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DIETER SCHIERENBERG BV
A ntiquariats-Messe Zürich
Rare books and periodicals on Natural History
Febr. 27th - March 1st, 2015
[email protected]
www.schierenberg.nl
Tel: +31 20 6362202
Mob: +31 6 55755935
[1] Adams, H. & A. Adams The genera of Recent Mollusca; arranged according to
their organization. [Atlas] London, John van Voorst,
[1853]-1858. Thick 8vo. 138 plates of which most are handcoloured. Contemporary half calf with gilt title on the
spines.
Fr. 1285
Stand No. 8
the Reports of the Agassiz “Albatross” 1891 Expedition to
the Galapagos Islands the “Stalk-Eyed Crustacea”, with 292
pp. and 55 plates. The recipient of the letter is not indicated,
but must be the great French zoologist Alphonse MilneEdwards (1835-1900). Agassiz submitted all the “Blake”
expeditions crustaceans to Milne-Edwards in Paris for identification, description and illustration.
[3] Agassiz, L. Etudes sur les glaciers. Dessinés d’apres nature et lithographiés par J[ose]ph Bettannier. Neuchatel, H. Nicolet,
1840. Folio (47.2 x 32.1 cm). 18 mostly tinted plates of
which the first 14 with printed overlays. Contemporary
style half calf over original grained boards. Gilt title on
the spine. Original pictorial front wrapper bound in.
Fr. 4000
= Louis Agassiz’ classic work on glaciers, in the French
edition which was published one year ahead of the German
edition. With all the overlays to the first 14 plates. The last
four plates never had overlays. This is only the atlas. The
text volume is wanting. Small blindstamp of former owner
on title page. Spine and corners professionally renewed
= Rare hand-coloured edition of this standard work on
molluscs which is the source of many new, valid names
and of type-designations. Uncoloured copies are rather
common, but the last coloured copy on sale is probably the
one listed in Junk’s “Conchology. Old and rare books list
52” (published ca. 1986). As noted in that catalogue, the fine
colouring is confined mainly to the living animals. There
are an unusual high number of living specimens figured.
Many living animals were drawn by Arthur Adams while
on board the “Samarang”. A few neatly handwritten taxonomical annotations on the explanatory leaves, otherwise a
very good, clean copy. Nissen ZBI, 25.
[2] Agassiz, Alexandre Autographed Letter Signed, dated 12 Sept. 1894. Castle
Hill, Newport (Rhode Island), 1894. Single sheet with
imprint, and with handwritten text.
Fr. 480
= A fine letter, with the handwritten text: “Mon cher ami,
ayant passé quelques jours à Cambridge j’y ai bien trouvé la
caisse des Galathées et l’écriture m’est arrivé en parfait état.
J’ai de suite mis en sécurité votre manuscripts et dès que les
quelques Planches qui restent à faire pour le mémoire de
Faxon sur les Crustacés de l’Albatross seront terminées je
mettrai vos dessins entre les mains du lithographe. J’espère
un peu faire une visite à grande vitesse en Europe cet hiver
et j’espère bien m’arrêter à Paris assez longtemps pour vous
serrer la main. Merci infiniment de toutes les peines que
vous avez bien voulu prendre au sujet des Crustacés du
“Blake” cela sera un vrai plaisir de publier notre mémoire.
Faxon compte sous peu commencer l’impression de sa
Monographie qui vous intéressera j’en suis sur. Votre ..... A.
Agassiz. This is the same Walter Faxon, who published in
in contemporary style. Plates and overlays fine and clean,
which is quite unusual. Horblit, 1; Ward and Carozzi, 12;
PMM, 309.
[4] Allemann, F. Geologische Karte Fürstentum Liechtenstein. [Vaduz],
Regierung des Fürstentums Liechtenstein, 1953. Large
(67 x 102 cm), folded map, consisting of 25 rectangular
sheets in full colour, mounted on linen. Hand-written
and stamped label on the front-facing part of the linen
map-verso.
Fr. 500
= The only recent geological map of this small part of the
Alps, along the river Rhine. Liechtenstein, sandwiched
between Switzerland and Austria, is the fifth smallest
nation on earth. The main map, includes a full-colour coat
of arms of Liechtenstein, is on a scale 1: 25,000, and every
individual building is therefore included. Franz Allemann
compiled and drew the map, based on data collected by
himself and two co-workers under the supervision of Prof.
Dr. Joos Cadisch. Two smaller maps are included, one of
which being a tectonic review. Stamp of a previous owner
in the top right corner, otherwise a very good clean copy.
[5] Amman, J. Ritterliche Reutter Kunst darinen ordentlich begriffen
wie mann zuvorderst die ritterliche und adeliche Ubung
der Reutteren (...) Frankfurt am Main, Martin Lecher for
Sigmund Feyrabend, 1584. Folio (31.1 x 20.3 cm). [48],
ccliiii, [viii]. Half page woodcut illustration on title,
printed in red and black; one double-page, and 21 fullpage woodcut illustrations, mainly of warriors (most on
horseback, some quite exotic), and 133 half-page woodcut illustrations (many on combat, and 60 illustrating a
long poem), plus 133 smaller woodcut figures within the
text (some repeated) including some elaborate tailpieces,
and the printer’s large, intricate allegorical vignette on a
single leaf in the rear. In total 298 woodcuts excluding the
individually engraved capitals. Bound in blind-stamped
Two parts in two. 8vo (text). title page, 24 pp (in English).
Panorama: One folding lithographed view by F. Foltz (size
27 x 230 cm). Contained in original printed boards with
the German title on one board, and the French/English
titles on the other.
Fr. 360
= A fine, detailed panorama (bird’s eye view) of the river
Rhine, complete with the rare descriptive English text,
describing in detail all the towns, landmarks and views
along the river. Even the history of the towns, and the local
hotels are mentioned. Numerous monuments, including
statues, castles, churches, and bridges are illustrated separately. Included is a portrait of the engraver, Friedrich Foltz.
Little is known about Friedrich Arnold, the author of the
text. Board edges slightly stained, spine reinforced. The
panorama and the text both in pristine condition. Very rare
in this state. and the text seems to be quite scarce.
[7] Belanger, L. and P. Vanlerberghe and S. Malgo View of the torrent of the Lutschinen, and of the
glaciers where it takes its source - Vue du torrent de la
Lutschinenen Suisse, et des glaciers ou il prend sa source.
London, G. & W. Nicoll, 1800. Broadsheet (71.0 x 56.0 cm).
Aquatint, finished by hand.
Fr. 2400
= A fine large plate of the “Lutschinen” (= Lütschine) falls,
south of Interlaken, in Switzerland, drawn “on the spot” by
the French artist Louis Belanger (1736-1816), engraved by
the Danish artist Simon Malgo (also known as Malcho, 17451800), and painted by P. Vanlerberghe from Flanders. As far
as we know this plate is a piece of art on its own, not meant
to be part of a book. In 1790, Belanger, or Bellangé, moved
to London and had several expositions at the Royal Gallery.
In 1798, he moved to Stockholm, where he died. His watercolours and guaches remained very popular. Today, the
depicted torrents are popular among rafters. Some unobtrusive marginal chipping and soiling, one short marginal
contemporary vellum. Edges red.
Fr. 6200
= Beautifully illustrated and very rare Renaissance work
on knightly horsemanship, horse-training, horse-breeding, horseshoes, etc. The plates are by the Swiss artist Jost
Amman (1539-1591). The author was the former master of
the royal stables, and only known by his initials, L.V.C. This
book is renowned for its stunning illustrations of knights
and horses in action. The full-page illustrations include
warriors from other continents (Africa, the Americas, etc.).
Title-page expertly backed, later flyleaves. A few leaves with
minor tears or old repairs in the margin. Vellum with former
owner’s initials on front panel, dated 1601, slightly worn and
a bit soiled. However, in all a very good and complete copy.
There are only a few auction records of complete copies in
the last 40 years. Those copies that we could trace, all have
staining or other problems of the kind and were certainly
not as nice and clean as this one. Rare in such good condition. Hiler, 753; Nissen ZBI, 4764; Bibliotheca Hippologica
Dejager, 22.
[6] Arnold, F. Halenza’s neuestes Rhein-Panorama von Mainz bis Cöln.
Einziges, durch die Berliner und Frankfurter Künstler
gefässtes Urtheil, anerkanntes Kustwerk. Panorama du
Rhin depuis Mayence jusq’à Cologne. Panorama of the
Rhine, from Mentz to Cologne. Mainz, J. Halenza [1880].
tear with old repair (visible on verso only), but generally in
a very good condition. Impression and colouring strong.
Benezit I, p. 523.
[8] Belon, P. Les observations de plusieurs singularitez et choses
memorables, trouvees en Grece, Asie, Iudée, Egypte,
Arabie, & autres pays estranges, redigées en trois liures.
Reueuz de nouveau & augmentez de figures. Le catalogue contenant le plus notables choses, est en la page
fuyuante. Paris, H. de Marnef & G. Cavellat, 1588. 4to.
[xiv], 468, 1l. 18th century full tree calf. Spine with five
raised bands, compartments rich gilt with floral patterns.
Red morocco label with gilt title. Marbled endpapers. All
edges red.
Fr. 5300
= The final, richly illustrated edition of this influential work
on the history, geography, and natural history of the Near
and Middle East by the French naturalist and explorer Pierre
Belon du Mans (born 1517 - murdered in Paris, 1564). Belon
travelled through these regions between 1546 and 1550 and
made numerous observations on the plants and their use,
on animals (including a great deal on herpetology), people
(with their various costumes) and towns. The work includes
a map/view of Alexandria, and of the Sea of Marmara. His
reports are generally correct and not rooted in fantasy and
hearsay as is often the case with his contemporaries, the sole
exception being the illustration of a small dragon-like creature. Other woodcuts show trees, birds, mammals, snakes, a
crocodile, a giraffe, a lobster, etc. Two illustrations cut short
in the margin with minor loss. A fine copy in an attractive
binding. Brunet, 4533 p. 762; Nissen ZBI, 304.
A very rare lare photo-panorama of Mount
Etna in the 1860’s
[9] Berthier, P. [M.] Photographic panorama of Mount Etna. Paris, Paul
Berthier, ca. 1863-1865. Very large board (93 x 45 cm),
with original mounted albumen silver prints (panorama,
in two parts of 25.0 x 36.2 and 25.0 x 35.0 cm, for a total
width of 71.2 cm). Paul Berthier printed studio label
pasted on verso.
Fr. 10.000
= Paul Marcellin Berthier (1822-1912) is regarded as one of
the foremost French photographers of the 19th century, as
well as an accomplished impressionist painter. He is principally known as a landscape and a portrait photographer
(of, e.g., the French poet Lamartine), and as a landscape
painter. His landscape photos are rare and sought-after, and
are, for instance, included in the collection of the Museum
of Modern Art in New York. This photograph is of geological importance too, showing a mountainside with three
craters, of which two apparently active, with smoking
fumeroles. The adjacent pine trees are stripped from their
branches, possibly by a pyroclastic flow. The locality has not
been identified exactly, but this is mount Etna, visited by
Berthier during and after its 1861-1865 eruptions. This is not
the summit, as there are trees, but a part of the volcano’s
flank, below the Valle del Bove. The Museum of Modern Art
in New York (Suzanne Winsberg Collection) posesses the
left part of this panorama only (see http://www.moma.org/
collection/object.php?object_id=127193). Photos with a few
inobtrusive light brown trace from one point going in different directions. But mosttly clean and well matching with
strong contrast and a sharp impression. The board slightly
dampstained in the lower left outer margin; a bit soiled, and
with one small dent. Otherwise very good.
[10] Boerhaave, H. Elementa chemiae, quae anniversario labore docuit, in
publicis, privatisque, scholis. Tomus primus. Qui continet historiam at artis theoriam. Cum tabulis aeneis.
[AND] Tomus secundus. Qui continet operationes chemicas. (Complete). Leiden, Isaac Severinus, 1732. Two parts
in two. 4to. Contemporary uniform blind-tooled full
mottled calf. Spines with six raised bands, morocco label
with gilt title, gilt volume number.
Fr. 1600
= True first edition of Boerhaave’s most important work on
chemistry, based upon his lectures. This is the only authorized edition, with Boerhaave’s signature written in ink
on the first volume’s title page verso. Soon the work was
also published in Paris and London, and shortly thereafter German and English translations were published.
“Boerhaave (1668-1738) was professor of medicine and
botany from 1700, and of chemistry from 1718 at the university of Leyden. He was the most distinguished teacher of
his time, and a man of immense and varied learning in
languages, philosophy, theology, mahtematics, botany,
chemistry, anatomy, and medicine. One of his most important works is the treatise on chemistry, which was based on
notes of his lectures, but was afterwards revised by himself”
(Ferguson). Boerhaave started private lessons in chemistry
in 1702 and succeeded Jacobus Lemort in 1718 as Professor
Chemiae. “One says that Boerhaave made no discoveries in
Chemistry. Perhaps it was Boerhaave who discovered the
science of chemistry itself” (F. Greenaway). “His contributions make him ‘the founder of organic chemistry’.” (Osler).
Provenance: the ca. 1885 bookplate “Ubi lux ibi umbra” of
the chemist Morris Loeb (1863-1912), son of the Germanborn American banker and businessman Solomon Loeb;
and the pictorial bookplate of the Chemists Club N.Y. on the
front pastedowns. “The Chemists’ Club was organized in
November, 1898 by 154 chemists who had been meeting for
years in empty classrooms and lecture halls. The meetings
became so popular that a permanent meeting place became
necessary, and the first club for chemists was formed. Before
long, newer and larger quarters were needed. In 1909, Dr.
