Science & Technology

HUME, William Fraser. Terrestrial theories. A digest of various views as to the origin and development of the earth and their bearing on the geology of Egypt.
Cairo, Government Press, 1948. Large 8vo. With a chromolithographed folding geological map of the Atlantic Ocean, South America and Africa (loosely inserted in a pocket), 45 plates (some line drawings, maps, diagrams, etc.; some photographs probably reproduced by photogravure) and 37 figures in the text. Contemporary half cloth with original publisher's printed paper sides. XLIX, [1], 522, 160 pp. Full description

HUTTON, Thomas. The chronology of creation; or, geology and scripture reconciled.
Calcutta, W. Thacker and Co. (back of title-page and colophon: printed by J.C. Sherriff, Bengal Military Orphan Press), 1850. Large 8vo. With a coloured lithographic frontispiece of a camel, lithographed by T. Black at the Asiatic Lithographic Press in Calcutta, and 3 coloured lithographic plates illustrating Huttons theories about the creation of the earth (2 orthographic azimuthal projections and 1 cross-section). Contemporary green cloth. [2], XVI, [2], 503, [1 blank] pp. Full description

AL-IDRISI, Muhammad and Joannes Melchior HARTMANN (translator). Africa.
Göttingen, Johann Christian Dieterich, 1796. 8vo. Slightly later black half goatskin. CXXIV, 530, [50] pp. Full description

INDAGINE VON HAGEN (ROSENBACH), Johannes. Chiromantia 1 Physiognomia, ex aspectu membrorum hominis. 2 Periaxiomata, de faciebus signorum. 3 Canones astrologici, de judiciis aegritudinum. 4 Astrologia naturalis. 5 Complexionum noticia, juxta dominium planetarium.
(Colophon: Strasbourg, Johann Schott, 1534). Folio (31 x 21.5 cm). With a large woodcut portrait of the author on the title-page, the author's full-page woodcut coat-of-arms on the recto of the otherwise blank last leaf, about 93 woodblock illustrations (including 3 hand blocks and a few square astrological diagram blocks used repeatedly with varying content). 20th-century half maroon goatskin morocco. 126, [1], [1 blank] pp. Full description

INGEN-HOUSZ, Jan. Expériences sur les végétaux, spécialement sur la propriété qu'ils possèdent à un haut degré, soit d'améliorer l'air quand ils sont au soleil, soit de le corrompre la nuit, ou lorsqu'ils sont à l'ombre; auxquelles on a joint une méthode nouvelle de juger du degré de sa salubrité de l'atmosphère ... Traduit de l'anglois, par l'auteur.
Paris, P.F. Didot le jeune, 1780. 8vo. With a folded engraved plate. Contemporary half calf, gold-tooled spine. LXVIII, 333, [2], [1 blank] pp. Full description

JARS, Gabriel. Voyages métallurgiques, ou recherches et observations sur les mines & forges de fer, la fabrication de l'acier, celle du fer-blanc, & plusieurs mines de charbon de terre, faites depuis l'année 1757 jusques & compris 1769, en Allemagne, Suéde, Norwege, Angleterre & Ecosse.
Lyon & Paris, Gabriel Regnault, L. Cellot, P. Didot et al., 1774-1781. 3 volumes. 4to. With 52 folding engraved plates. Contemporary French mottled calf, gold-tooled spine. XXXII, 416; XXVIII, 612; VIII, 568 pp. Full description

[MANUSCRIPT]. JOFFROY, Joannes Baptista (Jean-Baptiste). Daegelyksche aenteekening van alle de goederen te verwen komende bij Joannes Baptista Joffroy begonst 1734.
[Mechelen (Malines, Belgium), 1 April 1734-31 August 1759]. Folio (32.5 x 21 cm). Manuscript journal of accounts in dark brown ink on paper, written in Dutch in an upright gothic hand, with each page ruled in double and single lines to make 4 or 5 columns and up to 22 rows, decorated with hundreds of pen flourishes, three forming pictures of birds as tailpieces and with a decorative cross to begin 1750 (some other years with a simpler cross), a couple headings with additions in red. Contemporary vellum. [268] pp. Full description

JUNGHUHN, Friedrich Franz Wilhelm. Terugreis van Java naar Europa, met de zoogenaamde Engelse overlandpost, in de maanden september en october, 1848.
Zaltbommel, Johannes Noman and son, 1851. 8vo. With 6 lithographed plates (2 folding, including 4 chromo-lithographed views). Modern half cloth. [6], 127, [3] pp. Full description

KIRCHER, Athanasius. Magnes sive de arte magnetica opus tripartitum quo universa magnetis natura, eiusque in omnibus scientiis & artibus usus, nova methodo explicatur: ...
Rome, Biagio Diversin and Zanobio Masotti (printed by Vitale Mascardi), 1654. Folio. With engraved frontispiece by F. Valentius, letterpress title-page printed in red and black with engraved double publisher's device, full-page engraved plate with the portrait of Emperor Ferdinand IV, 34 mostly full-page engraved illustrations, 215 woodcut illustrations and about 50 letterpress tables. Contemporary overlapping vellum. [32], 618, [28] pp. Full description

KIRCHER, Athanasius. Ars magna sciendi, in XII libros digesta, qua nova & universali methodo ... [vol. 2 half-title:] Artis magnae seu combinatoriae sciendi, ... [titles on the frontispieces:] Ars magna sciendi sive combinatoria [vol. 1] Artis magnae combinatoriae [vol. 2].
Amsterdam, Johannes Janssonius van Waesberge and the widow of Elizaeus Weyerstraten, 1669. 2 volumes bound as 1. Royal folio (46 x 30 x 5.5 cm). With 2 richly engraved allegorical frontispieces, an engraved plate with a full-page portrait of the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, an engraved plate showing all knowledge of the universe organised as a tree, 2 engraved volvelles (with 4 rotating dials), 20 further engravings on integral leaves and a couple dozen woodcut figures in the text. Contemporary richly gold-tooled red goatskin morocco decorated a petit fers, gold-tooled turn-ins, board edges and raised bands, giving a total of more than 1500 impressions of about 14 stamps and 3 rolls, edges gilt over red and blue squiggles. Janssonius van Waesberge, who published Kircher's books in Amsterdam from 1664/65 to 1682, arranged to have copies of several luxuriously bound for Kircher to present to leading figures and this is almost certainly one of them, presented to Giovanni Paolo Oliva, Superior General of the Jesuit Society. [18], 482, [10] pp. (including 2 integral frontispieces), plus 4 inserted tables & 2 plates. Full description