BRAMER, BESCHREIBUNGE, MARBURG, 1615, MODERN CALF-BACKED BOARDS

4to (197 x 141mm.), woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces, woodcut diagrams, 2 folding woodcut plates, modern half calf, some heavy browning, small tear to each plate

bought from Martayan Lan, New York, 2005

Tomash & Williams Add 9; VD17 39:121571A

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

RARE FIRST EDITION of Bramer's practical treatise on the construction and usage of a sector or proportional compass. He mentions previous writers on the subject, from Galileo and Bernegger to Thomas Digges and Tycho Brahe. Bramer was adopted at a young age by the mathematician Jost Bürgi, his brother-in-law, who gave him an excellent education. He later became master builder to the court of the Protestant Landgrave Moritz of Hesse-Kassel, planning fortifications and defences during the early years of the Thirty Years' War.