Morris Loeb set out to solve this problem and two years
later, the first Clubhouse was opened. The original club
rooms held many of the most important chemical meetings of the times. Leaders in these activities included Leo H.
Baekeland, Charles F. Chandler, Marston T. Bogert, Morris
Loeb, E.G. Love, William McMutrie, T.J. Parker, Charles F.
Squibb, William J. Schieffelin, and Maximillian Toch. Among
contributing factors to the Club’s success was the development of its world class library. The Chemists’ Club library
was established with the American Chemical Society’s
library as its nucleus together with the private collections
of Dr. Morris Loeb, ... and others”. (http://www.thechemistsclub.com/about-the-club/history/). The pages 423-424 seem
to lack, however, these were actually numbered 191*-192*,
to replace the faulty pp. 191-192. Indeed these replacement
pages are inserted between pp. 190 and 193, making this
a fully corrected copy, approved by Boerhaave himself.
The text from p. 422 and 425 is continuous. Both volumes
rebacked; a few tiny wormholes to the lower outer margin.
Call number on the spine foot, otherwise a very good, clean,
complete set. OCLC reports 8 copies of which 5 in the U.S. F.
Greenaway, Boerhaave and his time, p. 113; Ferguson I, 112;
Honeyman 364; Osler, 1094.
[11] Bonnard, A. [J. D.] En Chine [Manuscript] Original manuscript, 1920-[1921].
Handwritten on 516 large (31.0 x 21.0 cm), numbered
leaves. Preserved in a modern cloth-covered clam-shell
box, with a few old journal clippings related to the author.
Fr. 5350
= Manuscript by the controversial French poet, writer, and
politician Abel Jean Désiré Bonnard (1883-1968), member of
the Académie Française, and writer of more than 15 works;
both fiction and non-fiction. This manuscript deals with his
travels to China, published in two volumes as “Notes de
voyage: En Chine (1920-1921)” (Paris, Artheme Fayard, 1924).
The manuscript was dedicated “à ma mère, parce qu elle me
dit que cela lui fait plaisir, et que je voudrais lui faire tous
les plaisirs possibles” [to my mother, because she told me
that it made her happy, and I would do everything to make
her happy], and dated juin [June] 1920. In other words, the
dedication was written during his voyage. Sections of the
manuscript deal, for instance, with Pekin (Beijing), le Yangtsé, Chinese villages, Hong-Kong, and the return voyage.
Later in his life, Bonnard moved politically to the extreme
right. During WWII he became a minister in Pétain’s Vichy
gouvernment: “Bonnard was one of only a few members
expelled from the Académie française after World War II
for collaboration with Germany. Bonnard was condemned
in absentia to death during the épuration légale period for
wartime activities. However, Francisco Franco granted him
political asylum in Spain. In 1960, he returned to France to
face retrial for his crimes. He received a symbolic sentence
of 10 years banishment to be counted from 1945, but dissatisfied with the verdict of guilty, he chose to return to Spain
where he lived out the remainder of his life” (Wikipedia).
His book “Les modérés”, first published in 1936 has recently
[2013] been republished. The manuscript contains many
additions and corrections by the author. A few leaves a bit
frayed and chipped at the out margins, otherwise very good
and well-readable. A unique item.
[12] Bourrit, M. T. Description des Alpes, Pennines et Rhetiennes; dédiée
a.s.m. très-chrétienne Louis XVI, roi de France et de
Navarre. Tome premier - second. (Complete). Genève, J.
P. Bonnant, 1781. In two volumes. 8vo. xix, 247 pp.; [ii],
285 pp.; eight engraved plates, mainly of glaciers, and
one folded engraved map of the Alps, several woodengraved vignettes in the text. Original uniform blind
publishers’ wrappers. Spines renewed with later printed
labels. Contained in a later blue cloth slipcase with black
morocco label with gilt title.
Fr. 1180
= First edition of this classic study on the (south)western
Alps by Marc Théodore Bourrit (1739-1819), “chantre de
l’eglise cathédrale de Genève” (first singer of the Geneva
church cathedral), and a pioneer in alpinism and Alpine
studies. The map indicates all the then known glaciers
drawn by Bourrit and engraved by Geissler. The fine plates
are also after Bourrit. There are several handwritten notes
(inserted loose on small pieces of paper) that seem to be
critical writings in a contemporary, English handwriting.
Unfortunately unsigned and we cannot establish by whom
yet, but it looks like this deserves some investigation. Uncut.
A very good clean copy. Haller I, 1495; Lehner, 622. Not in
Ward and Carozzi.
[13] Cauchy, A.L. Mémoire sur les intégrales définies [AND] Mémoire sur
la theorie de la propagation des ondes a la surface d’un
fluide pesant... Paris, Mémoires des Savans Étrangers,
Academie des Sciences, 1827. 4to. In a fine contemporary full calf binding. Spine with five raised bands, red
and black morocco title vignettes and gilt floral patterns;
boards with dentelles; lightly red-speckled edges.
Fr. 1600
= Two large and very important papers by Cauchy, contained
in the first volume of the Mémoires. The most important
paper is Cauchy’s cornerstone essay on definite integrals. It
is essential in the history of mathematics, partly laying the
basis for the Cauchy-Riemann equations. “In 1814 he submitted to the French Academy the treatise on definite integrals
that was to become the basis of the theory of complex functions. In 1816 he won a prize contest of the French Academy
on the propagation of waves at the surface of a liquid; his
results are now classics in hydrodynamics.” (DSB) Cauchy’s
method was significant because of his departure from the
traditional use of geometry to treat the definite integral. The
theory was read to the Academy by Cauchy in 1814, but only
published in 1827 in this volume on pp. 599-799 and includes
the rapport, introduction, parts 1 and 2, and two supple-
ments. The second paper, on the “propagation des ondes a la
surface” is on pp. 3-313. This volume also contains a memoir
on the “theorie de la lune” by Damoiseau. Provenance: pictorial bookplate of the Radcliffe Observatory (the astronomical observatory of the University of Oxford from 1773 until
1934) on the front pastedown. Some small, skilful repairs,
doing justice to an unusually fine and elegant contemporary
binding. DSB III, pp. 137-138.
[14] Chalcondyle, L. and B. de Vigenaire and T. Artus
and F. de Mezeray Histoire des Turcs. L’histoire de la decadence de l’empire
Grec et etablissement de celuy des Turcs par Chalcondile
Athenien de la traduction de B. de Vigenere Bourbonois
et illustrée par luy de curieuse recherche trouvées depuis
son decés. Avec la continuation de la meme histoire
depuis la ruine de Peleponese iusques a l’an 1612 par
Thomas Artus sr. d’Embry. Tome 1. [AND] Histoire des
Turcs second tome. Contenant ce qui sest passé dans cet
Empire depuis lan 1612 iusqu’a lannée presente 1649.
Par Franc. de Mezeray avec l’histoire du serrail par le sr.
Baudier. Les illustrations sur l’histoire de Chalcondyle
par Blaise de Vignenere. les descriptions et figures des
habits des officiers et autres personnes de l’Empire Turc.
et des tableaux prophetiques sur la ruine de mesme
Empire. Paris, Augustin Courbé, 1662. Two volumes in
two. Folio (36 x 23 cm). Tome 1: half title, engraved frontispiece, title page in red and black. [xviii], 907, [xxvii]
pp.; Tome 2: half title, engraved frontispiece, title page
in red and black, [iii], [ii], 204, [xii] pp.; half title, [ii], 89,
[iii], 85, [x],; half title, 61 (of 62) engraved page-sized letterpress figures showing people and costumes [numbered
3-64] with explanatory text leaves; figure 59 mysteriously absent as the page number and signature number
are printed, and 17 similar illustrations showing allergorical or metaphysical scenes; half title, pp. 67-114, [iii];
half title, 273 numbered columns [on 137 pages] [iii].
two large folded plates, several large text engravings.
Uniform contemporary full mottled calf. Spines with six
raised bands; compartments rich gilt with floral patterns,
gilt title and volume number. Edges speckled red.
Fr. 1600
= First edition of a rare, richly illustrated work on the
Ottoman Empire, based on the original Greek work by
Laonicus Chalcondyle (ca. 1423-1490), translated, corrected
and expanded up to 1612 (volume 1) by the French diplomat
Blaise de Vigenère, or Viginaire (1523-1596) and the French
writer Thomas Artus (ca. 1550-after 1614), and further to
1649 (volume 2), by François Eudes de Mezeray (1610-1683),
who was also the editor of volume 1. The titles given above
are those on the frontispieces; those on the title pages are
slightly more expanded. The lacking image of plate 59 is a
true mystery, it can only have been a mistake by the printer
and gone unnoticed by the bookbinder, because the page is
there, the page number and signature are there, but not the
image... very peculiar indeed. The set does, however, include
the two large, folded plates of the city of Constantinople,
and of the Turkish army, which are frequently missing, as
well as several large portraits (text engravings), and many
other page filling text engravings. Joints weak and bindings
in poor shape; some serious worming in the lower gutter of
volume 1, some sections a bit age-toned, otherwise a good
copy without the usual browning. Plates generally in very
good condition. Navari, The Ottoman World, 214.
A rare and splendid work on dragonflies
[15] Charpentier, T. de Libellulinae Europaeae, descriptae ac depictae a
Toussaint de Charpentier. Cum tabulis XLVIII coloratis.
Leipzig, Leopold Voss, 1840. Large 4to (30.1 x 23.0 cm).
Title page, [i], 180, [i] pp., 48 engraved plates of which 46
finely hand-coloured (as intended). Slightly later marbled
boards with recent gilt title to spine.
Fr. 7500
= A fine work by the German geologist and entomolo-
gist Toussaint de Charpentier (1779-1847). This work on
Odonata (dragonflies) is even more rare than the author’s
similar-titled work on Orthoptera. The title suggests that all
48 plates should be coloured, however, this is incorrect; two
plates, one showing fossils, and one with a schematic drawing, are always plain. After Charpentier’s untimely death,
his collections and unfinished manuscripts were aquired by
the Zoological Museum of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad).
We could not find any evidence that they survived the
devastating bombardments of Königsberg in August 1944
when the Royal Airforce practically destroyed the whole
city, including the Museum. Charpentier published more
works on geology and mining. He was editor of the second
edition (1829-1830) of Esper’s milestone work on Lepidoptera,
adding an index, and making it much more useful for naturalists than the book’s first, 18th century edition. Text pages
partly spotted, the title page more so, but all the plates clean.
In all a very good copy. Horn-Schenkling, 3367; Nissen ZBI,
874.
[16] Charpentier, T. de Orthoptera descripta et depicta a Toussaint de
Charpentier. Cum tabulis LX coloratis. Leipzig, Leopold
Voss, 1841-1845. 4to (23.0 x 30.0 cm). Title page, iv, 118
pp., 60 hand-coloured lithographed plates. Slightly later
boards with tree-calf resembling paper, and recent
morocco label with gilt title on the spine.
Fr. 6000
= First and only edition of this standard work by the Saxon
geologist and entomologist Toussaint de Charpentier (17991847). Rare (Horn-Schenkling: “Selten”). Despite the Latin
title, the work is mostly written in German (only the short
species descriptions are in both German and a short, telegram-style Latin). It was published in ten installments of six
plates each. For each pair of plates 19-20, 25-26 and 34-35
only one combined text leaf was published. The work was
meant to have another 140 plates, which, although already
finished by the author (see preface), never appeared in print.
After Charpentier’s untimely death, his collections including the unfinished manuscript material were aquired by
the Zoological Museum of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad).
Junk (Rara, 1900-1913) assumed that only the manuscripts
were at the Museum in Königsberg. Nissen apparently just
copied this information on their whereabouts. We could
not find any evidence that they survived the devastating
bombardments of Königsberg in August 1944 when the
Royal Airforce practically destroyed the whole city, including the Museum. Charpentier published more works on
geology and mining, and one of the finest works on dragonflies, the “Libellulinae Europaeae”. He was editor of the
second edition (1829-1830) of Esper’s milestone work on
Lepidoptera, adding an index, and making it much more
useful for naturalists than the book’s first, 18th century,
edition. Charpentiers’ “Orthoptera” was designed to serve
as a continuation of the only other illustrated work on the
Orthoptera, namely Caspar Stoll’s “Natuurlyke en naar ‘t
leeven naawkeurig gekleurde afbeeldingen en beschryvingen der Spooken, wandelende Bladen, Zabel-springhaanen,
Krekels, Trekspringhaanen en Kakkerlakken” (1787-1813).
Charpentier’s work therefore contains many unknown and
never before illustrated species from all parts of the world
(cf. Junk, p. 86). Text with some light, mostly marginal
browning, the plates clean (mostly printed on lightly toned
paper). A very good copy. Hagen I, p. 122; Horn-Schenkling,
3368; Junk, Rara, p. 86; Nissen ZBI, 875.
[17] Civiale, A. Les glaciers de Palu & de Cambrena au Col du Bernina.
[Paris], A. Civiale, before 1869. Large landscape leaf (62.4
x 48.3 cm) with mounted original, signed, albumen silver
print (35.8 x 26.8 cm).
