First Editions

First edition of this pamphlet devoted to the largest marshland in Italy, the Fucecchio wetlands.

Illustrated with a double-page engraved plate.

Disbound copy.

From the library of the economist, agronomist, industrialist, and lithographer Charles-Philibert de Lasteyrie du Saillant (1759–1849), with his ownership stamp on the title-page.

First edition, illustrated with seven folding plates.

Preserved in its original state, sewn and issued in plain blue paper wrappers with an added inner lining.

This volume gathers eight short papers previously published in the annual reports of the Kew Observatory.

Francis Ronalds (1788–1873), a largely self-taught engineer, became in 1843 the director and superintendent of the Kew meteorological observatory.

His work included, among other tasks, the development of a system for recording meteorological data.

On the front flyleaf, autograph presentation from Francis Ronalds to a member of the Becquerel family, most likely Antoine-César (1788–1878) rather than his son.

This work is in fact the reissue of the original edition, published under a new title: the 1772 edition was entitled "Dissertation sur les vins".

One hundred blank leaves have been bound at the end of the text.

The work saw an expanded edition in 1782, which was subsequently reprinted. (Cf. Simon BG: 510. Not recorded by Vicaire, Oberlé, or Bitting. Lacking from the Kilian Fritsch Collection.)

Contemporary half mottled tawny sheep with vellum-tipped corners, the spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt compartments, marbled paper sides, red edges.

An important treatise on vinification by a former wine merchant’s employee who had worked in France, England, and Holland.

The volume details the methods then used to preserve and improve wines, as well as to treat those that had spoiled. One chapter is devoted to the manner of making wines in Champagne (pp. 135–179). It is also, however, a veritable compendium of “fraudulent recipes”…

An open invitation to fraud, so much so that the censor responsible for granting approval was visibly unsettled: this dissertation "contient les formules suivant lesquelles on sophistique les vins, cependant on peut le laisser imprimer, parce qu'elle n'apprend aux frelateurs de vins que ce qu'ils savent bien faire et qu'elle fait connaître au public qui et prévenu, que les vins frelatés sont dangereux et les moyens qu'on emploie pour le tromper". [D. Denis, Histoire socio-économique de la vigne et du vin.]

Extremely scarce Toulon printing, illustrated with in-text figures and tables.

Only one copy recorded in the CCF (BnF).

Contemporary half brown sheep, the faded smooth spine gilt with fillets, garlands and floral tools, marbled paper boards slightly sunned at the head-margins, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges.

A tear without loss to the foot of the half-title.

A professor at Franeker and later at Amsterdam, Jan Hendrik van Swinden (1746–1823) was the most renowned Dutch physicist of the eighteenth century.

First edition of this paper on cassava and the cultivation of peanuts, read before the General Assembly of the Royal Aragonese Society on 22 August 1800.

Our copy is preserved in modern plain beige wrappers, with a few insignificant spots of foxing.

From the library of the comte de Lasteyrie du Saillant, the renowned agronomist, with his red printed stamp on the title-page.

Second illustrated edition, comprising 15 engraved plates outside the text. (cf. Kayser, Bücher-Lexicon VI, 265.)

Thirteen plates have been delicately hand-coloured at the time, several set against scenic alpine backgrounds; one of the two uncoloured plates depicts traditional alpine cheesemaking tools.

The French text is printed on the verso of the German text.

Very rare suite presented with its original upper wrapper, housed in a modern black box with flat spine, red morocco title-piece, and a large matching morocco label on the upper cover; light and inconsequential surface wear to the boards.

Some text leaves are toned and trimmed short in the margins; one marginal tear to the uncoloured plate; minor foxing in places.

Despite what the title might suggest (as the author explains in his preface), the work is dedicated to Swiss cattle breeds.

A rare and strikingly complete suite.

A substantially posthumous publication, prepared by Ayres de Sá from the notes and papers of the second Viscount of Santarém (1791–1856), who, in addition to his diplomatic and political roles amid the turbulent struggle between Marianist and Miguelist factions in Portugal, was the first historian to develop the study of cartography in a methodical manner.

The work is illustrated with 97 plates in the first volume and 40 plates in the second.

Cherry half-shagreen bindings with corners, spines with five raised bands framed by black fillets and showing some rubbing, marbled paper sides, a scratch to the left margin of the upper cover of the first volume, endpapers and pastedowns with gilt effects, top edges gilt, original wrappers preserved with minor marginal tears and repairs, corners bumped, bookplates pasted on the pastedowns, contemporary bindings.

Exiled to Paris with Dom Miguel in 1834, he continued his research there, leading to significant cartographical publications.

Autograph inscription by the Viscount of Santarém, a descendant of the author, to José Joaquim Ascenção on the half-title of the first volume.

First edition of this second fascicle, printed in Pondicherry by the Rattinamodeliar Press.

Losses to the cracked backstrip and along the board edges, with a few minor spots.

CCFr records copies only at the BnF (the sole institution to hold a complete run), the Collège de France, and Sainte-Geneviève.

The second of the five fascicles of this exceedingly rare botanical publication: they are devoted respectively to Lawsonia alba [or inermis = henna] and to Aristolochia Indica (Indian birthwort).

First edition of the inaugural instalment printed in Pondicherry at the Rattinamodeliar Press.

Losses to the spine and, more lightly, to the board corners; internally a clean and appealing copy.

Recorded in the CCF with copies only at the BnF (the sole institution holding a complete set), the Collège de France, and Sainte-Geneviève.

The first of five parts of this exceedingly scarce botanical publication, devoted entirely to Lawsonia alba [or inermis = henna].

Very rare first edition, illustrated in each volume with a copper-engraved frontispiece by Tardieu after Monnet.

Half black grained cloth bindings, smooth spines decorated with blind fillets, marbled paper boards with light rubbing, sprinkled edges, modest late 19th-century bindings.

Some foxing and a few pale waterstains at the end of the second volume.

This work is an essay whose concerns are strikingly close to our own, though expressed in a very different context.

A founder of French ecological thought, the civil engineer François-Antoine Rauch (1762–1837) demonstrated the direct relationship between deforestation and the increase in extreme weather, calling for the preservation of nature in the interest of humankind. He denounced the large-scale clearing of forests undertaken across continents and advocated the restoration and protection of woodland areas.

