a marsh near the Gulf of Finland. The Thunder Stone as it was dubbed was estimated to be 40 feet long 25 feet side and 21 feet tall and weighed some 1800 tons: about 1300 tons more than any of the obelisks moved by the ancient Egyptians or Romans. Most engineers declared its removal impossible but Catherine the Great turned to Carburi a Greek of dubious moral reputation who had banished himself from his native island of Cephalonia and had come to Russia where he found favour with the empress. To move the giant rock Carburi devised a gigantic sled moving on a system of rails and six-inch bronze ball bearings. Although ball bearings had been shown in earlier sketches by both Leonardo da Vinci and Agostino Ramelli Carburi's feat was the first practical demonstration of their use. It predated the first modern recorded patent on ball bearings that awarded to Philip Vaughan a British inventor and ironmaster who created a design for a ball bearing in Carmarthen in 1794 by more than two decades. The project invited comparison to the moving of the Vatican obelisk by Fontana in the 16th century which Carburi here argues must have been easier because it was a shorter distance. Folio 423 x 280 mm. With 12 folding engraved plates most double-page by Sellier and d'Elvaux after Blarenberg. Contemporary mottled calf red morocco label spine gilt in compartments marbled endpapers red edges. Armorial bookplate of Henry Tronchin. Skilful and unobtrusive repairs to joints and tips final two plates with a couple of very light red paint marks occasional variable light browning and offsetting overall a pleasing copy of this handsome folio. Berlin Kat. 1794. unknown

Peter Harrington · Royaume-Uni3 500,00 £GB≈ 4 180,20 €

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