Fr. 3600
= A fine, panoramic view of the 3600 meter (nearly 12,000
ft) high Piz Cambrena (a mountain in the Bernina Range
of the Alps, overlooking the Lago Bianco in the canton of
Graubünden), photographed by the French geologist and
photographer Aimé Civiale (1821-1893). “Aimé Civiale’s
attempt at a complete photographic coverage of the High
Alps seems to be a peculiar project at first sight. Carried
out between 1859 and 1868, this was the earliest systematic
attempt to introduce photography as a medium for studying the earth sciences” (von Brevern, Science in Context,
2009). “In 1857-1858, he began to photograph the Pyrénées.
The same year he became a member of the Société française
de photographie. Civiale regularly presented his research at
the French Academy of Sciences. But he is especially known
as the photographer of the Alps that he studied between
1859 and 1868. As an engineer, he did not use his photography practice only as a proof of his geological research, but
also as a way to show new landscapes and to keep traces of
them before erosion makes them change. In these extreme
conditions, photographs were particularly difficult to realize. Despite using aluminum for the lens’s frame instead of
copper, he had to bring with him up to 550 lbs. of photographic devices. In this environment he could not use the
wet collodion plates. He then decided to choose Gustave Le
Gray’s technique, using waxed paper for the negatives, technique that he later improved by adding beeswax to paraffin. He also built a camera able to represent the 360 degrees
view in forteen panoramic images” (Marion Perceval, in
dating-au.com). In the present, exemplary, photo, Civiale
paid great attention to the positioning of his camera and the
area within view: it shows the complete mountain with its
glaciers, the snow-covered tops above, the moraines, lake
Bianco below, with some rivulets and their sediment-deltas,
all in great detail. This image, from the period between 1858
and 1868, may be useful in determining the retreat-rate of
alpine glaciers in historical times. Paper edges a bit frayed
and soiled, the photo in fine condition.
[18] De la Vega, G. Histoire des Yncas, rois du Perou; contenant leur origine,
depuis le premier Ynca Manco Capac, leur etablissement,
leur idolâtrie, leurs sacrifices, leurs loix, leurs conquêtes;
les merveilles du temple du soleil; & tout l’etat de ce
grand empire, avant que les Espagnols s’en rendissent
maitres. Avec une description des animaux, des fruits,
des minéraux, des plantes, &c. Traduite de l’Espagnol
de l’Ymca Garcillasso de la Vega, par Jean Baudoin.
Amsterdam, J. Desbordes, 1715. Two parts in two. 8vo.
1,087 [(xxviii), 512; (xii), 492, (34)] pp., two engraved frontispieces, three engraved plates (one larger, folded), one
large folded map. Uniform vellum with script title on the
spines.
Fr. 800
= Very rare French translation of a work first published in
Spanish in 1609-1616, this being the second Amsterdam
edition. Widely regarded as the most accurate description
of the Inca kingdom. With a fine large map of northwestern
South America, including Peru and most of Colombia, and
eastern Brazil. Garcilaso “El Inca” de la Vega (1539-1616),
born in Cuzco, was the first scholar of mixed European and
Inca descent. Old private book owner’s stamp on the front
flyleaf rectos, some text sections rather toned, otherwise a
nice clean set. We could only trace two copies in the auction
records, one in 1914 and one in 1972, so this edition is very
rare. Brunet II, 1483; Sabin, 98752.
[19] De Saussure, H. Essais sur l’hygrométrie. Ier. Essai. Description d’un
nouvel hygromètre comparable; II. Essai. Théorie de
l’hygrométrie; III. Essai. Théorie de l’évoporation. IV.
Essai. Application des théories précédentes à quelques
phénomenes de la méteorologie. Neuchatal, Samuel
Fauche Père et Fils, 1783. 4to. xxiv, 367 pp. Half title,
title with woodcut vignette, first essay with a nice, large
engraved text vignette; two plates, of which one larger,
folded. Contemporary full morocco. Spine with five
raised bands, compartments with gilt floral patterns and
gilt title on tan morocco label. Edges red.
Fr. 1600
= A classic work on hygrometry containing the description of the modern hygrometer which was invented by De
Saussure, the same author of the famous “Voyages dans les
Alpes”. The Swiss scientist Horace Bénedict de Saussure
(1740-1799) is widely regarded as the father of Alpinism.
He had a deep interest in botany, geology and meteorology, hence his endeavours in hygrometry. Not surprising, one chapter in the fourth essay is titled “Observations
météorologiques faites en voyageant dans les Alpes”. With
“Donné par le célèbre auteur. C. Bonnet” written in an old
hand on the title. This is most likely the Swiss entomologist,
botanist and philosopher Charles Bonnet (1720-1793), uncle
of De Saussure and author of “Recherches sur l’usage des
feuilles dans les plantes” (1754). Bonnet was also the first
to describe a type of halucination now known as Charles
Bonnet syndrome (CBS). Small bookplate of Andreas
Gedeon on the front pastedown. Otherwise a very good,
clean copy. Norman, 1894.
Impossibly rare book on butterflies, not in
any bibliography, nor institutional library
[20] Delarue, [J.] Musée des Lépidoptères. Collection de papillons de
toutes les parties du monde. Paris, [ca. 1840]. Folio (42 x 30
cm). Gilt-lettered title page, 12 chromolithographed plates
with captions, finished by hand, some heightened with
silver and gum arabic. Original red cloth with large giltembossed decoration and title to front panel and blindtooled borders.
Fr. 9000
= An unrecorded and very important publication on the
larger and most colourful butterflies of the world with very
fine, detailed, and beautiful images of Macrolepidoptera
with many new, available names and quite possibly including several that are the valid names of the species figured.
This publication is not recorded by any bibliographer, such
as Brunet, Hagen, Horn-Schenkling, and Junk, nor can it
be found in any library on the planet, thus of cosmic rarity.
Which is very peculiar because the images are very well
excecuted, accurate and certainly with scientific merit. It
was apparently published, or to be published, by the author,
Jean Delarue, an accomplished bird painter. He contributed
to Alcide d’Orbigny’s “Galerie ornithologique”, published
between 1836-1839 (vide Sitwell), and at least two other very
rare bird books, namely “Études d’animaux dans le paysage”;
“Oiseaux d’Europe” and at least one big and important
work on entomology “Histoire naturelle des lépidoptères
ou papillons de France” by Godart, J. and P. Duponchel.
Delarue was a highly gifted artist in natural sciences about
whom little seems to be known. He was responsible for 30
superb plates in Alcide d’Orbigny’s Galerie Ornithologique
(1836-1839), for many insect plates in Charles d’Orbigny’s
Dictionaire Universel… (1849), and also, according to Ronsil
(p.69) in his “L’Art Français..”(1958) for the four plates in John
Kirk Townsend’s aborted and mythically rare “Ornithology
of the United States of North America” (1839), sometimes mistakenly attributed to “Delorme”. In describing
this and the similarly formatted work by Delarue and de
Vresse, “Oiseaux d’Europe”, Ronsil remarks (p. 69) in “L’Art
Français”: Soigneusement coloriés au pinceau à lépoque,
la plupart de ces lithographies constituent de delicieuses
petite estampes d’une extrême délicatesse..” Mrs. Jackson, in
her “Dictionary of Bird Artists of the World” (1999) tells us
(p. 220) that Jean Delarue was the name of both a father and
son who specialized in various aspects of natural history
depiction.” (Richard L. Soffer, in Amherst.edu). Regarding
the Jackson quote, Benezit lists two Jean Delarue’s; however,
one is from the 16th century. After a few plates were printed
by Delarue, it must have been handed over to another more
experienced publisher, namely Arnauld de Vresse, who in
turn must have done little to distribute the work although
half the plates and the gilt-lettered title page were printed
on his behalf. The butterflies depicted have been named
according to the Linnaean binominal system the localities
for each are given. We have never seen or heard of this work
in all the years we have been dealing in rare books. It definitely deserves the attention of one or several specialist lepidopterologists, if only to discover exactly how important
this unknown book is and exactly where it stands in the
history of entomological science. Spine skilfully restored,
title page lightly foxed and a few plates with some faint
occasional spotting, but in all, a very good copy. Bezenit 3,
p. 144; Ronsil, Bibl. Ornith. Fr. 780; Ronsil l’Art Français, p.
69; Sitwell, p. 92.
[21] Descourtilz, M. E. Flore pittoresque et médicale des Antilles, ou histoire
naturelle des plantes usuelles des colonies Françaises,
Anglaises, Espagnoles et Portugaises; Peinte d’après
les dessins faits sur les lieux par M. J. Th. Descourtilz.
Paris,Privately published by Descourtilz (1827-1829, 1833).
8vo. In 8 volumes with 600 hand-coloured engraved
plates. Beautiful, in contemporary style, uniform black
grained half calf with gilt ornaments and titles on spines.
Fr. 19.500
= The magnum opus of Michel Etienne Descourtilz (1775-
1835), who was a medical doctor and botanist from France.
He travelled widely in the Caribbean and northern South
America. In his “Voyage d’un naturaliste et ses observations
faites sur les trois règnes de la nature” (1809), he collected
many of his observations made in Cuba, Haiti, and Santo
Domingo where he observed a slave uprising, was shortly
imprisoned and subsequently joined Toussaint Louverture’s
army as a doctor. In his Flora pittoresque he accurately
described many new and rare plants and added important
notes on their chemistry and medical properties. The illustrator, Jean-Théodore Descourtilz, was one of the eight sons
of Michel Etienne. He not only supplied the illustrations to
the Flore pittoresque, but also illustrated his own works on
natural history - for instance his Oiseaux brillans de Brésil
(1834). All volumes with the small, inoffensive stamp of E.
A. Del Camino on title pages, otherwise clean and bright,
the colouring vivid. Some plates are a bit undulating. Vol. 1
is from the second printing, vol. 2 is not dated and may be
either the first or second printing (identical to the first). Most
sets offered are mixed. Dunthorne 90; Great Flower Books
p.89; Nissen BBI 471; Sabin 19693; Stafleu & Cowan, 1391.
Deshayes magnum opus on the fossils of the
Paris Basin, fine and excessively rare
[22] Deshayes, G. P. Description des animaux sans vertèbres découverts dans
la Bassin de Paris pour servir de supplément a la description des coquilles fossiles des environs de Paris comprenant une revue générale de toutes les espèces actuellement connues. (Complete). Paris, J. B. Baillière et fils, 18561865. Large 4to. (24.5 x 30.5 cm). Text and atlas in seven
volumes. Text (in three parts): half-titles and titles, 2,550
pp. [912; 968; 668, (ii)]. Atlas (in four parts; viz. of the two
volumes the plates and the explanations separately): two
title pages, 195 [88; 107] pp. of explanatory text, and 196
large, finely engraved plates [I-LXXXVII, XIbis, XVIbis;
I-CVII]. Original, nearly uniform printed wrappers to all
parts except blind wrappers to the two plate volumes.
Fr. 12.500
= One of the largest and finest works of the French malacolo-
gist and palaeontologist Gérard Paul Deshayes (1796-1875).
As usual with works dealing with fossils, there was just
one, uncoloured, edition. It was sold, in 1866, for 250 French
francs: by far the most expensive of all uncoloured works
on Mollusca. Only the hand-coloured edition of Férrussac
and Deshayes’ “Histoire naturelle général et particulière des mollusques” was more expensive, at 490 francs,
discounted from a previous and astonishing 1250 francs.
The fine plates with large, detailed figures, are by Delahaye,
Formant, Lackenbauer, and Levasseur. Most specimens
have a detailed enlarged illustration, a life-size outline
figure, and, often, a further enlarged sculpture detail; in the
bivalves usually the taxonomically important hinges. Like
most of his works, this one is important because of the many
new species and detailed illustrations. The “Discription” is
one of the few works completed by the author, and includes
simple plate numbering. Deshayes started many projects,
but several remained unfinished and the plate numbering,
for instance in his work on the molluscs of Algeria, was
usually confusing. In this work, however, there are only
two “bis” plates. The last page of volume 3 contains a list
of publication dates of the 50 livraisons, recording the first
two as from 2 November 1856, and the last two (49 and 50)
from 15 December 1865. Only the last title page and wrapper bear the year 1866. This work is truly rare, and possibly
even Deshayes’ rarest work. There are no auction records
of complete copies after 1965, when Wheldon and Wesley
purchased one at Sotheby’s in London. Uncut, with the
widest possible margins. The wrappers and titles to the
two atlases have been bound with the explanatory leaves.
The second and third text volume have the word “tome”
printed, and “1er”, and “2eme” added in an old hand, the
first text volume has a wrapper with the printed text “tome
troisième”, the last word corrected in the same hand to
“1er”. A few small, isolated spots, but generally very clean,
especially the plates. Nissen ZBI, 1089.
[23] Desor, E. and P. De Loriol Échinologie Helvétique. Description des oursins
fossiles de la Suisse. Echinides de la période Jurassique.
Wiesbade[n], C. W. Kreidel; Paris, C. Reinwald, 1868-1872.
Two parts (texte and atlas) in two. Folio and 4to. Texte (4to,
30.5 x 24.2 cm) title page, xi, half-title to “première partie”
(= all published), 442 pp.; Atlas (folio, 36.2 x 27.8 cm): title
page, 61 lithographed plates numbered I-LXI. Text part
in original quarter cloth with printed front board, atlas
in matching original portfolio with printed front board.
Both as published.