In the same spirit, he defended wetlands and marshes, to be made healthy without being drained. The first volume is almost entirely devoted to the dangers and imbalances caused by deforestation; the second focuses on the regeneration of rivers and streams, as well as the drainage of marshes, the whole promoting a return to the “primordial harmony.”

First edition of this study in political economy.

Three copies listed in OCLC, all in the United States. BMC records only the second edition (London, 1809).

"Sur quelle base reposent les gouvernements, les lois, les peuples, les autorités, les souverainetés, les partages, les propriétés, les distinctions, les inégalités : voilà le problème important dont on s'occupera dans cet ouvrage."

Some small losses of paper to the spines and corners, rear cover of the first volume soiled, a pleasant, clean interior.

Rare copy preserved in its original grey wrappers.

First edition (cf Caillet I, 1960. Waller II, 12861a.)

A lack at the foot of the spine of the first volume, covers uniformly browned, handsome interior condition. 

Rare first edition of the author's principal work, but with a most questionable method, since he classifies under the category of alienation all the unknown or misunderstood phenomena of the period (demonolatry, lycanthropy, mysticism, vampirism, witchcraft, etc.).

It has at least the advantage of attempting the first history of psychiatry, from the 15th to the 19th century.

Louis-Florentin Calmeil (1798-1895), intern in Philippe Pinel's service, practiced at Charenton from 1823 to 1873 and was able to benefit from the advances due to the successive direction of Royer-Collard and Esquirol.

Second edition, largely original, as it is considerably expanded (cf. Caillet 2273).

This edition is not cited by Quérard. Not in Blake. NUC: 3 copies.

Rare copy preserved in its original pink wrappers with printed spine label, untrimmed; covers slightly worn with a few corner losses, spine splitting at foot.

The first edition, published anonymously and without publisher’s address, appeared in 1784 [i.e. 1785].

"C'est dans cet ouvrage que le marquis de Puységur fit connaître la découverte qu'il venait de faire (mai 1784) des phénomènes qu'il désigna sous le nom de somnambulisme artificiel. Plusieurs cures importantes minutieusement observées et dûment certifiées, sont relatées dans ces Mémoires indispensables à consulter. L'arbre magnétisé qui fit tant de bruit a sa page historique. L'auteur, l'un des hommes les plus honorables et les plus bienfaisants de son temps, a sans doute émis sur certaines parties de la science en général des idées que celle-ci ne peut accepter aujourd'hui ; mais on ne peut lui refuser une connaissance réelle de ce que l'on savait alors de l'électricité, et personne n'a su mieux tirer parti des ressources offertes par le somnambulisme artificiel" [Caillet].

A good, uncut copy in its original wrappers.

Uncommon first edition.

An early controversy over the skin color of the first known anthropoids, marked by sharply divided opinions rooted as much in common preconceptions as in anthropological analysis.

All participants in the debate were recognized authorities in their respective fields: Pierre-Toussaint Marcel de Serres de Mesplès (1780–1862) in geology; Pierre Lacour (1778–1859) in art history and techniques; and Charles Des Moulins (1798–1875) in botany.

Minor tears and slight losses at the corners of the wrappers, without affecting integrity.

Manuscript ex-libris “La Neufville” at the head of the front cover.

First edition illustrated with two etched plates under tissue guards.

Claude Bernard’s (1813–1878) laboratory notes on alcoholic fermentation (see pp. 3–33) record his experiments on the search for yeast germs on grape clusters, the formation of alcohol in grape juice without ferment, on sound and rotten grapes, on the search for a soluble alcoholic ferment and the influence of decay, and on the production of alcohol. All these experiments were conducted on his estate at Saint-Julien in October 1877, during the grape harvest.

This conception of a soluble ferment as the origin of yeast, a living organism, marked the starting point of the famous controversy between Pasteur and Berthelot.

Rare and appealing copy, largely uncut.

Fourth edition, partly original, revised and considerably enlarged from these lectures given at the Paris School of Pharmacy. The work is illustrated with 600 figures within the text. 

Slight losses or small corner tears to the spines and boards, minor scattered foxing.

A pleasant copy.

First edition of the first of Augustin Sageret’s (1763–1851) two memoirs on cucurbits. Sageret was a pioneer in plant hybridization, particularly through his experiments with melons.

Only two copies of this edition are recorded in the CCF (Muséum and Lyon). Extracted from the Mémoires de la Société royale et centrale d’agriculture, year 1825. Pritzel 7969. Oberlé, Fastes, 708.

Half green long-grain morocco binding, spine faded and slightly darkened, decorated with gilt and black double fillets and blind-stamped floral tools, gilt rolls at head and tail, gilt date at foot, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers, marbled edges, modern binding.

Some foxing mainly affecting the last work, partial shadowing on the title pages of the last two parts, trace of a label at the head of the rear pastedown.

Bound at the end, also in first editions and by the same author:

• I. Deuxième mémoire sur les cucurbitacées, principalement sur le melon, contenant la culture en pleine terre de celui-ci, etc., et les perfectionnemens dont elle serait susceptible. Printed in Paris, Imprimerie de Madame Huzard (née Vallat-la-Chapelle), 1827, 118 pp. Extracted from the Mémoires de la Société royale et centrale d’agriculture, year 1827.
• II. Notice sur le melon de la Chine, fait singulier observé sur un de ces melons, et considérations physiologiques sur la fécondation et sur l’hybridité relatives de ce fait. [Paris], Imprimerie de Madame Huzard (née Vallat-la-Chapelle), n.d. [1828], 16 pp. Extracted from the Annales de la Société d’horticulture de Paris, March 1828. Very rare. Only one copy in the CCF (Muséum).
• Handsome set finely bound by Lobstein-Laurenchet.

First edition illustrated with a folding map at the end of the volume (cf. Nipponalia, I, 2061; Innocencio, IX, 208; lacking from Cordier Japonica, Hill and Palau).

Only two copies recorded in the CCFr (Sorbonne and BULAC).

