2 WORKS BY PENTHER, PRAXIS GEOMETRIAE, 1755 [AND] GNOMONICA FUNDAMENTALIS & MECHANICA, 1768

i. Praxis geometriae, worinnen nicht nur alle bey dem Feld-Messen vorkommende Fälle, mit Stäben, dem Astrolabio, der Boussole, und der Mensul, in Ausmessung eintzeler Linien, Flächen und gantzer Revier. Augsburg: Jeremiah Wolff, 1755 [bound with] Zugabe Zur Praxi Geometriæ. Augsburg: Heirs of Jeremiah Wolff & Johann Michael Probst, 1754, 2 parts in one volume, folio, engraved frontispiece, woodcut initials, 39 folding engraved plates, contemporary calf, speckled edges, (bought from Historical Technology, Marblehead, MA, 1990), [T&W P38, P39; not in VD18], first title with marginal repair, binding rubbed and repairedii. Gnomonica fundamentalis & mechanica. Augsburg: Johann Michael Späth for Johann Georg Hertel, 1768, folio, engraved frontispiece (folding, bound at back), 15 folding engraved plates (edge-mounted on thick paper), modern half reused vellum, marbled boards, speckled edges, (bought from Jeffrey D. Mancevice, Worcester, MA, 1989), [T&W P37; not in VD18], minor staining, binding slightly rubbed

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, 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."

Penther’s Praxis geometriae, a treatise on applied geometry for land surveying, and his first publication (1732), was so successful that it reached its eighth edition in 1776, and was reprinted at least once after this date. It is sometimes called the first book on geometry for foresters, since the author, Professor für Ökonomie in Göttingen, explains how to calculate the division of a coppice-wood into coupes to ensure an equal output each year.