Fr. 1700
= The fine and extremely rare monograph of the very rich
and usually well-preserved Jurassic sea urchins, heart
urchins, and sand dollars, being a joint effort of two of
the greatest 19th century echinodermatologists, the Swiss
palaeontologist and friend of Alexander Agassiz, Pierre
Jean Édouard Desor (1811-1882), and his compatriot, Charles
Louis Perceval de Loriol Le Fort (1828-1908) who also became
a renowned malacologist. In this work they extensively
describe hundreds of species, many figured here for the first
time. New species are included as well. This still is the most
important publication on this subject. Later, the authors
wrote two more monographs, on the Cretaceous and on the
Tertiary Echinodermata of Switzerland. The latter is quite
rare as well, whereas the Cretaceous work appears to be
more common. Uncut. The plates with the widest possible
margin. Title page to the atlas age-toned; some scattered
foxing to the outer margins of several plates, but usually not
touching the figures. The text pages are clean. In all a very
good complete copy. During the last 50 years there are no
auction records whatsoever. Nissen ZBI, 1097.
[24] Devèze de Chabrol, J. S. and J. B. Bouillet Essai géologique et minéralogique sur les environs
d’Issoire, département du Puy-de-Dôme, et principalement sur la Montagne de Boulade. Clermont-Ferrand,
Thibaud-Landriot, 1827. Folio (41.0 x 26.2 cm). xii, 104
pp., handcoloured lithographed geological map, and
handcoloured profile and 30 lithographed plates all
depicting vertebrates and several tables, including one
very large, folded in the text. Contemporary half morocco
over marbled boards. Spine with gilt lines and title.
Marbled endpapers; speckled edges.
Fr. 800
= Rare early treatise on the geology and palaeontology, in
shows that the author must have been familiar with the writings of Linnaeus, Clerck, Gmelin, Christ, and Fabricius, and
knew how to apply Linnaean systematics to a local fauna.
Drümpelmann was also responsible for another published
natural history work dealing with this region, viz. the also
rare “Flora Livonica” (Nissen, BBI 530), which demonstrates
that the author had both the artistic talent to accurately
depict even the smallest details, and the deep knowledge
of the local natural history and the characters that are
essential to identifying and naming plants and animals in
a correct scientific manner. It should be emphasized that
in the Baltic region between 1758 and 1840 no other work
particular the vertebrate palaeontology of this geologically
very diverse region in central France, by the French engineer and geologist Jean Sébastien Devèze de Chabriol (17921842) and his compatriot, the geologist, palaeontologist,
banker and museum curator Jean-Baptiste Bouillet (17991878). The map is titled “Carte géologique du gîte des ossemens fossiles de Boulade près d’Issoire” with nine different
colours and “Profil et coupes géologiques” with four sections
including the detailed profile of the Plateau d’Issoire with
the Montagne de Boulade and the towns of Boulade and
Issoire. The plates depicts antlers, bones and teeth, and
include several deer species, rhinos, a Hippopotamus, big
cats, etc. Small blindstamp in title page margin, a few spots
on several plates and some text sections, but generally in a
good condition. The last time we had this work (in a modern
binding) was in 2001. Ward and Carozzi, 658. Not in Wood.
[25] Diderot, D. and J. d’Alembert (Ed.). Tapisserie de haute-lisse des Gobelins (BOUND WITH)
Tapisserie de basse-lisse des Gobelins. Paris, ca. 1770.
Two parts in one. Folio (39.5 x 26.0 cm). 2 + 3 pp.; 31 plates
(seven double page). Later plain wrappers.
Fr. 320
= Two suites, on tapestry and weaving, from the great
French eighteenth-century Encyclopedie by Diderot and
d’Alembert. With several pages of explanatory text. The
fine plates show the way the famous Gobelin tapestry was
produced. These pictorial tapestries were painted; embroidered; woven in colours, gold, and silver thread, and so
forth. The plates show details of the process and large views
of the weaving machinery, the weavers at work, etc. Text leaf
a bit age-toned, plates very good, clean.
A finely illustrated manuscript - the first on
Baltic insects - most probably from the
library of Czar Alexander I
[26] [Drümpelmann, E. W.] Sammlung Lief- und Ehstlands Insecten. Erste und zweite
Klasse. (AND) Sammlung Lief- und Ehstlands Insekten.
Vierte fünfte sechste und siebente Klasse. Manuscript
[between 1794-1802]. In two volumes. Folio (29.1 x 23.6
cm; 28.1 x 25.3 cm). Two watercoloured title pages, 39
[24; 15] hand-coloured plates, tissue-guarded and with
smaller hand-written explanatory leaves with the names
in German and Latin, the latter in accordance with the
system of Linnaeus. Near uniform embossed silk limp
boards with a small vignette on the front boards. All
edges gilt. Probably from the library of the Russian czar
Alexander I.
Fr. 26.000
= This is the work of an anonymous entomologist and master
craftsman, most likely Ernst Wilhelm Drümpelmann.
Drümpelmann (1758-post-1830), together with Ernst Wilhelm
Friebe (1762-1811), was the author of the rare first illustrated
local fauna of the Baltic, titled “Getreue Abbildungen und
naturhistorische Beschreibung des Thierreichs aus den
nördlichen Provinzen Russlands”, published between 1807
and 1811 (Nissen ZBI, 1159), a work that, like this work,
was produced that, in number and quality of the illustrations, matches the published zoological and botanical works
of Drümpelmann, and this entomological work. Given the
artistic and technical quality of the work it would, however,
also be conceivable that this work was by another Germanspeaking Baltic or Russian naturalist. Candidates are
Fischer von Waldheim who founded entomology in Russia;
Karl Ernst von Baer, who studied in Dorpat and showed a
keen interest in invertebrates; and perhaps even Peter Simon
Pallas, who was a respected entomologist. But neither of
these men ever referred to such a manuscript, nor have they
been associated with such a work in any bibliography. The
strongest argument for Drümpelmann, however, we find
in his autobiography “Beschreibung meiner Reisen und
der merkwürdigen Begebenheiten meines Lebens”, which
was published in Riga by Müller in 1813. Here, he wrote:
“In zwei Jahren hatte ich, theils selbst, theils durch gütige
Unterstützung des Herrn Assessors von Aderkas zu Kürbis,
eines eifrigen Freundes der liefländischen Naturkunde,
wie auch von andern theilnehmenden Freunden, nicht nur
eine beträchtliche Sammmlung von Insekten, sondern auch
mehrere inländische Vögel, Amphibien u.s.w. zusammen
gebracht, und versucht, mehrere derselben zu zeichnen
und das von mir beobachtete Merkwürdige ihrer Lebensart
anzugeben.”. This is followed by a more explicit statement:
“Mein Studium der Insectologie war mir zu lieb geworden, als daß ich diese für meine übrigen Mussestunden
so schätzenswerthe Beschäftigung nicht noch mit
größerm Eifer betrieben hätte. Da insbesondere meine
Handzeichnungen von Insecten mir so glücklich geriethen,
daß sie allgemein den lauten Beyfall der Kenner erhielten,
so wagte ich es in eben diesem Jahre eine Sammlung
solcher Insectenabbildungen Seiner Russisch-Kaiserlichen
Majestät, unsern allgeliebten Kaiser Alexander dem Ersten,
zu dediciren, und allerunterthänigst zu überreichen.”.
Drümpelmann then cites the letter which he received from
the royal palace: “Seine Majestät, der Kaiser haben gnädigst
geruhet, das Höchst-Denenselben von Ihnen zugeeignete
Manuscript, die liefländische Entomologie betreffend, mit
Beyfall aufzunehmen, indem Sie die Natur sehr treffend
vorgestellt haben. Höchst-Dieselben geruheten hierbey
anzubefehlen, Ihnen die hohe Gnade Seiner Majestät zu
versichern und den hierbey folgenden Brillantring zuzusenden, über dessen Empfang Sie die Güte haben werden, mich
dessen zu benachrichtigen. St. Petersburg, den 10. Sept.
1802. M. v. Muravieff, Geheimerath und Senateur.” In other
words, Drümpelmann stated that he made an illustrated
entomological manuscript, subsequently donated it to Czar
Alexander I, who was known to be very interested in the
Baltic region. The Czar ordered Muravieff to confirm receiving the manuscript and donated a costly diamond ring in
return. Indeed, this work depicts the insects (excluding the
Lepidoptera) of the Baltic states of Latvia and Estonia, and
matches the description by Drümpelmann. Finally, it should
be noted that Drümpelmann used the word “Sammlung”
in his autobiography, which forms part of the titles of both
manuscripts, whereas the use of this word to denote collections was rare at that time. The illustrations are of the highest quality imaginable, pairing great scientific accuracy
(every hair, every wing vein is there) with a stunning lively
impression of each individual animal, in particular the
dragonflies, bumblebees, and beetles. Wings, for instance,
are carefully heightened with gum arabic, often sprinkled
with just enough silver, gold, or pigment particles to give the
right impression of transparency or iridescence. The work
also shows accurate ethological observations, such as parasite wasps on host caterpillars. These pages also show the
richness of Baltic faunas. For instance, there are more than
20 species of ladybirds named and illustrated, with some of
the larvae also shown. Amazingly, most plates contain 15
or more individual figures, and none are flawed. This truly
is a great work of art. The first volume contains (modern
orders) Coleoptera (plates I-XVIII), Hemiptera (XIX-XXI),
Orthoptera (XXII-XXIII), and Hemiptera, aphids (XXIV).
The second volume contains Odonata (I-II), Ephemeroptera
and Embioptera (III), Hymenoptera (IV-X), Diptera (XI-XIII),
Myriapoda + Opiliones + Isopoda (XIV), Arachnida (XV).
The Latin names are those introduced by Linnaeus,
Gmelin, Clerck and Christ. Apparently not included are
the Lepidoptera, Linnaeus’ third class of insects. Most
of the library of the Russian czars was sold to Harvard
University by the Soviet authorities in 1930. We do know
that a volume regarding Linnaeus’ third class does exist
as it was auctioned separately in London several years ago.
The present set contains a few species now (but not then)
known to belong to butterflies. Boards somewhat rubbed,
some limited thumbing, otherwise fine.
[27] Eschwege, W. L. Von Journal von Brasilien, oder vermischte Nachrichten
aus Brasilien, auf wissenschaftliche Reisen gesammelt. Weimar, Landes-Industrie-Comptoirs, 1818-[1819].
Two parts in one. 8vo. xvi, 242 pp.; xii, 304 pp. with 11
engraved folded plates (one in two parts), and maps (of
which three hand-coloured); several folded tables in the
text. Later marbled boards. Spine with gilt title on red
morocco label. edges yellow.
Fr. 2650
= A rare early work on the geography, geology, ethnogra-
phy, and botany of Brazil. Includes the map of Rio de Janeiro
and Ilha Grande region, and the important very large,
folded handcoloured orographical and geological maps and
profiles of the Rio de Janeiro to Villa Rica (1811), in two parts;
an aquatinted frontispiece in the second part showing the
mountains of the Brazilian coast, a view of Botafogo, etc.
Inoffensive, old library stamp on verso of titles. One plate
partly split along fold, otherwise a very good, near spotless
copy. Borba de Moraes I, 293; Henze II, 182; Sabin, 22828.
[28] Familie der Cacteen Familie der Cacteen. Switzerland, unpublished, 1893-1905.
Folio. (ca. 38 x 28 cm). 24 pp. of hand-written text, including an “Eintheilung nach Förster”, and loose sheets (some
on grey paper) with original hand-coloured illustrations
of various Cacteae, similar succulents, and a few other
plants, many after specimens in the Botanischer Garten
Basel. Text in contemporary paper wrappers.
Fr. 1980
= A unique portfolio of original water colour illustrations
of, mostly, cacti, including specimens from the Botanical
Garden in Basel, mostly dated between 1893-1896, one dated
1898, and one 1905. Thirty-seven leaves in total, some with
more than one image. The quality of the paintings and the
colouring varies, but the majority is very good to excellent:
rich in detail and subtile in colouring and shading. Five
plates show other plants (Passiflora, peony, common grape
hyacinth, etc.), one is partly in sketch. A few are copied from
Curtis’ Botanical Magazine. The Förster referred to on the
front leaf is C. Förster’s “Handbuch der Cacteenkunde in
ihrem ganzen Umfange, nach dem gegenwärtigen Stande
der Wissenschaft bearbeitet”. Front leaf of the portfolio
with a few creases, also affecting the opposite text. Some
marginal age-toning and slight soiling, otherwise a very
good and attractive item.
A very rare work; highly important for the
history of the conquest of the Americas
[29] Fernandez Piedrahita, [L.] Historia general de las conquistas del Nuevo Reyno de
Granada. Amberes (Antwerp), Jean Baptiste Verdussen,
[1688]. Folio (29.7 x 20.9 cm). Title page, three finely
engraved plates (title page and frontispieces preceding
chapters) by J. Mulder, [xvi], 599, [vii] pp. Contemporary
vellum. Spine with contemporary script title. Fr. 16.000
= A very rare work, in a very good contemporary binding,
by the Spanish writer, bishop, and gouvernor of Panamá,
Lucas Fernandéz [de] Piedrahita (1624-1688). According to
Sabin (vol. 15, p. 97) this is “a work of the highest importance for the early history of New Grenada”. The work
deals with the conquest of the Americas by the Spanish.
It is particularly interesting because of the descriptions of
the habits of the indigenous people of the Viceroyalty of
New Granada” (present-day Panama, Colombia, Venezuela,
Ecuador, Guyana, southwestern Surinam, parts of northwestern Brazil, northern Peru, Costa Rica and Nicaragua).