Rare edition of this account of one of the earliest European voyages undertaken to establish commercial relations with Japan, following the success of the American Commodore Perry in 1853.

Spine cracked with loss at foot, traces of adhesive paper at the head and tail of the endpapers, modern bookplate pasted on the verso of the front cover.

First edition of the first of Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire’s essays on “Philosophie anatomique.”

Illustrated with 10 folding plates drawn by Huet and engraved by Plée père, containing 116 figures (cf. Agassiz III, p. 29, no. 51; British Museum (Natural History) II, p. 656; Engelmann I, p. 263; Quérard III, 320; DSB V, 355-358; Cahn (Th.), La vie et l’œuvre d’Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, pp. 81-112).

Bradel binding in full marbled paper boards, smooth spine with black morocco title label, modern binding signed by Thomas Boichot.

Some foxing to the plates.

Based on a meticulous examination of the various anatomical structures of the respiratory organs in vertebrate animals, the author formulates several principles concerning their organization, the most important being that of the Unity of Composition. According to this principle, all vertebrate species share the same structural elements in equal number. Despite Cuvier’s criticisms, this theory gained traction and was later refined through embryology and paleontology. The work is divided as follows: 1. On the gill cover in fish, hitherto known as the operculum […] and on the four corresponding bones of the auditory canal in air-breathing animals, called the stapes, incus, lenticular and malleus. – 2. On the bones forming the external framework employed in the mechanics of respiration, or the bones of the sternum. – 3. On the anterior bones of the chest, or the hyoid. – 4. On the inner bones of the chest […] including, in air-breathing animals, the elements of the larynx, trachea and bronchi, and in fish, those of the branchial arches, gill teeth and cartilaginous lamellae of the gills. – 5. On the bones of the shoulder, with respect to their determination and their role in the phenomena of respiration. “Geoffroy revitalized comparative anatomy in France and created scientific teratology, experimental embryology, and the concept of paleontological evolution […]. He and his friend Lamarck lived too early to be completely understood” (DSB, V, p. 358).

Two further essays were later published: “Des monstruosités humaines” (1822) and “Fragmens sur la structure et les usages des glandes mammaires des cétacés” (1834).

A precious copy printed on deluxe paper (the two other essays were issued only on regular paper). The text is identical to the octavo edition published the same year, except for the errata, which here contains 12 lines (versus 20 in the regular edition).

First edition of this important work on cryptogams, illustrated with 36 hand-coloured plates (cf. Pritzel 3345).

Contemporary half calf with vellum corners, flat spine decorated with gilt floral rolls, partly rubbed, joints worn, lower cap trimmed with a small loss, black morocco title label, blue paper-covered boards.

Endpapers soiled, a few small spots of foxing.

Justin Girod-Chantrans, writer and naturalist [Besançon, 1750–1841], was one of the founders of the Société d’Agriculture du Doubs.

He was elected a member of the legislative body in 1802 (cf. Hoefer).

First edition of the thesis presented by Paul Bert to the Faculty of Sciences in Paris in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Natural Sciences.

Illustrated with two lithographed plates at the end of the volume.

Some occasional foxing.

Contemporary half red morocco-grained shagreen binding, smooth spine decorated with gilt floral tools, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved (rear cover restored with an adhesive patch), modern binding.

Rare biological thesis by Paul Bert (1833–1886), who was a physician, physiologist, educator, and above all a committed republican politician.

Inscribed and signed by Paul Bert at the head of the title page, addressed to Dr. Comol.

First edition illustrated with in-text figures.

Spine split, small losses to the spine and boards, otherwise a clean and pleasant copy internally.

One of Pasteur’s principal collaborators, Charles Chamberland (1851–1908) served as deputy director of Pasteur’s laboratory on rue d’Ulm from 1879 to 1888.

First edition illustrated with a copper-engraved plate (showing some dampstains) from the second part of this brief communication, which served as an invitation to the public meeting of the Imperial Society of Naturalists of Moscow.

According to the CCF, only the Natural History Museum holds all three parts, published respectively in 1809, 1810, and 1811.

Very rare copy preserved in its original stitched wrappers with the printed pink cover.

Covers slightly discoloured and foxed at the margins, two dampstains affecting the lower edge throughout. Manuscript notes at the head of the front wrapper identifying the author and title.

The Saxon naturalist Fischer von Waldheim (1771–1853) was, in 1805, the founder of the Imperial Society of Naturalists of Moscow, whose aim was to promote the study of natural history in Russia—a society still active today under a different name.

He worked across all fields of natural history, carrying out extensive research on the classification of invertebrates, and published Entomographia Imperii Rossici, issued between 1820 and 1851.

He also studied fossils in the region of Moscow, as well as molluscs and other marine organisms.

Copy from the library of the French naturalist André-Constant Duméril (1774–1860), with his handwritten ex-libris at the lower right corner of the front cover.

First edition, illustrated with two plates, one of which in colour, comprising thirteen figures (cf. Quérard IV, 49).

Half green shagreen binding, spine with four raised bands decorated with gilt tools, light rubbing to the spine, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers, mid-19th-century binding.

Occasional foxing, three small holes to the lower right corner of the title page, manuscript ex-libris: Antoine Delarue – June 1810.

“One of the most remarkable works on natural history of this century. The author devotes an entire chapter to the history of the females; he describes their loves, the way in which new colonies are established and old ones preserved. Passing from the relations between the workers and the winged individuals to those between the workers themselves, he follows them in their migrations, their travels, their particular conduct; he observes the battles fought between ants of different species, etc.”

Rare first edition (cf. Carrère 667).

Modern binding in half mottled calf with small sand-colored corners, spine with four raised bands decorated with double gilt fillets, brown morocco title label, marbled paper boards, yellow endpapers and pastedowns, red edges.

One of the earliest impressions from Remiremont; cited by Deschamps, col. 1102.

Very rare first French edition of this translation, illustrated with a folding plate.

Full mottled tan calf binding, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt fleurons and typographic motifs, red morocco title label, gilt rolls at the head and tail, gilt fillet along the edges, lightly rubbed corners, marbled edges, contemporary binding.

A pleasant copy.

