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Very rare and innovative work by the 'father of photogrammetry', with his homage in pen

LAUSSEDAT, Aimé.
Recherches sur les instruments, le méthodes et le dessin topographiques, par le Colonel A. Laussedat, membre de l'Institut, directeur du Conservatoire national des Arts et Métiers. Tome I. Aperçu historique sur les instruments et les méthodes. La topographie dans tous les temps. Tome II. Première partie: Iconométrie et métrophotogravure. Tome II. Deuxième partie: Développement et progrès de la métrophotographie à l'étranger et en France.

With more than 300 (full-page) (photographic) illustrations in the text and 47 mostly folding or double-page (photographic) maps, plans, profiles and plates.

Paris, Gauthier-Villars, Imprimeur-libraire du Conservatoire national des A Three parts in two volumes. Large 8vo. Contemporary half chagrin with giltlettered, ribbed spine. With more than 300 (full-page) (photographic) illustrations in the text and 47 mostly folding or double-page (photographic) maps, plans, profiles and plates. XI, (1 blank), 449, (1); (4), 198; (4), 287, (1) pp.

First and only edition of the highly acclaimed, sumptuously illustrated main work by the 'father of photogrammetry', Aimé Laussedat (1819-1907), finished when the author was well into his eighties. Our copy with autograph dedication ("Hommage de l'auteur") on the half title of the second part.

The book was reviewed in Nature 59 (1899) and 68 (1903):

"In his first volume on the art of topography Colonel A. Laussedat gives us an excellent sketch of the history and development of modern survey instruments, and an epitome of the opinions expressed by the best continental authorities on the subject of topography during the present century. The object of his comprehensive work is apparently to introduce to the scientific world the latest developments in the application of photography to the purposes of rapid delineation of topographical features, a comparatively new art which demands the attention of scientific surveyors in this country; but the present volume does not do more than touch this branch of his subject slightly. "

"The second volume of Col. Laussedat's exhaustive work on topography, which has just been published, deals with the art of metrophotography as developed in Europe generally and in France in particular; condensing the opinions and experiments of leading men of science, and epitomising their results."

Laussedat's most important achievement are his conributions in the field of photogrammetry and his extensive investigations on the use of photography in preparing topographic maps, from 1849 onwards. He was one of the first to make aerial photographs, simply by attaching a camera to a string of kites (!), but also by taking photographs from balloons (breaking his leg during one such trip). Because of his manifold contributions to the field of aerial photography he is often called the 'father of photogrammetry'.
But Laussedat is also known as the inventor of the phototeodolite (a camera and theodolite in one), an instrument with the help of which he sucessfully prepared topographic maps comparing favourably with maps prepared with conventional surveying instruments. The first phototheodolite was exhibited by Laussedat at the Paris Exposistion of 1867, together with the plan of Paris he had prepared with it. Aimé Laussedat was ridiculed by many of his contemporaries, but he continued his groundbreaking research on the use of photographs for creating topographic maps. His many years of research resulted in the present, very important publication, of which some principles are still in use today.

Fine set.- (Leather very slightly faded and rubbed in places).

DSB VIII, p. 64f; Nature 59, pp. 481-482 (23 March 1899) and 68, pp. 545-546 (8 October 1903).

Related Subjects: 19th Century 20th Century Photography Photometry Surveying Topography

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