It also contains a detailed history of the Spanish invaders in the area up to the year 1563. Piedrahita was born in
Bogotá, and probably partly of Indian descent. He became a
bishop and was captured, tortured, and later released by the
famous English pirate Sir Henry Morgan after sacking the
town of Santa Marta. The finely engraved title pages show
battle scenes, and both the foremost Indian (chapter one)
and Spanish (chapter three) leaders. Old, short annotation
on the title page, flyleaves with some marginal paper loss.
“The work in any condition is very rare”(Field). Only very
few copies came to auction over the past 45 years and this is
definately the one in the best condition. A fine copy. Sabin,
62704.
[30] Forbes, J. D. Travels through the Alps of Savoy and other parts of the
Pennine Chain with observations on the phenomena of
glaciers. Edinburgh, Adam and Charles Black, 1843. Large
8vo (24.6 c 17.1 cm). x, 424 pp., nice coloured lithographed
frontispiece of a “glacier table”, eight lithographed plates
(one tinted) and five engraved maps of which four tinted,
a large engraved folded map, in total 15 plates and maps.
Early 20th century half cloth with paper label. Fr. 1000
= Rare first edition of this classic on Alpine exploration and
the theory of glaciers including the map of the Chamounix
and Mont Blanc glaciers, drawn in 1842. The work was written by the Scottish geologist and seismologist James David
Forbes (1809-1868). Forbes became interested in glaciers after
meeting Louis Agassiz in 1840. With a printed dedication to
another Swiss geologist, Berhard Studer (1794-1887). Forbes’s
book is the first English account of systematic Alpine exploration and a classic in mounteneering literature. Some light
pencil notes and underlinings in the text and some slight,
marginal foxing on the plates,otherwise clean. Overall a
good copy. Perret, 1707.
Magnificent and exceedingly rare work on the
fossil faunas of Bohemia
[31] Fritsch, A. Fauna der Gaskohle und der Kalksteine der Permformation
Böhmens. Band I-IV. (complete) Prag, Selbstverlag and
F. Řivnáč, 1879-1899 [1901?]. Four volumes in four. Folio
(34.0 x 25.5 cm). 459 pp., lavishly illustrated with 167
mostly chromolithographed plates (several double-sized
or larger, folded), and over 400 text engravings, of which
some plate-sized. Volume I (1883): 182 pp., 48 plates (some
larger, folded, a few plain), 160 text engravings; volume II
(1889): 114 pp., 44 plates (several larger, folded; numbered
49-90, 80b, 81b), 79 text figures (numbered 117-188); vol. III
(1895): 132 pp., 42 plates [several (much) larger; numbered
91-132], 122 text engravings (numbered 189-310); vol. IV
(1901): 101 pp., full colour frontispiece, of a landscape
with “Miriopoden”; 33 plates (numbered 133-165), 64 text
engravings (numbered 311-394, and including phototypes of fossil animals and tracks, freshwater bivalves,
and, e.g. the author at work). Original uniform brown
cloth sumptuously embossed with black floral borders,
and gilt vignettes depicting Permian amphibians, reptiles
and fish. Marbled edges.
Fr. 12.500
member of several natural history societies in Bohemia.
“Professor Antonin Fric … is considered by many to be
the greatest Czech museologist, pedagogue and educationalist of the nineteenth century. He devoted his life to the
Czech Museum (Museum of the Czech Kingdom, now
the National Museum). From 1855, he was curator of the
zoological collections. In 1864, he founded the GeologicalPalaeontological Department and from 1871 was Professor
at Prague University. In 1880, he was made Director of
the Zoological and Palaeontological departments of the
Museum. He travelled widely, including to Great Britain,
the Mediterranean and the USA. His main works in zoology
were monographs on European birds and Czech bats, fish
and crustaceans. In palaeontology, he wrote on the stratigraphy and palaeontology of the Czech Upper Cretaceous,
Carboniferous and Permian fauna. He also published
several important books about the popularisation of geology and palaeontology” (the Edinburgh Geologist, 38). The
Fauna der Gaskohle contains the description and fine illustrations of many early vertebrates, notably fish, amphibians,
and reptiles, generally described from well-preserved specimens. The last volume deals with invertebrates, including
many myriapods, several spiders, some insects, crustaceans, and bivalves. Fritsch introduced many new names,
most of which still valid today. Fritsch himself published
the work, clearly in low numbers, and over a long period
of time, which explains its rarity, especially of complete
copies in original bindings. The last volume has 1901 on
the title page, but Horn-Schenkling dates it from 1899. The
total numbers of text illustrations as given by Fritsch on the
title pages, and the actual numbers do not match, because
Fritsch also counted figures with a b-number. This set has
a label on the front pastedowns stating “Presented to the
Imperial College of Science Geology Department from the
library of John Walter Gregory [name handwritten] 1934.”
Gregory (1864-1932) was a British explorer and geologist,
perhaps best known for his survey of the Great African Rift
Valley. He was the successor of Frederic McCoy as chairman
of the Geology Department of the University of Melbourne,
Australia. Slight rubbing to joints and spine ends, stamp in
the top-margin of the title pages, a few light spots, otherwise a very good, clean set. Extremely rare in a complete
state. We know of no auction records in the last 50 years.
Only one complete set in modern binding has been listed
in an antiquarian catalogue in the last 4 decades. HornSchenkling II(2), p. 89; Nissen ZBI, 1438.
[32] Fuchs, W. Die Venetianer Alpen. Ein Beitrag zur Kenntniss der
Hochgebirgte, met einen geognostischen Karte und
Gebirgteprofilen in achtzehn Tafeln. Solothurn, Jent &
Gassmann, 1844. Oblong folio (29.8 x 35.5 cm), [4], 60 pp.,
18 mostly hand-coloured engraved maps and plates. Text
pages bordered with putti and goddesses. 19th century
iridescent blue blind cloth.
Fr. 4500
= Wilhelm Fuchs (1802-1853) was the Königliche-Kaizerliche
= Magnificent and exceedingly rare work by the Czech geol-
ogist, palaeontologist, and ornithologist Antonin Frič, or, in
German, Anton Fritsch (1832-1913) on the rich Permian and
Carboniferous faunas of Bohemia. Fritch was professor of
geology at the Polytechnikum in Prague, and founder and
Bergverwalter zu Agordo im Venetianischen, and as such
he dedicated this magnificent work to Stephan Franz Victor
von Oesterreich, Prinzen von Ungarn und Boehmen, etc.
The work contains the detailed map, scale 1:72000, as well
as views on and cross-sections of this massif. The text deals
with the geology, geomorphology and vegetation, and with
measuring heights. Franz Hauer later published on the
fossils collected by Fuchs (in the Denkschriften of the K.
Akademie in Vienna). A very good copy of this rare work.
BM(NH) Cat. p. 630. Neither in Ward and Carozzi, nor in
Henze.
[33] Füessly, J. C. Archiv der Insectengeschichte I-VIII. (Complete). Zurich
and Winterthur, Heinrich Steiner, 1781-1786 [-1794]. Eight
volumes in one. 4to (17.9 x 23.0 cm). [iv], 356, [i](Nachricht)
pp., 51 engraved plates, all but three finely hand-coloured.
Contemporary half morocco over marbled boards. Spine
with five raised, gilt-bordered bands, gilt floral vignettes,
morocco label with gilt title. All edges red.
Fr. 2900
= A rare and richly illustrated serial work, mainly on
Coleoptera with more than usual attention paid to the
Coccinellidae. Plates also include Lepidoptera, Orthoptera,
and Blattoidea. All plates were engraved by the Swiss artist,
entomologist and botanist Johann Rudolph Schellenberg
(1740-1806), and are very detailed and scientifically accurate. The three uncoloured plates are never coloured. The
pagination starts anew with many, but not all chapters. The
unnumbered title pages and one Nachricht page are also
included. Horn-Schenkling described the complex pagination and plate numbering. Several plates have handwritten,
not printed, plate numbers. The page numbering in our copy
matches that in Horn-Schenkling, except that two adjacent
but unrelated text parts are in a different order, and we have
a Nachtricht page to the third part not mentioned by HornSchenkling. The last published part is from 1794, although
this is not indicated. The author and editor, Johann Caspar
Füessly (1743-1786) was a Swiss professional painter and
book dealer who wrote more on entomology. He also has his
name spelled as Johann Kaspar Füssli, Fuessly, or Fuesslins.
The last parts, published after Füessley’s death, were partly
written by Herbst (the complete parts VII and VIII, but also
parts IV-V from 1783-1784), Hübner, and others. Franz von
Paula Schrank contributed to part 2. There is no title page
to the work, or to part 1, but these were very probably never
published. Such titles are not mentioned in Hagen and
Horn-Schenkling, neither were they present in the three
other copies we have seen, nor mentioned auction and sales
catalogues that we have consulted. Moreover, the title to
part 2 includes an “Inhalt des ersten Hefts”. An 8 pp. species
index to plates 19a-54 (loosely inserted) has been added,
neatly written in an old hand. Useful, as such an index was
never published. Perhaps this index was compiled and written by the English/Swiss malacologist and naturalist Robert
James Shuttleworth (1810-1874). His armorial bookplate is on
the front pastedown. Boards somewhat rubbed, parts of the
spine cover chipped or lacking and dry. All plates and text
fine, clean. In all a very good copy. It is very rare to see a
complete (if not over-complete) copy like this one. Hagen I,
p. 257; Horn-Schenkling, 7210; Nissen ZBI, 1455.
[34] Gasser, G. Die mineralien Tirols einschliesslich Voralbergs und
der Hohen Tauern. Nach der eigentümlichen Art ihres
Vorkommens an den verschiedenen Fundorten und mit
besonderer Berücksichtigung der neuen Vorkommen.
Innsbruck, Wagner, 1913. 4to. xii, 549 pp., several text
figures; one folded, coloured map. Contemporary half
cloth over marbled green boards. Spine with gilt title.
Fr. 1900
= This is the great classical study, by the Italian mineralogist Georg Gasser (1857-1931) on the minerals of Tirol in
Austria and adjacent northern Italy from Feldkirch to Lienz/
Kitzbühel and from Innsbruck to Trient/Roveredo. With
detailed descriptions of many minerals, with synonymy,
and locations. This work was started, but not completed,
in issues. The Cat. BM(NH) lists Lieferungen 1 and 2 separately as published in 1904-1905, containing 64 pp., and
two plates. However, it is noted that the form of publication changed and they also lists the complete work, which is
without plates. It appears to be extremely rare and is almost
never for sale. Two private library stamps on title page from
Dr. Oskar Schmidegg from Innsbruck and a signature from
Prof. Tollmann, also Austria. A very good clean copy. Cat.
BM(NH) Suppl. p. 358.
[35] Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, I. and F. Cuvier Histoire naturelle des mammifères, avec les figures originales, coloriées, dessinées d’après des animaux vivans.
Félins - Cats - Katzen. Paris, A. Belin, 1818-1832. Large
folio (approximately 53 x 35 cm). 25 hand-coloured lithographed plates with explanatory text leaves. Not bound,
as issued.
Fr. 3000
= A magnificent publication with fine large plates of mammals
from all over the world. The authors, Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
(1772-1844) and Fréderic Cuvier (1769-1832) were the leading authorities in mammalogy in the first half of the 19th
century, and the “Histoire naturelle des mammifères” is
widely regarded as their magnum opus. This is the section
cntaining the cats or Felidae, including lions, leopards, etc.
The following species are present: [text leaf of the chaus];
“Le lion de Sénégal” (Felis leo, from West Africa); “le lion
de Barbarie, la lionne et ses petits” (three separate plates
of Felis leo, the extinct North African subspecies); “Jaguar
femelle” (Felis jaguar, female; the American sister of the
leopard); “La panthère, male, vielle” (Felis pantera, an old
male); “Chat de Cafrerie” (Felis cafra, or African wild cat);
“chat a collier” (Felis armillatus, the ocelot, or Felis pardalis); “marguai” (Felis wiedii, in the text named Felis tigrina,
but that is a different, larger species); “le cougouar” (Felis
concolor, the American mountain lion, puma, or cougar);
“colocolo” (Felis colocolo, or pampas cat); “chat cervier du
Canada” (Felis rufus, the bobcat); “chat a ventre tacheté”
(Felis celidogaster, or F. temminckii, and not from South
America as suggested by Geoffroy and Cuvier); “chat du
Brésil” (most probably an ocelot, Felis pardalis, subspecies);
“le chati femelle” (a female Felis mitis, from South America);
“le chati” (the same, but a male specimen); “chat aux oreilles
rousses” (Felis caligata, or booted lynx); “le chat noir du
Cap” (Felis [sylvestris] obscura, or South African wild cat);
“chat de Java” (Felis javanensis, apparently Felis viverrina,
the fishing cat, although it does not occur on Java today);
“chat du Népaul” (Felis torquata, i.e. Felis sylvestris from
Nepal); “le serval mâle” (a male Serval, or Caracal serval);
“Mélas” (a black panther, or Felis pardus, from Sumatra);
“tigre ondulé” (Felis nebulosa, or clouded leopard); “jeunes
métis de lion et de tigresse” (two young animals, being
hybrids between a lion and a tigress); “le tigre royal” (Felis
tigris, the tiger). All as issued, without stamps, annotations
or other markings. All text leaves and all plates uncut and
untrimmed, resulting in very large margins. Due to these
large margins some edges a bit frayed or with minor tears.