The only French translation of the Libellus, quo demonstratur : Colchici autumnalis radicem non solum tuto posse exhiberi hominibus, sed et ejus usu interno curari quandoque morbos difficillimos, qui aliis remediis non cedunt (Vienna, Trattner, 1763), which was also issued in an English version.

An Austrian physician, Anton von Störck (1731–1803) is best known for his research into the therapeutic potential of plants regarded as poisonous.

His studies are considered pioneering in the field of experimental pharmacology, in which he developed a three-stage procedure for testing the effects and dosage of substances.

The second part bears its own title: Observations de Monsieur Locher sur les maladies vénériennes, l'épilepsie, la folie; & sur l'usage interne & externe de la ciguë.

It also includes observations by M. de Haen, and by Mrs. Razoux & Videmar.

Rare first edition illustrated with one table and two plates showing cranial shapes and portraits of the insane.

See Garrison Morton, 4922. En français dans le texte, 203. Kelly, p. 326. Foucault, Histoire de la folie, 523. Jan Goldstein, Console and classify, 65. Bariéty & Coury, 882.

Half calf binding with corners, smooth spine decorated with gilt floral and ornamental motifs, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, sprinkled edges; modern pastiche binding.

Some foxing mainly affecting the second volume.

Bound at the end of the volume is Jean-Etienne Esquirol’s "Des Établissemens consacrés aux aliénés en France, et des moyens de les améliorer. Mémoire présenté au ministre de l'Intérieur, en septembre 1818", published in Paris, undated, by Renouard, 35 pp.

On the verso of the title page: "Cet opuscule est extrait de l'ouvrage que l'auteur publiera à la fin de janvier 1838, sous le titre: Des maladies considérées sous les rapports médical, hygiénique, statistique et médico-légal." A rare offprint of the text that led to the adoption of the law of 30 June 1838, which established the creation of one psychiatric institution per department and made confinement subject to medical advice. "This Mémoire to the Minister of the Interior on conditions in Hospitals and Prisons is one of the ablest and most influential documents in the history of administrative psychiatry" (Zilboorg & Henry p. 391, cited in Haskell F. Norman Library, III, 1062). A judicious pairing of two fundamental texts.

First edition.

Our copy is preserved in its original wrappers, under a provisional violet paper cover.

A vertical crease runs through the entirety of the booklet.

Inscribed and signed by Lambert-Adolphe Quetelet to Edmond Becquerel at the head of the title page.

A naturalist, mathematician, and astronomer, Lambert-Adolphe Quetelet (1796–1874) was the founder of the Brussels Observatory.

Head of the collection of this technical periodical, which appeared for only three years (1839, 1840, and 1841); this set comprises all the issues published from January 1839 to December 1840.

Half lavallière calf bindings with corners, smooth spines lightened and decorated with gilt and blind fillets, red calf title labels, green volume labels, some rubbing to the spines, marbled paper boards, marbled edges, contemporary bindings.

Some occasional foxing.

The first volume is illustrated with in-text figures and 3 plates out of text; the second contains in-text figures.

The articles abound in practical details on the state of science and technology during the July Monarchy.

All manner of precise papers address an extraordinary variety of topics: beer (domestic and economical), autopsies, glanders in horses, rabid dogs, details on the daguerreotype and Daguerre’s process (vol. I, pp. 434–439 and 529–537, and vol. II, three articles), potatoes (starch, use, bread-making, price, vol. I), lithography, mummification, vine-growing (in Russia, vol. I), methods for bleaching and cleaning engravings and removing stains from books (vol. I, pp. 276–278), vaccination (vol. I, pp. 567–574), steam baths (Duval’s apparatus, vol. II), steamships, the budget of the city of Paris for the year 1840 (vol. II, pp. 278–282), coffee, the opium trade in India and China (vol. II, pp. 102–106), paper, etc.

The editor, Jean-Baptiste-Alphonse Chevallier (1793–1879), taught at the Paris School of Pharmacy and played a key role in two fields: urban public hygiene (disinfection of sewers, sanitation of the Canal Saint-Martin, etc.) and industrial toxicology related to occupational diseases.

Rare first edition of three scientific reports from the zoological exploration mission of Guy-René Babault (1883-1963), corresponding member of the Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, carried out in present-day Kenya and Uganda in 1913. 

The set comprises: Volume 1: Insectes coléoptères. Cicindelidae, by Guy Babault. – Volume 2: Insectes coléoptères. Fam. Carabidae. Subf. Anthiinae, by G. Bénard. – Volume 3: Étude d'une collection d'oiseaux de l'Afrique orientale anglaise et de l'Ouganda, by A. Menegaux, with field notes by Guy Babault. 

The first volume includes illustrations in the text and one hand-colored entomological plate with tissue guard and facing leaf of legends; the second volume contains one hand-colored entomological plate with tissue guard and facing legends; the third and final volume features six hand-colored ornithological plates with tissue guards, together with a large folding colored map bound at the end. 

Spine and boards marginally faded or sunned, internally well preserved. 

New edition with hitherto unpublished material, printed three years after the first edition.
Contemporary full brown sheepskin binding, smooth spine with 7 gilt compartments decorated with friezes and classical vases, leather lettering piece, inscription "Lycée impérial de Marseille, prix de l'an XIII (1805)" gilt-stamped on upper cover, gilt rolls on board edges, tooled spine-ends, white pastedowns and endpapers, price label with the "Lycée's" header affixed to front pastedown. Usual wear to joints with a small hole, lower spine-end missing and leather loss at foot of spine, wormhole affecting several letters of the word "Marseille" on front cover, corners bumped, gilt tooling on board edges and spine-ends slightly faded, hole to half-title leaf not affecting text, and leaves throughout cockled.
Ink annotation on title page: "1ère Edition 1796".

Four further editions will follow the first two: 1808, 1813, 1824, and 1835 (the latter published posthumously).

First edition in book form; the rare original edition was issued in parts between 1845 and 1856 (Brunet, I, 1707. Garrison and Morton reference three works by Cazenave on skin diseases).

Illustrated with 60 large and striking hand-colored plates.

Contemporary half red shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands adorned with double gilt and black fillets, sides covered in marbled “cat’s eye” paper, some rubbing to the upper portion of the front board, endpapers and pastedowns in combed marbled paper, corners a bit worn; later binding.

