Jean-François-Pierre Deterville

New edition printed by Crapelet and illustrated with 349 figures including a frontispiece portrait in volume 1, all in contemporary hand-coloring. This edition was later followed by octavo reissues with 263 plates in black. This edition was begun in 1799 and extended until 1804, as volumes by Buffon were later joined by Bloch's Natural History, Bosc's History of Shells, Natural History of Worms, etc... It was intended to comprise all natural histories written, in 80 volumes. It is naturally quite rare to find a copy with colored figures, the vast majority being in black. The drawings were executed by De Sève, and the coloring is precise and very fine, the colors very fresh. Each plate is protected by a tissue guard. There are generally at least 2 figures per plate. The greatest number of plates was devoted to birds, about 130, then to fish, about 110.
This collection contains History of the Earth, History of Man, History of Quadrupeds through volume X, Birds volumes XI to XXVI, Minerals volumes XXVII to XXXI, Fish volumes XXXII to XXXVI, whose authors this time are Eugène Melchior and Louis PATRIN
Contemporary full marbled calf binding. Smooth spine decorated with 4 central fleurons in diamond shapes and scrollwork, fillets and roulettes. Title label and volume labels in chocolate calf. Greek key border on covers. Marbled edges.
Upper joint of volume I split, and lower joint split at tail. Headcap of volume V worn. A lack at head of volume X. Volumes XIX and XXII, head partially worn. In volume XXIV, upper joint narrowly split at head. Volume XIII, a lack along the upper joint at tail. Paper generally fresh and white, occasionally some rare spotting in margins. In volume XXIV, dampstain to inner margin of title page, extending to text. In volume II, pp. 119 to 144, pale yellow dampstain to lower corner, extending onto page. Volume XIX, dampstain from page 1 to 34 over 2/3 of page. Volume XX, upper joint slightly split in part. Some corners bumped. Signs of rubbing.
Handsome set in this Empire binding. Rare collection with colored figures.

New edition.

Contemporary half bottle-green sheep over green paper boards, smooth spine decorated with double gilt fillets and a central gilt fleuron, green endpapers and pastedowns, contemporary binding.

Some light foxing.

"The author's Cosmologie, published at Paris in 1815 [?], devoted considerable space to America". (Sabin, 100990).

First edition of the author's first text. The sixteen plates are lacking in our copy.
Contemporary bindings in half tawny sheep, smooth spines decorated with gilt fillets, roulettes and fleurons, red morocco title labels, paste-paper boards.
Two wormholes at the head of the spine and upper joint of the first volume. Some rubbing. Paper boards marginally discolored. Some traces on the endpapers and first leaves, undoubtedly inherent to the acidity of the glue used in the binding. Modern manuscript note on the rear pastedown of the first volume.
A classic in the field of mineralogy, this work was commissioned as a textbook for the courses of Brongniart and Haüy at the Faculty of Sciences and the Natural History Museum.

New printing of the second edition, illustrated with three folding plates engraved by Tardieu and bound before the table of contents. The first edition was published in 1774.
Contemporary binding in half speckled sheep, smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets and dotted lines, red straight-grained morocco title label, paste-paper boards, the first stamped in gilt with the inscription "Ecole royale d'artillerie de Douai". Bookworm damage to the lower part of the upper joint as well as to the upper part of the lower joint. Front board joint cracked for a few centimeters without significance. One corner slightly bumped.
Some scattered foxing.
Manuscript annotations on the front pastedown, a bibliographer's note in pencil on the first blank endpaper. Several stamps of the Ecole royale d'artillerie de Douai on the verso of the half-title and on the title page.
The work consists of two parts: the first - entitled Précis historique sur les émanations élastiques qui se dégagent des corps pendants la combustion - concerns fixed air; the second, Nouvelles recherches sur l'existence d'un fluide élastique fixe dans quelques substances, et sur les phénomènes qui résultent de son dégagement ou de sa fixation, focuses on the nature of air and marks the beginnings of his research on phlogiston.

With 20 engravings by Moreau, Monsieur, Cochin, Chaspelet and Lebarbier.
Elegant contemporary half red morocco over red paper boards by Simier, spine in six compartments with gilt undulating fillets and blindstamped garlands, as well as gilt fleurons, and gilt friezes to head and foot, some spines sunned, a few scratches to some covers, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, a few corners lightly bumped.
Spotting.
Provenance : from the library of Herman Frasch Whiton with his ex libris to endpapers.
A good copy in an elegant contemporary uniform binding by Simier, one of the most talented master binders of the 19th century.

New edition published in the posthumous works of Jean-François Marmontel.
Half red shagreen bindings, smooth spines decorated with gilt typographical motifs, red cardboard boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges, corners very slightly bumped without significance, contemporary bindings.
Handsome copy despite light foxing.

First edition.
Copy in its original wrappers with small lacks to spine and covers, title label and author's name on spine.