A few text pages spotted. The bobcat, and chat a Brésil plates
age-toned and spotted, all other plates either with minimal
spotting or clean. In all, a set in very good condition. Brunet
II, p. 1,536; Nissen ZBI, 1525; Wood, p. 354.
[36] Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, I. and F. Cuvier Histoire naturelle des mammifères, avec les figures originales, coloriées, dessinées d’après des animaux vivans.
Ours - Bears - Bären. Paris, A. Belin, 1818-1842. Large
Folio (approximately 53 x 35 cm). Ten plates with explanatory text leaves. Not bound, as issued.
Fr. 900
= A magnificent publication with fine large plates of
mammals from all over the world. The authors, Geoffroy
Saint-Hilaire (1772-1844) and Fréderic Cuvier (1769-1832)
were the leading authorities in Mammalogy in the first
half of the 19th century, and the “Histoire naturelle des
mammifères” is widely regarded as their magnum opus.
From this work, these are the bears (Ursidae). Included are
the following species: l’ours polaire (U. maritimus); ours
noir d’Amérique (U. americanus); ours des cordillières (U.
ornatus); le jongleur (U. labiatus or U. longirostris); the
same “très vieux (very old)”; ours des Asturies (U. arctos
from Spain); ours brun des alpes et de Norwège (U arctos
(adult brown bear from the Alps, and a three months old
young from Norway); ours de malais (U. malayanus); and
ours de Thibet (U. thibetanus). Not included is the ours de
sibérie. All as issued, without stamps, annotations or other
markings. All text leaves, and all plates uncut, untrimmed,
resulting in very big margins. Due to these large margins
some edges a bit frayed or with minor tears. A few text
pages spotted, all the plates either with minimal spotting or
clean. In all a set in a very good condition. Brunet II, p. 1,536;
Nissen ZBI, 1525; Wood, p. 354.
[37] Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, I. and F. Cuvier Histoire naturelle des mammifères, avec les figures
originales, coloriées, dessinées d’après des animaux
vivans. Chiens et rénards - Dogs and foxes - Hunden und
Fuchsen. Paris, A. Belin, 1819-1825. Large folio (approximately 53 x 35 cm). 19 hand-coloured lithographed plates
with explanatory text leaves. Not bound, as issued.
Fr. 1950
= A magnificent publication with fine large plates of
mammals from all over the world. The authors, Geoffroy
Saint-Hilaire (1772-1844) and Fréderic Cuvier (1769-1832)
were the leading authorities in mammalogy in the first
half of the 19th century, and the “Histoire naturelle des
mammifères” is widely regarded as their magnum opus.
This is the section containing the dogs, wolves, and foxes.
The following species are present: “La hyène tache” (spotted hyena); “louve noir” (female black wolf, Canis lupus, the
plate caption reads: loup commun noir, femelle); “chacal de
Sénégal” (senegal jackal, Canis aureus anthus); “la hyène
rayée”(striped hyena); “rénard argenté” (the silver fox, a
melanistic variety of the common red fox hunted for their
fur); “renards rouges de l’Amérique septentrionale agés de
30 jours” (very young American red foxes); “renard rouge”
(the American red fox, Vulpes vulpes subspecies); “le
renard tricolor” (the South American Lycalopex griseus); “le
renard commun” (European fox, Vulpes vulpes); “mulets
du chacal de l’Inde” (the pups of the jackal, Canis aereus);
“le chacal de sénégal femelle” (female Canis aureus anthus);
“le chagal” (male of Canis aureus aureus); “Le loup” (the
wolf, Canis lupus); “Chien poméranie” (the Keeshond);
“chien de Nouvelle Hollande” (the dingo); “le chien de
Terre-Neuve” (the Newfoundland); “le dogue de forte race”
(mastiff); “chien lévrier” (sight hound); and the “chien des
Eskimaux” (husky). All as issued, without stamps, annotations or other markings. All text leaves and all plates uncut
and untrimmed, resulting in very large margins. Due to
these large margins some edges a bit frayed or with minor
tears. A few text pages spotted, the husky plate partly toned,
all other plates either with minimal spotting or clean. In all,
a set in very good condition. Brunet II, p. 1,536; Nissen ZBI,
1525; Wood, p. 354.
[38] Grönvold, H. Original drawings of the hornbills (Buceronidae) in
Wytsman’s “Genera Avium”. Tervuren, P. Wytsman,
before 1911 [unpublished artwork]. Three large, fully
handcoloured original drawings on cardboard; approximate size 32 x 27, 32 x 25.5, and 29 x 23 cm. Loose in portfolio.
Fr. 3500
= Original drawings by the famous Danish bird illustrator Henrik Grönvold (1858-1940). These very accurate and
beautifully coloured drawings of the spectacular heads
and bills of these tropical birds, which were published in
Wytsman’s “Genera Avium”, livraison 13, written by the
Belgian ornithologist Alphonse Dubois. These are the plates
that formed the basis of published chromolithographs. They
match the published chromolithographs in every detail,
except that they are nearly 20% larger than the printed
versions. Grönvold was the illustrator of many famous
works on birds, including Shelley’s “Birds of Africa”, Beebe’s
“Monograph of the pheasants”, and Matthews’ “Birds of
Australia”, as well as many plates for the Zoological Society
of London (Proceedings and Transactions), as well as for
Rothschild’s “Novitates Zoologicae”. Philogène Auguste
Galilée Wytsman (1866-1925) was a Belgian ornithologist,
entomologist, and publisher. He is remembered as the editor
and publiser of this work, and of the “Genera Insectorum”.
Alphonse Joseph Charles Dubois (1839-1920) was a medical
doctor but became curator at the vertebrate department of
the natural history museum in Brussels. Published plate
and figure numbers added by a contemporary (Wytsman’s?)
hand. One board has a stamp on the verso “Winsor &
Newton’s water colour sketching boards. Whatman’s
‘special’ surface no. 2”, and an address in London. Boards
very lightly toned, otherwise in very good conditions.
Nissen IVB, 1028 (published edition).
A finely coloured manuscript depicting exotic
and medicinal plants, by one of the greatest
natural history artists of the 18th century
[39] Happe, A. Abbildung auslaendischer Materialien. Berlin, 1767. Folio
(37.3 x 24.3 cm). Decorative water colour title page, manuscript text within a garland of flowers and insects, and
86 water-colour plates of plants, manuscript index leaf
at the end. Preserved in modern marbled clamshell box.
Fr. 30.000
= A beautiful original manuscript of foreign, mostly exotic,
useful and medicinal plants. The fine watercolours are
heightened with gouache and are numbered 1-53a, 53b-85,
and inscribed with their Latin names. At the lower margin
the Linnaean nomenclature is given with reference to his
‘Genera Plantarum’. The index leaf lists a plate 86, Euphorbia,
which is not present and presumably perished. The manuscript portrays many flowering or seed-bearing plants
of medical or agricultural importance: Jamaican pepper,
cashew, cacao, camphor tree, caper, cardamom, cloves,
quinine bark, China root, Arabian coffee, bitter cucumber,
Indian saffron, date palm, Indian fig (the tree is considered
sacred in India as it often shelters a little temple underneath), dwarf ginseng, tree-of-life, indigo, nutmeg, opium,
Indian pepper, black pepper, St. John’s bread, Indian date,
vanilla plant, poison nut - many originating from India. On
one plate, the nettle, the butterfly Papilio atalanta L. and
its caterpillar, which specifically occurs on this plant, are
illustrated. The frontispiece shows more colourful insects
including butterflies and beetles, as well as flowering plants.
Andreas Friedrich Happe (1733-1802) was a well-known
artist, engraver, and naturalist as well as a pharmacist. He
was born in Aschersleben and died in Berlin in 1802. He
published a number of books on pharmaceutical botany of
which the most important is his ‘Botanica pharmaceutica…’
Berlin 1785 (-1806). He was also the artist for the plates of
the first two volumes of Martini & Chemnitz ‘Neues systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet’. However, he is better known
for his botanical artwork. The Oak Spring Garden Library
has a four volume ‘Herbarium pictum’, an impressive
[40] Heer, O. Die Urwelt der Schweiz. Zürich, Friedrich Schultheß,
1865. Thick 8vo. xxix, 662 pp., 368 fine text engravings,
one double-sized full colour map, seven tinted steel
engravings (one as frontispiece), and 11 lithographed
plates. Luxurious rich gilt-tooled original binding with
an embossed image of antediluvial Switzerland and
bevelled edges. Iridescent endpapers; all edges gilt.
Fr. 160
= The first edition of a book that was also published in a
French (1872), and English (1876) edition. The tinted plates
show mainly Mesozoic landscapes, the engraved plates
figure fossils, in particular plants and insects (Coleoptera,
mostly). The author, Oswald Heer was not only a palaeontologist, but also a botanist and entomologist. This is a very
well-preserved copy of the special “Reichen Einband mit
Goldschnitt”, which was sold at 20 Swiss Francs. The papercovered edition sold for 16 francs, and is more common.
Provenance: small library stamp of the Bibliothek des
Prinzen Ernst von Sachsen-Altenburg, and of the German
malacologist Herbert Ant on the front free endpaper recto,
An unknown old autograph and Ant’s small stamp on the
half-title and title page top margin. A good, clean copy.
Nissen ZBI, 6600.
An exceedingly rare complete copy
[41] Hegetschweiler, J. Sammlung von Schweizer Pflanzen nach der Natur und
auf Stein gezeichnet von J. D. Labram. Text von Dr. Joh:
Hegetschweiler. Zürich, J. Esslinger 1825-1846. Title page,
and 881 fine, handcoloured lithographed plates with
accompanying text leaves. All in contemporary marbled
wrappers with old handwritten labels preserved in seven
20th century uniform German style custom-made dark
marbled slipcases with marbled paper cover; rounded
spines with gilt lines at head and tail, and red morocco
labels with gilt titles.
Fr. 12.500
collection of 403 watercolours. The Hunt Botanical Library
possesses a manuscript by him: ‘Flora Happiana’, with 471
watercolours. The Amsterdam bookseller Junk sold a manuscript of Happe in 1997: ‘Insecten-Belustigung. Worinnen
eine Sammlung sowohl Ausländischer als Einheimischer
Tag-Vögel, Abend- und Nacht-Vögel enthalten nach dem
Leben gezeichnet von Andr. Frid. Happe. Berlin 1769-1784’,
with a fine frontispiece (title within a garland of flowers),
and 133 original watercolours. In 2008, a large collection of
original watercolours by Happe - ‘Conspectus Praecipuarum
Plantarum…’ Berlin 1790-1794, with 1146 original watercolours - was offered by the Parisian bookseller ThomasScheler. The Latin captions have some ink bleeding. Three
plates with marginal repair. A unique and interesting collection, not recorded by any bibliographer. For similar works
see: An Oak Spring Herbaria, 39; and Hunt, 659.
= A very rare set of all 881 (fide Stafleu & Cowan) differ-
ent handcoloured engraved plates and explanatory text
leaves, belonging to one of the major and most beautiful
Swiss floras following the Linnaean system. According to
Stafleu & Cowan, there are three “issues” of this work, of
which this must be the Zürich edition (1825-1834), given the
presence of the Esslinger title page. The Zürch edition is
the most complete edition, and comprises 481 plates. It was
followed by a “Neue Folge” (1838-1846) with 400 plates, for
a total of 881. Nissen’s claim of 882 plates is not substantiated and most probably wrong. The current set matches the
combined number of these editions. This includes four plant
taxa represented by two plates, namely Vaccinium vitisidaea: one with flowers and one with berries; Andropogon
ischaemum; Lotus corniculatus (one captioned Lotus uliginosus); and the genus Aretia, which was not further resolved
into species. Also included is an original “Ankundigung” of
1 p. (verso blank), and a “Nachricht” of 2 pp. Both have not
been recorded previously. The collection has been divided in
six uniform slipcases numbered 1-71 (1-10; 11-26; 27-40; 41-50;
51-60; 61-end); and seven loose issues of the Dicotyledonea
and one slipcase of Monocotyledonea in 14 parts. Apparently
this set was systematically arranged. Added are two indexes
in an old hand. The first index lists the Phanerogamen. The
second index lists 14 sections in Monocotyledonea, which
matches this set; and the Dicotyledonea subdivided as
follows: A. Thalamiflora, families 1-23; B. Calyciflora 124-46,
46b; C. Corolliflora 47-61; and D. Monochlamydeae 62-71.
This agrees with the contents as well. There are no auction
records of copies with all the plates. Plates and accompanying text leaves in pristine condition; clean and with fresh,
natural colouring. Nissen BBI, 838; Stafleu & Cowan, 2563.
it is stated that there was only one edition, with differently
dated title pages only. Sabin (vol. 8, pp. 239-240) describes
this (1651) edition, and suggests that it may be a remainder
of the 1628 edition. Hence this edition is described variously
as the second or third. It contains the three dedications to
Cardinal Barberini, which were omitted in some copies.
Nissen BBI (p. 80) and ZBI (p. 198) reports another 1651
edition, published by Deversini & Masotti under a different
title. All are rare. Vellum broken at hinges, but bookblock
intact. Pages 99-100 and 105-106 switched, pages 373-384
bound between 360-361; 500 mispaginated as 400, 698 as
968, 929 as 919; some text sections browned, one leaf with a
short tear but in all a remarkably well-preserved copy of this
rare and important work. Nissen BBI, 861; Nissen ZBI, 1908
[Animalia Mexica part only], 1908a.