Minor foxing, a pleasing copy overall.

Head of collection of this important medical periodical, whose significance needs no further demonstration. It was published until 1914 (volume XLII) and included most of the essential contributions to the advancement of medical science in the 19th century.

The set is illustrated with 61 plates hors-texte, some lithographed and/or folding.

Half cherry calf bindings, smooth spines decorated with gilt fillets, romantic arabesques and blind-stamped fleurons, a few small rubs to some headcaps or joints, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, some corners slightly bumped, marbled edges, period bindings.

Beautiful set in a contemporary romantic binding signed by Bunetier.

Extremely rare first edition of the French translation prepared by Désiré Mouren.

There appears to have been no Portuguese edition of this pioneering work in the field of oceanography.

Losses to the spine, upper cover starting to detach, small marginal losses to the boards.

Francisco Calheiros da Graça (1849-1906), a Brazilian naval lieutenant, took part in the operations against Paraguay and conducted several scientific studies and hydrographic surveys.

Extremely rare.

Manuscript ex-libris on the upper cover.

First edition, with a frontispiece photograph depicting Gustave Eiffel in his laboratory, and 28 plates outside the text, some folding (an additional copy of plate 26 is included).

Publisher’s binding in white cloth-backed boards with corners, flat spine showing some soiling and small tears at head and foot, printed paper label mounted on spine, printed title on upper board, corners slightly rubbed.

Pleasant internal condition.

A light water stain in the left margin of the frontispiece and at the foot of the lower cover, some soiling to the bottom of the upper cover, and a few pencil annotations in the margins.

The author presents the results of experiments carried out at the Champ-de-Mars near the Eiffel Tower: 1. Installation of the laboratory and methods used (velocity measurement, aerodynamic balance, centres of pressure, pressure distribution on a plate surface, etc.). – 2. General results (square, rectangular and curved plates, parallel surfaces, cylindrical bodies, pressure distribution). – 3. Aeroplane wings (Esnault-Pelterie and Nieuport monoplanes; Wright, Maurice Farman and Bréguet biplanes). The volume is illustrated with 28 plates including diagrams, photographs, graphs, and technical schematics relating to these studies. A particularly interesting copy, annotated by a scientist named René Arnout, author of a paper published in 1910 in the Comptes rendus de l’Académie des sciences ("L’équilibre longitudinal et la courbure des surfaces portantes des aéroplanes"; see his handwritten note on p. 20 of the present volume).

Very rare first edition of this pamphlet, absent from all bibliographies consulted on the subject (Borba de Moraes, Rodrigues, Maggs, Bibliotheca brasiliensis, Robert Bosch), as well as from the national libraries of Brazil and Portugal.

Tears and losses at the corners of the covers, spine reinforced with a brown adhesive strip, a few small spots of foxing.

First and only Castilian edition of these navigation tables, which were nonetheless translated into English as early as 1801.

No copy recorded in the CCF.

Contemporary half vellum with corners, smooth spine tooled in blind with Greek key rolls, rubbed cherry shagreen label with losses, marbled paper boards with scratches and losses, sprinkled edges, period binding.

José de Mendoza y Ríos (1761-1816) was a mathematician and astronomer; he specialised in the field of nautical astronomy.

First edition.

Bradel binding in half beige cloth, smooth spine, black oasis morocco lettering-piece, marbled paper boards, original wrappers preserved, slightly soiled at the margins and reinforced, modern binding signed Laurenchet.

Some minor foxing.

Rare first edition.

A pleasing copy.
Contemporary full black cloth, spine gilt-stamped with a floral tool, double gilt fillet at foot of spine, red shagreen lettering-piece, blue paper endpapers and pastedowns, sprinkled edges, slightly frayed corners, contemporary binding.
Very rare signed and inscribed copy by Georges Gilles de la Tourette: "A mon cher confrère et ami le Dr Diamantberger. Gilles de La Tourette."

Dr. Mayer Saül Diamantberger was assistant physician at the Rothschild Hospital in the 1890s and regarded as one of the pioneers of rheumatology in France.  

First edition, printed in a small number, of this offprint from the Bulletin hebdomadaire de l'Association scientifique de France of 16 and 23 December 1883.

Slight losses to the corners of the wrappers, a small stain at the head of the upper cover.

Rare offprint providing the report of the scientific mission of the Talisman [1882-1883] directed by Léon Louis Vaillant, whose results were considerable, particularly regarding the ichthyological fauna of the great depths.

Alphonse Milne-Edwards [1835-1900], professor of zoology at the Muséum and member of the Académie des Sciences, was one of the members of the scientific commission of the Talisman expedition. 

Inscribed and signed by A. Milne-Edwards on the upper cover.

First edition, one of the rare copies printed on deluxe paper.

Full cherry-red shagreen binding, spine with four raised bands decorated with gilt fillets and triple gilt panels, some rubbing to headcaps and bands, gilt rolls at the headcaps, gilt fillet, dotted and garland borders on the covers, scratches and stains to the lower portion of the front cover, white moiré silk endpapers and pastedowns, gilt garland borders on the pastedowns, all edges gilt, gilt dots on the edges, contemporary binding.

One wormhole at the foot of the final leaves not affecting the text, some foxing, particularly on the white endpapers, library shelf labels pasted on a pastedown.

Important official directory, listing the names and positions of staff of the Chambers of Agriculture and Commerce, the Grandes Écoles, engineers of Bridges and Roads, Mining engineers, Railways, etc.

A copy handsomely preserved in a contemporary binding.

Rare first edition.

Small tears and corner losses to the spine and boards.

Signed autograph inscription from Joseph Louis Trouessart to Sainte-Beuve on the half-title.

First edition of the French translation (cf. Sabin, 33726 (original edition). Humboldt Library, 4696.)

Complete text, without the Atlas, which was published many years later (1867) and is frequently lacking.

Tears and small marginal losses to some leaves, spine of the second volume split, slight splitting at head and tail of the other volumes, foot of the spine of the first volume restored, some minor foxing.

