Observatoire de Paris, Atlas photographique de la lune, Paris, 1899-1910, 5 parts plus 27 plates

OBSERVATOIRE DE PARIS

Atlas photographique de la lune... exécuté par M.M. Loewy, M.P. Puiseux. Paris: Imprimerie nationale, 1899-1910

4 fascicules (only, of 12; comprising the fourth, fifth, eighth and ninth) and the general index, 5 parts, 4to (323 x 248mm.), half-titles, in modern green paper wrappers with original printed wrappers pasted to upper covers (lacking for the eighth fascicule), a few small paper repairs

27 heliogravure plates only (803 x 597mm.), together with the title-pages for parts a, d, h and k, the upper covers of the wrappers for fascicules 1 (1896), 8 (1904) and 11 (1909), one sheet containing the tableau d'assemblage, wrappers repaired, a few creases; sold as a collection of plates not subject to return (the individual plate numbers are available on request)

This substantial and ground-breaking project by Maurice Loewy and Pierre Puiseux was published in 12 volumes from 1896 to 1910. The aim was to record accurately through photography the surface of the moon in order to track any future changes to that surface. The photographs were taken through the 24-inch coudé refractor, which had been invented by Loewy in 1889.