(18th Century Science) | A group of various scientific works

(18th Century Science)

A group of various scientific works 

This group of seven books are on various topics related to science, including works on Newton — two copies of a work by a close friend of Newton containing his reminisces, and one text proving Newton's theory that the earth is slightly flattened at the poles — two works on comets, one French and the other American, and a work compiling various historical and literary Venetian texts with an engraved portrait of Galileo. The six books comprise:

[Newtoniana] — Henry Pemberton. A view of Sir Isaac Newton's philosophy. London: S. Palmer, 1728. First edition, large 4to (282 x 225 mm). 12 folding engraved plates, engraved titlepage vignette, head and tailpieces, and initials in text; soiling to title, occasional spots. Modern boards; spine faded with losses, chipped.

Another copy. 12 folding plates, engravings in text; the final leaf supplied in facsimile, otherwise fresh and bright. Later three-quarter red roan, gilt spine, marbled paper boards, marbled edges; spots of wear and a gouge to the leather, the boards rubbed, hinges starting.

Maupertuis, Pierre Louis Moreau de, et al. The figure of the earth: determined from observations made... at the polar circle. London: T Cox et al., 1738. First edition in English, 8vo (198 x 125 mm). 9 engraved folding plates at rear; staining to title and following leaves, a few minor pale spots to plates. Full contemporary sheep; worn, joints cracked, with losses to spine label. [ESTC T97821]

[Maupertuis, Pierre Louis Moreau de]. Lettre sur la comete. Paris, [s.n.], 1742. First edition, 12mo (140 x 84 mm). Engraved frontispiece. Contemporary speckled calf, gilt spine label; wear to extremities, front joint starting. [Graesse, IV, 448. Barbier II, 1207. Brunet, III, 1543]

Oliver, Andrew. An essay on comets in two Parts. Salem, Mass.: Samuel Hall, 1772. First edition, 8vo (195 x 114 mm). Engraved folding plate at rear; Lightly spotted and toned, dampstain to the title and following leaves, the plate splitting along the fold. Quarter sheep, spine label; soiling to boards, the spine worn with a small losses, front hinge cracked. [ESTC W31958]

[Galileo] — Morelli, Jacopo. Monumenti veneziani di varia letteratura. Jacopo Morelli, ed., Venice: Carlo Palese, 1796. First edition, large blue paper copy, 4to (294 x 208 mm). Engraved frontispiece, titlepage vignette, and 3 engraved illustrations, including a portrait of Galileo; Contemporary paste-paper boards, gilt edges; spine with some surface losses and with ends chipped, altogether an attractive copy.

de Lalande, Joseph Jérôme Lefrançois. Astronomie. Paris: Didot l'aine for Desaint, 1792. Third and best edition. 3 vols, 4to (252x196). 44 engraved plates; dampstains to the first few leaves, lightly foxed throughout, a few minor tears. Contemporary half tan calf over marbled boards, spine gilt in six compartments, labeled and dated in 2nd and 5th, remaining with repeat tooled design, marbled endpapers, marbled edges; worn.

Sold as a collection of volumes not subject to return.

PROVENANCE

The first and second works acquired at Sotheby's, December 10, 1993, lot 738; the fourth with the ownership signature of Robert S. Dunham; the sixth with the bookplate of M. Favia Del Core