First complete French edition, translated by H. Faye, of this seminal work by one of the greatest scholars and explorers of the nineteenth century; a masterful synthesis through which Alexander von Humboldt founded physical geography (P. Rousseau, Hist. de la science, p. 362).

The author himself regarded this as the work of his life.

Thanks to his scientific training and his various expeditions, in particular the exploration of South America with Aimé Bonpland, Humboldt was able to gather in a single work all the material, the sum of knowledge on celestial phenomena and life on Earth, from nebulae to the mosses clinging to granite rocks.

This work truly marks a milestone in the intellectual development of humanity.

First edition, printed in a very small number of copies of this offprint from the Journal de l'agriculture et des pays chauds, 1865-1866; cf. Berger & Rey, p. 232. Not cited by Pritzel.

Bradel binding in full green boards, smooth spine, black shagreen lettering piece, modern binding.

Dr. Victor Pérez was a physician in Laguna (Tenerife) and Dr. Sagot (1821-1888) was a former surgeon in the Imperial Navy.

Pleasant and rare copy.

First edition illustrated with 62 figures in the text or full-page, included in the pagination.

Half green oasis morocco, spine with five raised bands, marbled paper sides, endpapers and pastedowns of marbled paper, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, modern binding signed Laurenchet.

A few small spots of foxing, manuscript ex-dono at the head of the front wrapper.

A pleasing copy.

First edition, printed in very small numbers, of this offprint from the Bulletins de l'Académie royale de Belgique, 3rd series, vol. IV, no. 12.

No copy in the CCF. A single copy in Worldcat.

Traces of a label and of a distribution stamp in the left margin of the upper cover, a few small spots of foxing.

The physicist Charles Montigny (1819-1890) was director of the science section of the Académie royale des Sciences et Belles-Lettres de Bruxelles, of which he had been a member since 1867.

Inscribed by Charles Montigny to Admiral Ernest Mouchez (1821-1892), a specialist in hydrological and astronomical observations, director of the Paris Observatory from 1878.

First edition, illustrated with 67 full-page color plates, as well as 2 maps and a full-page sketch.

A rare and significant work.

Small loss to the foot of the spine on the first volume, spines lightly marked and cracked in places; otherwise a pleasing complete set in 4 volumes.

First and only edition, with a tumultuous publishing history: the first volume had been printed as early as 1835 by Paulin, but the entire edition was destroyed in the fire on rue du Pot-au-Fer. The author subsequently revised his work and published a new version in 1838, simultaneously with the second volume.

Minor marginal defects to spines and covers; the second volume is bound in a temporary plain wrapper (lacking the printed covers); scattered foxing.

First edition, illustrated in the text and with 7 plates out of text, including two heliogravure views, one black-and-white map, and 4 folding maps in colour.

Contemporary half green morocco binding, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt fleurons, marbled paper boards ("cat's eye" pattern), marbled endpapers and pastedowns, speckled edges. A fine period binding.

A few minor spots, mostly on the endpapers; a handsome copy.

First edition, printed in a small number of copies, of this offprint from the Annales des sciences physiques et naturelles, d'agriculture et d'industrie de Lyon, I, 1838, illustrated with 3 lithographed plates including one folding. (cf. Stafleu, II, 2645. Not in Pritzel.)

Upper right corner of the front wrapper restored.

An appealing copy, bearing a presentation inscription from the author on the front wrapper: "Hommage à M. Lemaire. Offert par l'auteur". This may refer to the botanist Charles Lemaire (1800–1871), author of the Flore des serres et des jardins de l'Europe and a specialist in cacti—plants that are almost exclusively native to the Americas.

Minor tears and marginal losses to the wrappers; some foxing.

Rare.

First edition of this major work, illustrated with 12 engraved plates and 85 figures in the text (cf. Garrison-Morton 2485. Osler 1550. Duveen 461. Cushing P/139. Waller 10966. Norman 1658).

In studying the process of fermentation, Pasteur demonstrated that the spoilage of beer was caused by airborne microorganisms, and not by spontaneous generation as previously believed.

His research contributed significantly to the treatment and preservation of perishable beverages such as beer, wine, and milk.

A very attractive copy, preserved in its original wrappers.

First edition, printed in small numbers as an offprint from the supplement to the March 1928 issue of the journal "L'Astronomie".

Minor marginal tears to the wrappers, not affecting the text; a well-preserved copy.

First edition, illustrated with in-text figures and 9 folding plates; see En français dans le texte, 362. Norman 715 ("Esnault-Pelterie's most important contribution to rocketry").

Minor tears at head and tail of spine, a well-preserved copy.

First edition of each volume.

No copy of this series listed in the CCF.

Contemporary bindings in quarter bottle-green or black sheep, flat spines decorated with double gilt fillets, marbled paper boards, endpapers and pastedowns of combed or tub-marbled paper; the first volume bound at the time of publication.

Some rubbing to the headcaps of the first two volumes.

 I. Minutes of the twenty-sixth [- thirty-ninth] meeting, 18 January 1932 [26 October 1932]: 6 pp., 7 pp., 9 pp., 11 pp., 5 pp., 3 pp., 3 pp., 4 pp., 2 pp., 6 pp., 9 pp., 4 pp., 3 pp., 4 pp. II. Minutes of the fortieth [forty-eighth] meeting, 7 February 1933 [21 December 1933]: 8 pp., 4 pp., 4 pp., 6 pp., 11 pp., 4 pp., 3 pp., 4 pp., 4 pp. III. Minutes of the forty-ninth [eighty-sixth] meeting, 18 January 1934 [23 December 1935]: 4 pp., 6 pp., 8 pp., 4 pp., 4 pp., 5 pp., 6 pp., 11 pp., 6 pp., 2 pp., 5 pp., 4 pp., 7 pp., 8 pp., 3 pp., 4 pp., 7 pp., 2 pp., 6 pp., 5 pp., 27 pp., 12 pp., 5 pp., 7 pp., 8 pp., 11 pp., 6 pp., 6 pp., 5 pp., 9 pp., 8 pp., 6 pp., 8 pp., 2 pp., 2 pp., 4 pp., 3 pp., 8 pp. IV. Minutes of the eighty-seventh [one hundred fourteenth] meeting, 7 January 1936 [29 December 1936]: 4 pp., 4 pp., 3 pp., 7 pp., 5 pp., 4 pp., 4 pp., 3 pp., 10 pp., 6 pp., 3 pp., 2 pp., 6 pp., 5 pp., 2 pp., 2 pp., 3 pp., 5 pp., 5 pp., 5 pp., 2 pp., 4 pp., 4 pp., 2 pp., 4 pp., 4 pp., 3 pp., 2 pp.