[43] Humblot Water colour manuscript of French pear varieties.
[Pomology] Unpublished, ca. 1871. Oblong folio (25.5 x
31.5 cm). 29 plates (1-26; 10bis; 16bis; 24bis), each with two
or more original water colours and handwritten caption,
for a total of 135 images. Original paper-covered boards,
with water colour drawing of a pear mounted on the
A treasury of pre-Columbian
ethnopharmacology
[42] Hernandez, F. Rerum medicarum Novae Hispaniae thesaurus seu
plantarum animalium mineralium mexicanorum historia ex Francisci Hernandez Noui Orbis medici primarii
relationibus in ipsa Mexicana urbe conscriptis a Nardo
Antonio Reccho Monte Coruinate Cath. Maiest. medico
et Neap. Regni archiatro generali jussu Philippi II. Hisp.
Ind. etc. Regis collecta ae in ordinem digesta a Ioanne
Terrentio Lynceo Constantiense Germ.o Pho ae medico
notis illustrata. Roma, Vitali Mascardi, 1651. Thick folio
(32.4 x 21.6 x 8.0 cm). Engraved title page with a map of
Mexico, [xiv], 950, [ii], 90, [vi], [xiv], [v] pp., numerous
woodengravings in the text, several woodengraved headpieces. Contemporary vellum.
Fr. 19.800
= This is the magnum opus of Francisco Hernández de
Toledo (1514-1587) a naturalist, medical botanist, and court
physician to Philip II, King of Spain. “In 1570 Hernández was
ordered to embark on the first scientific mission in the New
World, a study of the region’s medicinal plants. Accompanied
by his son Juan, he traveled for seven years collecting
and classifying specimens, interviewing the indigenous
people through translators and conducting medical studies in Mexico. He was assisted by three indigenous painters
(baptized, Antón, Baltazar Elías and Pedro Vázquez respectively), who prepared illustrations” (Wikipedia). In this
work, Hernández describes the then nearly unknown trees
and herbs of Mexico and their medical use, as well as many
animals, in particular birds and mammals, indigenous to
Central America, including the Aztek names. “The work
is a a treasury of pre-Columbian ethnopharmacology, and
often the best or only source of knowledge of the medical
and herbal practices of the Aztec civilisation” (Watson). All
are well-illustrated in over 800 fine woodcuts. The sumptuously illustrated Latin edition was first printed in 1628 but
remained undistributed. New preliminaries were printed
in 1648 and then probably three editions (1648, 1649, 1651)
were published by Mascardi in Rome, although sometimes
front board.
Fr. 5000
= A unique manuscript on pear varieties, including many
that have become rare or extinct. The name of the illustrator
is not specifically mentioned, but on the first blank, we find
the inscription: “Donné à Mr Alexandre par Mr Humblot,
... 3 octobre 1871”. Included are such pears as the Ananas,
Belle de Bruxelles, Saint Nicolas, Beurré d’Angleterre, Bon
Chretien, Doyenné d’Alençon, Doyenne du Comice, etc., etc.
The total number of pear varieties is an astonishing 135, of
which only three unidentified, and one with the name in
light pencil; apparently a doubtful identification. The identity of Mr Alexandre and Mr Humblot could not be established. The Museúm national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris
houses botanical material collected by the naturalist and
botanist Léon Humblot (1852-1914), but there is no obvious
tie between him and pomology. A few marginal annotations by someone who knew his pears. Boards rubbed,
first blank detached, marginally frayed and chipped; the
plates, however, very good: a few spots, one larger stain
on one plate; a few short marginal tears, otherwise clean.
A very good and unique item of considerable pomological
importance.
[44] Humboldt, [F. H.] A. Freiherr Von Kleinere Schriften von Alexander von Humboldt. Erster
Band. Geognostische und physikalische Erinnerungen
(AND) Umrisse von Vulkanen aus den Cordilleren von
Quito und Mexico. Ein Beitrag zur Physiognomik der
Natur. Stuttgart und Tübingen, J. G. Cotta, 1853. In two
parts. Text and Atlas. Text: 8vo. viii, 475 pp., six large,
folding tables. Contemporary half morocco over marbled
boards. Spine with four raised bands and gilt title. Floral
patterned endpapers. Atlas: oblong 4to (20.2 x 30.9 cm). 12
fine, tinted (one hand-coloured) engraved plates. Original
quarter cloth over printed boards.
Fr. 1350
= This is the start of an intended series of geological,
volcanological and physical contributions by this eminent
German geologist, but it remained all that was published.
The present works deal mainly with the volcanos of Mexico
and part of the Andes. However, also included is the work
titled “Untersuchungen über die eudiometrischen Mittel
und über das Verhältnis der wesentliche Bestandtheile der
Atmosphäre” written together with the great French physicist and chemist J. L. Gay-Lussac, as well as a few smaller
papers, and a new introduction by Von Humboldt. The fine
plates show the volcanoes in Equador and Mexico. Two
plates are maps, one plate is coloured, containing a comparative outline of the highest mountain ranges in Europe,
Asia, and South America, indicating their climate zones.
Rare. The text is rather foxed, due to the quality of the paper
but the atlas with its beautiful tinted views, is clean. Sabin
33.725; Ward and Carozzi, 1154.
Paris, Rousseau, and J. B. Baillière, 1841-1843. 4to (32.0 x
25.0 cm). Title page and half title, 234 pp., 99 finely handcoloured engraved plates [120 pp., 34 plates (Mitra); 70
pp., 52 plates (Voluta); 44 pp., 13 plates (Marginella)].
Contemporary half cloth over marbled boards. Spines
with gilt title. Marbled endpapers.
Fr. 1750
= A very rare large-paper edition of this beautifully executed
work of great scientific (taxonomical and nomenclatural)
importance containing the descriptions and illustrations
of many new and poorly-known shells. The larger quarto
edition is more suitable to the fine illustrations by Duménil,
Roch, Vaillant, Kiener himself, and others, as this work was
meant to be of both scientific and aesthetic value. Nissen
only mentions the 8vo edition, but on original wrappers
from Kiener’s time the work was stated to be available in
“Grand in-8°, papier grand-raisin...figures coloriées. 6 fr.”,
AND “Grand in-4°, papier vélin satiné, figures coloriées 12
[fr]”, i.e. twice as expensive. Louis Charles Kiener (1799-1881)
made use of the famous Delessert collection and that of the
Natural History Museum of Paris, the largest and most
[45] Junghuhn, F. Topographische und naturwissenschaftliche Reisen
durch Java, von Dr. Friedrich Junghuhn. Für die
Kaiserlich Leopoldinisch-Carolinische Akademie der
Naturforscher zum Druck befördert und bevorwortet durch Dr. C. G. Nees v. Esenbeck, Präsidenten der
Akademie. Magdeburg, Emil Baensch, 1845. 8vo. x, 518
pp., 1 l. (text); oblong folio (37.6 x 53.5 cm) with separate
title page and 2 ll., 38 lithographed plates, two folded lithographed profiles (atlas). Contemporary cloth with handwritten title label of a slightly later date. Atlas in later
cloth with original wrapper mounted on front board.
Fr. 2000
= Rare atlas with the accompanying text, mostly on volca-
noes of Java, such as the Merapi, Merbabu, Papandayang,
Gunong, Guntur and others. Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn
(1809-1864) was a German geographer and naturalist
and is considered to be the unsurpassed master of scientific research and reproduction of Java. He joined the
Netherlands Indies Army as a medical officer in 1834. In
1845 he became a member of the natural sciences commission. He made numerous excursions on Java, climbed all
the major volcanos and inspected many craters. The first
result of all his explorations is this monumental work, a
semi-autobiography, in which his description of the flora
and geology is still unsurpassed. His great influence was
Alexander von Humboldt’s description of America. The
extraordinary plates, lithographed by E. Baensch, depict
situation sketches and profiles of Javanese volcanoes, and
one depicts Junghuhn himself standing on the northside
of the Merapi volcano with a telescope. The Merapi (“fire
mountain”) had Junghuhn’s special interest because at the
time of his visit it was active (as it is today). The text volume
with a small and vague handstamp on the title page; some
japanese paper reinforcements to one of the profile versos,
otherwise nice and clean. Overall a very good copy. Henze
II, 723; Tiele, 571.
[46] Kiener, L. C. Spécies générales et iconographie des coquilles vivantes
comprenant la collection du Muséum d’Histoire naturelle
de Paris, la collection Lamarck, celle du Prince Masséna
(appartenant maintenant A. M. B. Delessert) et les découvertes récentes des voyageurs. Famille des columellaires.
I. Mitre (Mitra), volute (Voluta), marginelle (Marginella).
varied repositories of conchological material on the continent. “He soon put it to good use; and in 1834 he published
the first part of his ‘Spécies’... This exquisitely illustrated
iconography, started before the Sowerbys and Reeve began
to issue theirs, appeared at intervals up to 1880, when eleven
volumes had been completed” (Dance, A History of Shell
Collecting). This volume covers a fairly coherent group of
neogastropods, all with strong plicae on the columella, viz.
the Mitridae, Costellariidae, Volutidae, Marginellidae and
Cystiscidae. The fine, hand-coloured plates by Maubert,
Roch, De la Haye, and others are among the most beautiful illustrations of muricids and ranellids ever published.
Publication of these parts started in 1834 with Marginella
and was completed in 1841 with the last part of Marginella,
with Voluta and Mitra published in 1838-1839 (Faber, 2011).
Slight rubbing to the boards, a few sections in the text spotted, but generally rather clean; a few plates with some spots,
but mostly clean. The colouring strong yet subtle, often
bright, enhanced with gum arabic. Caprotti, p. 197; Dance,
p. 137; Faber, pp. 64-65; Nissen ZBI, 2183.
A complete set of the rarest work on the
geology of Madagascar
[47] Lacroix, A. Mineralogie de Madagascar. Tome I-III. (complete). Paris,
Augustin Challamel, 1922-1923. Three parts in three.
4to. 1,799 [xvi, 624; vii, 694; viii, 450] pp., 64 plates, one
tinted folded map, one full colour folded geological map.
Uniform later cloth. Spines with gilt-lettered red morocco
label.
Fr. 4800
= Very rare and most important monograph on the geology
and mineralogy of Madagascar, well illustrated and including a large bibliography and geographical name-index
of almost 100 pp. The work is divided as follows: Tome I
(1922) Géologie, minéralogie descriptive; Tome II (1922):
Minéralogie appliquée, lithologie; Tome III (1923): Lithologie
appendice, index géographique. Of the last volume the original printed wrappers are bound in. In part I few ink marginalia and more extensive annotations to one map in the text,
otherwise a few scattered hand-written corrections. Some
age-toning and thumbing in the text. The plates, printed
on heavier paper, usually very good. Single parts are rare,
especially part 3, a complete set - such as this one - very rare.
[48] Latreille, P. A. Histoire naturelle des salamandres de France, précédée
d’un tableau méthodique des autres reptiles indigènes:
avec figures coloriée. Paris, De Crapelet, 1800. 8vo. xlvii,
61 [2] pp., six hand-coloured engraved plates. Original
blind wrappers.
Fr. 1500
= The rare first edition of this important and finely illustrated work on the salamanders of France, including a
methodic table of all the French amphibians and reptiles,
as well as descriptions, and notes on synonyms, habitats,
distribution, etc. The work was dedicated to the zoologist
and entomologist Antoine-Jean Coquebert. This is Pierre
André Latreille’s first herpetological work; the next year
he co-authored the four volume “Histoire naturelle des
reptiles” (Adler). Uncut. Spine cover a bit chipped. An old
hand-stamp with a crowned monogram on the title page.
The coloring of the plates is excellent. A very good copy of
the rare first edition. Adler I, p. 19; Cat. BM(NH) III, p. 1,064;
Not in Nissen ZBI.
[49] Ledermüller, M. Physikalisch-Mikroskopische
Zergliederung
und
Vorstellung
einer
sehr
kleinen
Winterknospe
des Hippocastani seu Esculi, oder des wilden
Rosskastanienbaum. Beobachtet den 12. Jener 1764. WITH:
Physikalisch-Mikroskopische Zergliederung des Korns
oder Rokens; nebst der Beobachtung seines Wachsthums,
[AND] Physikalisch-Mikroskopische Vorstellung und
Zergliederung einer angeblichen Rokenpflanze, das
Staudten, Stek- oder Gerstenkorn insgemein genannt.
Woden die Embryonen der noch zarten und kaum 4.
Wochen alten Aerhe, mit ihrem Keim, dann Blüht und
Befruchtungs-Theilen, ingleichen die Aehnlichkeit des
Roken und Gerstengrases mit seiner Blüht und Frucht,
sowohl natürlich als vergrössert sich abgebildet befinden: als der zugesicherte und verlangte Schluss des
Zergliederten Kekens. Samt III nach der Natur sorgfältigst
mit Farben erleuchteten saubern Kupfertafeln. Nürnberg:
A. W. Winterschmidt (1764-1765). Folio (38.5 x 24.5 cm). 3
parts bound in 2: 8 pp. of text, 3 fine hand-coloured plates;
12 + 12 pp. of text, 4 + 3 fine hand-coloured plates and
two nice pastoral and allegorical vignettes on the dedication pages. All 3 parts complete. Contemporary boards
(matching in material, size and colour)
Fr. 5500
= First (and only) edition of these very rare, early microscopic titles. The plates were drawn by Ledermüller himself
and engraved by Adam Ludwig Wirsing. All plates clean,
with the colouring bright and vivid. A complete and, apart
from some staining to one of the boards and faintly to one
title page, a very well-preserved copy. Nissen 1157-1159;
Poggendorff vol. 1 , 1403.