First edition, printed in a very small number of copies, of this extremely rare offprint (cf. Tardy 338 for the complete edition. Not listed by Polak.)

Some minor foxing, a handwritten letter "R" in ink at the upper right corner of the front wrapper.

A pleasant copy.

First french translation of the article originally published in the New York Sun in August 1825 under the title Great astronomical discoveries lately made by Sir John Herschel, along with the content of the five subsequent installments.

Bradel binding in full marbled paper-covered boards, flat spine, vertical title label with a small chip, modern binding.

First edition (cf. Polak 2791).

Contemporary half purple calf binding, smooth spine darkened and decorated with gilt fillets, garlands and fleurons, marbled paper boards, hand-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, red edges. Corners rubbed. Period binding.

Small restored loss to the title page, two scuffs to the foot of the upper board.

The author, a former graduate of the École Polytechnique, was a professor of navigation.

First edition, illustrated with four plates bound at the end of the volume, as well as figures and tables within the text.

Bound in contemporary half bottle-green shagreen, spine with five raised bands framed by gilt fillets, gilt library stamp at foot of spine, some rubbing to spine, marbled paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, upper corners slightly bumped.

Charles Edouard Guillaume [1861–1938], Swiss physicist, was the inventor of “invar”, a metal notable for its negligible thermal expansion; developed with Benoit and Carpentier.

A very good copy.

First edition, without volumes III to V, which were published posthumously in 1957.

Volume I: Energy (points, meridians, circulation), illustrated with 100 plates, including 44 in two colors.

Volume II: The use of energy, with 17 illustrations.

The diplomat and sinologist George Soulié de Morant (1878–1955) introduced the practical application of acupuncture to France in 1929, overcoming considerable resistance from the academic establishment.

Endpapers slightly and marginally soiled; two repaired tears to the head and foot of the spine of the second volume; otherwise, a pleasing set.

Copy from the library of Maurice Peyrache, with his ink stamps on the endpapers.

Album of 50 full-page plates signed by Lange, each with captioned tissue guards (cf. Polak 6415).

Publisher's binding in red half shagreen, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt dotted rolls and black fillets, gilt naval anchors, gilt title and naval anchor on the upper cover in red cloth, marbled endpapers and pastedowns.

Some minor foxing, a few faded spots along the edges of the covers, a well-preserved copy overall.

A fine visual survey of the French navy at the end of the 19th century, featuring 44 warships and 6 merchant vessels (from the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, Messageries Maritimes, Chargeurs Réunis, Albert Méniér, and Ant. Dom Bordes).

First edition, illustrated with drawings by the author.

Minor foxing to the upper cover, slight creasing to the upper outer corners of the final leaves.

A survey of various aerial navigation devices, their construction, the history of aviation, microlights, gliders, flying bicycles, and toy airplanes.

A rare work by Henry de Graffigny, who inspired the character of Roger-Marin Courtial des Pereires—an eccentric genius inventor—in *Mort à Crédit* by Louis-Ferdinand Céline.

First edition, with no deluxe copies printed.

Publisher's full blue cloth binding, smooth spine, copy complete with its photographic dust jacket, showing minor tears at the head and tail of the spine without loss.

Text by Françoise Dolto, photographs by Alecio de Andrade.

Inscribed and signed by Françoise Dolto and Alecio de Andrade on the front free endpaper.

First edition, illustrated with a folding map bound at the end (cf. Quérard I 529).

Copy preserved in its original plain green wrappers,

uncut, some foxing to the map.

"Tableau des stations géodésiques et astronomiques choisies pour déterminer la mesure de l'arc du parallèle terrestre compris entre les tours de Cordouan et de Fiume, et qui doit s'étendre jusqu'à Orsowa en Transilvanie".

Inscribed and signed by Joseph-François Nicollet on the title-page, addressed to a Monsieur Pouillet.

Very rare original edition illustrated with 2 folding maps out of text.

Two small losses at the head and foot of the spine, otherwise an agreeable interior condition.

The work was composed with the collaboration of Dr. Mougeot.

Very rare first edition of this short treatise advocating the cultivation of jute in Indochina, at a time when British India held an almost total monopoly over its production.

Single copy recorded in the CCF (ASOM).

Upper cover detached, with minor marginal tears and soiling.

First edition of the bilingual Greek-Latin text of Iamblichus' Life of Pythagoras by Ludolf Küster from the manuscript held at the Laurentian Library. The facing Latin translation is the work of Frédéric Ulrich Obrecht and Konrad Rittershausen. Bound at the end is Porphyry’s Life of Pythagoras.

Illustrated with a large frontispiece portrait of Pythagoras, based on a coin from the collection of Fulvio Orsini.

Contemporary Dutch gilt-panelled vellum boards, spine with 5 raised bands and gilt ornaments with the arms of the city of Amsterdam, large gilt arms of the city of Amsterdam on each board within double gilt floral borders around sides both with incorporated coat of arms of Amsterdam within vegetal ornaments, armorial corner ornaments, speckled edges. Vellum darkened, a 2.5 cm split to the middle of the upper joint, one abrasion and a pale mark to the upper cover, some gilt tooling partially faded,traces of ties, scattered foxing.

Magnificent copy of the Neoplatonist biographies of Pythagoras by Iamblichus and Porphyry, with the arms of the city of Amsterdam featuring the Stedemaagd, the allegorical female figure of the city flanked by cherubs.

Rare first edition of this essential supplement to the Flore forestière (1881–1897) by Jean-Baptiste-Louis Pierre (1833–1905), director of the Saigon Botanical Garden.

OCLC locates copies only at the BnF and the Natural History Museum.

Publisher's binding in brown cloth-backed boards, plain flat spine, paper-covered boards slightly sunned and soiled, title printed on upper board, bumped corners, minor wear to edges.

Text in two columns.

Clean and fresh interior.

First edition. (See Perret 2404. Not listed in Sabin.)

A handsome copy.

Contemporary midnight blue half shagreen bindings, spines with four raised bands adorned with gilt dotted rules and triple gilt panels with decorative tools, minor rubbing to the tail of the spine of the first volume, blind-stamped borders on the boards covered in midnight blue paper, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, two corners slightly bumped, the others very lightly worn, all edges gilt.

The first volume includes 28 plates out of text (2 in colour), 1 leaf of legend, 4 double-page coloured maps; the second volume contains 14 plates out of text (1 in colour) and 4 double-page coloured maps.

Major study of the respiratory effects of natural depressions and elevations in atmospheric pressure. Chapter III explores the altitudes of South America, Chapter IV focuses on Mexico. A particularly significant chapter details the experiments conducted by the author with Paul Bert. Denis Jourdanet practised medicine in Central America, especially in Mexico, where he studied the medical implications of altitude. As early as 1861, he published the results of his initial observations. In the mid-19th century, early high-altitude mountain ascents and balloon ascents gave rise to the need for in-depth research into the physiological impact of altitude. Jourdanet and Paul Bert collaborated on this topic: thanks to Jourdanet’s generous support, Paul Bert was able to equip his Sorbonne laboratory with two large cylindrical chambers in which air pressure could be raised or lowered at will. For a time, the two scientists considered publishing their findings together, "mais la réflexion nous fit bientôt voir que l'exécution de ce projet serait impossible (…) Il n'en est pas moins vrai qu'il reste encore entre nous deux, sinon dans les opinions intimes, du moins dans l'ensemble de l'œuvre, comme une solidarité qui ne permet pas qu'on nous sépare d'une manière absolue" (Appendix, vol. II, p. 293). Jourdanet's work offers the medical perspective, grounded in "longue pratique médicale au milieu de conditions exceptionnelles de pressions barométriques", whereas Paul Bert would go on to publish the experimental results and consequences of extreme barometric pressures in "La pression barométrique. Recherches de physiologie expérimentale", 1878.

Rare first edition illustrated with 10 splendid full-page colour plates by John Gerrard Keulemans, lithographed, hand-coloured and gum-finished (cf. Not in Gay. Nissen, Illustrierten Vogelbücher, 74. Anker, Bird Books, p. 69. Unrecorded by Ronsil, Bibliographie ornithologique française. Zimmer, p. 39).

Contemporary half brown morocco over marbled boards, spine with five raised bands, slightly faded, gilt lettering with date and place at foot, corners in morocco, orange endpapers and pastedowns. Minor rubbing to spine.

"Portugal too, has contibuted to the knowledge of african avifauna, for instance in the work 'Ornithologie d'Angola' […] an important monograph on the birds inhabiting the Portuguese possessions of Central and West Africa" (Anker, p. 69).

José Vincente Barboza du Bocage (1823–1907), Portuguese politician and zoologist, served as director of the National Museum of Zoology in Lisbon. He was unrelated to the French geographers of the Barbier du Bocage family.

John Gerrard Keulemans (1842–1912) was "one of the greatest foreign wildlife artists, illustrator of many of the finest English works" (Ronsil, L'Art français dans le livre d'oiseaux).

The title page of the first instalment (1877) has been preserved and bound in before the final title page (1881).

Autograph dedication by José Vincente Barboza du Bocage on the title page: "British Ornithologists' Union hommage de l'auteur". Old pencil annotations to the list of plates. A handsome copy.

Rare first edition of this highly practical manual intended for sanitary inspection, each of the 90 plates featuring detailed explanatory text alongside corresponding illustrations.

The foreword is missing from our copy.

Publisher's binding in grey cloth-backed boards, plain spine showing some rubbing, illustrated upper cover, light dampstain to lower right corner of the upper board, minor rubbing to the lower cover.

Eugène Aureggio (1844–1924), a military veterinarian trained at Alfort, was then in charge of inspecting butcher’s meat.

First collected edition of the author's works (see Quérard, V, 642; DSB, IX, 186–189; Poggendorff I, 85).

Printed in Dresden by George Conrad Walther ["Printed in Leipsic by Jean Gottlob Immanuel Breitkopf"]

Full mottled fawn calf, spine with five raised bands richly gilt in compartments with floral tools, red morocco label, joints restored, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, red edges; contemporary binding.

Some occasional foxing; restorations to the joints, edges and corners of the boards.

First edition of the "Works" of Maupertuis. Pages 95 to 142 contain the "Mesure de la terre au Cercle Polaire"; pages 311 to 326 feature the "Relation d'un Voyage fait dans la Lapponie septentrionale pour trouver un ancien monument".

On Maupertuis, see the extensive entry by Bentley Glass in the DSB: "A philosopher as well as a scientist, Maupertuis proved himself a powerful and original thinker in Essai de Cosmologie (1750). According to A.O. Lovejoy, he anticipated Beccaria and Bentham and, along with Helvétius, represents 'the headwaters of the important stream of utilitarian influence which became so broad and sweeping a current through the work of the Benthamites' (…) He rejected the favorite eighteenth-century argument in favor of God - the argument from design - and instead, like Hume, he formulated a view of adaptation based on the elimination of the unfit. He recognized that Newton's laws are insufficient to explain chemestry, and even more so life, and turned to Leinbiz for ideas about the properties of consciousness".

Contemporary manuscript ex-libris on the front flyleaf: "Claude Wendell Horton".

First edition, illustrated with numerous in-text tables.

Spine split with small losses, a restored tear at the foot of the upper cover, minor losses to the lower cover, internally well preserved.

Antoine-Paulin Pihan (1810–1879), who was proficient in Arabic, Turkish, and Persian, held the modest post of compositor in the Oriental Typography department at the Imprimerie Impériale. Yet the volume of his linguistic work reveals an orientalist of far greater depth than his official title suggests. This work documents a remarkable variety of numeral systems (see the alphabetical index at the end of the volume), ranging from Albania to Japan, and from Ethiopia to Mongolia.