[50] Leuba, F. Die essbaren Schwämme und die giftigen Arten mit
welche dieselben verwechselt werden können. Zurich,
M. Kreutzmann, 1892. 4to. xlii, 118 pp., 52 chromolithographed plates, finished by hand, and two plain lithographs. Original half leather binding with title printed in
gilt on the front cover.
Fr. 1600
= Rare German edition (Volbracht: “sehr selten”) of this
finely illustrated work on the edible and poisonous mushrooms of Switzerland, and bordering regions in France
and Germany. The plates, drawn by the author, are of an
outstanding quality and often sold separately. Fritz Leuba
(1848-1910) was a Swiss pharmacist and as such very interested in venomous and edible mushrooms. Professionally
rebacked, with part of the original spine with gilt title laid
down. A very good copy with nice clean plates. Nissen BBI,
1183; Stafleu & Cowan, 4458; Volbracht, 1172.
[51] Lowe, E. J. Ferns: British and exotic. London, George Bell, 1872. In
eight volumes. 8vo. 1,394 pp. [I: x, 160; II: 162; III: 142;
IV: 174; V: 168; VI: 136, [ii]; VII: 181; VIII: 261] with 479
Chromoxylographs (coloured wood engravings) [I: 50; II:
66; III: 50; IV: 64; V: 56; VI: 50; VII: 66; VIII: 77], and one
unnumbered b/w plate in vol. V. for a total of 480 plates.
Original uniform red publishers decorated cloth. Boards
with gilt embossed vignette of a fern; spines richly
embossed and with gilt title, volume and number.Fr. 800
= The magnum opus of the British botanist, malacologist,
meteorologist and astronomer Edward Joseph Lowe (18251910). The illustrations are very accurate, resembling nature
printing, and beautifully coloured. The plates were drawn
by Alexander Francis Lydon (1836-1917) and printed by the
famous B. Fawcett. Additional text engravings give taxonomically important details. Lowe received specimen from
many contributors in Britain and abroad. Originally the
work was issued in 120 parts between 1855 and 1860. Some
book dealers report 480 coloured plates, but according to
Stafleu & Cowan that is incorrect. Except the usual slight
foxing on the endpapers of each volume a fine copy in the
attractive original publisher’s binding. Partly uncut, thus
with the widest possible margins. Nissen BBI, 1243. Stafleu
& Cowan, 5040.
[52] Mantell, G. A. Die Denkmünzen der Schöpfung oder erster Unterricht in
de Geologie, und in dem Studium der organischen Reste.
Deutsch bearbeitet von K. F. A. Hartmann. Erster Band.
Fossile Pflanzen, Infusorien, Zoophyten, Echinodermen
und Mollusken. [AND] Zweiter Band. Fossile
Cephalopoden, Crustaceeen, Insecten, Fische, Reptilien,
Vögel, und Säugethiere. Freiberg, J. G. Engelhardt, 1846.
Two volumes in two. Small 8vo. 916 pp. (I: xiv, 448; II: iv,
450 pp.); 78 plates (of which four in chromolithography,
finished by hand, of which two acting as frontispieces to
both volumes). Original iridescent full cloth; spines with
gilt ornaments and title. Marbled edges.
Fr. 800
= The rare German translation of Mantell’s “The medals of
frontispieces, and 283 copper-engraved plates, as well as
many text engravings, engraved vignettes and capitals.
Signed in the first volume by all four publishers, listing
all subscribers, and numbered (#93), identifying this set
as that of Adriaan Deynoot (1685-1744). Contemporary
uniform full morocco. Spines with eight raised, gilt-ornamented bands, rich gilt compartments and two black
morocco labels with gilt titles. Boards with gilt ornamental borders, gilt corner pieces, and gilt dentelles. Marbled
endpapers. Edges marbled.
Fr. 37.500
creation”, first published in 1844 and dedicated to Charles
Lyell, and translated by the German geologist, mineralogist
and mining engineer Karl Friedrich Alexander Hartmann
(1796-1863). All the plates show fossils. Ward and Carozzi
mentioned a second, entirely rewritten English edition
published in 1853. Both are also rare, especially in a good
state. Of the German edition, OCLC reports only two copies
in the U.S. Provenance: the name Eduard Erdmann and date
1870 handwritten on the front free endpapers. Possibly this
is the German minister and Hegelian philosopher [Johann]
Eduard Erdmann (1805-1892) (see: http://sundoc.bibliothek.
uni-halle.de/nachlaesse/erdmann/Erdmann.pdf). A very
good, handsome set. Ward and Carozzi, 1486 (first English
edition); 1487 (second edition).
[53] [Marsigli, L. F.] Osservazioni naturali intorno al mare, ed alla grana detta
Kermes. Brieve ristretto del saggio fisico intorno alla
storia del mare. Scritta alla regia accademia delle scienze
di Parigi. Ora esposto in una lettera al’eccellentiss. signor
Cristino Martinelli nobile Veneto. Venezia, Andrea Poletti,
1711. Large 4to. Half title, title page, 76 pp., four handcoloured engraved plates on three leaves. Contemporary
blind soft boards, spine with later cloth strip.
Fr. 1250
= Two papers by Count Marsigli, nearly always found bound
together, being the first edition of his famous work on the
history of the seas, and a treatise on the scale insect causing galls in oak trees from which crimson dye was originally extracted. The first paper deals with red coral, with
description and illustration of the living polypes. Marsigli
was the first to understand that corals were not plants. The
second paper, also finely illustrated, shows the true origin
and nature of the crimson dye, giving a detailed description of the coccid genus Kermes (Hemiptera). Both papers
are very rare. Small, weak, old stamp on front board and
half title, edges slightly frayed, paper repair to lower edge
of title page, otherwise a very good and clean copy. Nissen
ZBI, 2700.
First edition of this rare, splendid and opulent
work based on the authors’ famous Kunstkammer in Bologna
[54] Marsigli, L. F. Comte de Marsilli, L. Graave van Danubius
Pannonico-Mysicus.
Observationibus
geographicis, astronomicis, hydrographicis, historicis,
physicis perlustratus. Hagae Comitum (The Hague)
Gosse, Alberts, & de Hondt; Amsterdam, Uytwerf &
Changuion, 1726. Six volumes in six. Imperial folio (58
x 40.5 cm). Titles printed in red and black. Six engraved
= First edition of this rare, splendid and opulent work
which was vastly expanded on knowledge derived from
the author’s own collection of natural history specimens
and artifacts - Marsigli’s famous Kunstkammer in Bologna.
The work deals with the natural history of the Danube
river, which runs from southern Germany into Austria,
through Slovakia, Hungary, along Croatia, through Serbia
and Romania, and along Bulgaria, towards the Black Sea.
It flows through Regensburg, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade
and numerous other cities. It is the longest river of Central
Europe. Its fauna has many endemic elements, and its
waters have been a major trading route since prehistoric
times. Wood: “Basic work on one of Europe’s greatest rivers
[...] in which [Marsigli] devoted much space to a study of the
riverbed and of the waters, as well as to the flora and fauna,
and geology and the mineralogy of the adjacent land.” DSB:
“An early classic on the natural history of the River Danube
with an account (vols. IV-VI) of the animals living in it and
about its course, a description of the fishes, birds and their
nests, the quadrupeds roaming the banks, etc.”. The volumes
are devoted to cartography, astronomy and hydrography
(Volume 1) with maps of the whole river and spurious astronomical observations [measurements of star positions (e.g.
Polaris, Arcturus, Spica) at various places along the Danube
(e.g. Vienna), Jupiter and the position of the Galilean moons
(in several figures), the transit of Mercury, on 3 November
1697 and its track across the solar disc (figured), and lunar
phases with 16 large figures showing the terminator relative
to the moon’s craters]; archaeology and history of the settlements, towns, roads and bridges (Vol. 2); mineralogy (Vol.
3); fish fauna (Vol. 4), which includes one plate with shells,
and two with turtles; avifauna (Vol. 5); and several other
subjects, including meteorological and climatological observations, notes on the river’s velocity, the insects occurring in
and near the river, etc., etc. (Vol. 6). They are titled as follows:
Tomus I, in tres partes digestus : geographicum, astronomicum, hydrographicum; Tomus II. De Antiquitatibus
Romanorum ad ripas Danubii; Tomus. III. De Mineralibus
circa Danubium effossis; Tomus IV. De Piscibus in aquis
Danubii viventibus; Tomus V. De Avibus circa aquas Danubii
vagantibus, et de ipsarum nidis.; Tomus VI. De Fontibus
Danubii. Observationes anatomicae. De Aquis Danubii et
Tibisci. Catalogus plantarum. Observationes habitae cum
barometris et thermometris. De Insectis. Wood: “The part of
ornithological plates with 74 drawings by the Italian artist
Raimondo Manzini (1658-1730), including 59 birds, and 15
nests with eggs, the latter are considered the first illustrations of its kind in the history of ornithology”. In several
bibliographies the plate number is erroneously stated to be
284, which probably goes back to a counting error caused by
inconsistencies in the numbering of figures and the distinction between engraved plates and text engravings. Complete
copies have 283 plates, as should be concluded after carefully comparing the extensive plate listings. Provenance:
the former owner of this copy was the original subscriber,
Adriaan Deynoot from Holland, who earned his doctorate
in law in Leiden and held various offices in his hometown of
Rotterdam, including Commissioner for Water Regulations.
He also served several times as the city’s mayor. Sir Hans
Sloane was among the other subscribers. Spines with some
dry patches, a few skilful old repairs, some leaf-edges
slightly toned or thumbed, but overall a fine, complete,
and clean copy. Junk Rara, p.178; Anker, 326; Cat. BM(NH),
p. 1,247; Brunet III, 1474; Dean III, p. 284; Nissen IVB, 593;
Nissen ZBI, 2697; Wood, p. 452.
with accompanying descriptive text leaves (complete).
Collation is as follows: (1) [6], viii pp. 72 plates (1-72); (2) [8]
pp., 70 plates (73-142), (3), 73 plates (143-212, 171bis, 172bis,
199bis), (4) [8] pp., 72 plates (213-284), (5) [8] pp., 72 plates
(285-356), (6) 72 plates (357-428), (7) [8] pp., 72 plates (429500), (8) [8,8], 8 pp. 72 plates (501-572); The numbers 171
and 172 have been used twice and are listed as 171bis and
172bis in the Errata to vol 3. Plate 199bis is a true bis-plate,
199 is a double-sized folding plate. Plate 384 is present
here, which is very rarely seen in other sets. All volumes
in matching contemporary half calf over pebbled boards,
spines with uniform gilt lines and gilt title.
Fr. 16.500
[55] Merian, P. Uebersicht der Beschaffenheit der Gebirgsbildungen in
den Umgebungen von Basel, mit besondrer Hinsicht auf
das Juragebirge im Allgemeinen. Basel, Schweighauser,
1821, 1832. 8vo. xii, 156 pp. One large, folded handcoloured map and one hand-coloured plate. Original
printed wrappers.
Fr. 535
= This is a very interesting and rare publication by the Swiss
= “The most important French flower periodical of its day”
(J. J. White, in Delectus Hunteriana 26), started by de Launay,
and after his death in 1816 continued and completed by
Deslongchamps. The plates are after paintings by Pancrace
Bessa (1772-1835), painter at the Muséum nationale d’Histoire
naturelle in Paris and pupil of Redouté. The accompanying
text gives the generic and specific description, synonymy,
origin, history, characteristics and use, medical, ornamental
or otherwise, of each of the illustrated plants and flowers, as
well as a description of the plate figures. Stafleu & Cowan
(under “Loiseleur”) only quotes 574 plates and state that
plate 384 was never published, but we have it as “Dianthus
caryophyllus, var. nommée l’Œillet des bois”. Index to
volume 6 absent. The index to the whole series is present
(both in French and in Latin), as is the list of subscribers,
among whom are the kings of France and Spain, and the
emperors of Russia and Austria, as well as scientists such
as Bonpland, Faujas de Saint-Fond, and Grandidier. Some,
mostly marginal, light browning and spotting to some
leaves and tissue guards. Bindings with some small skilful
repairs to hinge. Overall, this set is in very good condition.
The colouring of the plates is exceptionally realistic, bright
and vivid. Nissen BBI, 2323; Stafleu & Cowan, 4952.
geologist, naturalist and politician Peter Merian (1795-1883).
It contains a fine geological and geographical hand-coloured
map titled “Geognostische Karte des Kantons Basel und einiger angrenzenden Gegenden”. The second plate shows cross
sections. Ward and Carozzi list this work as first volume of
the “Beiträge zur Geognosie”. Indeed this is part one of this
“series”, dealing with Basel, and surroundings. The other,
second and - apparently - last volume, was published 11
years later, and titled “Geognostische Uebersicht des südlichen Schwarzwaldes”. It deals with an adjacent region in
Germany. Both works are rare. An incomplete copy of this
second work (lacking the map and rear wrapper) is added,
but not valued. Fore-edge uncut. Both works with the same
tiny old signature “E. v. Herder” on the front wrappers’ top
margins. This may be Emil [Ernst] von Helder (1785-1823),
königlich-bayerischer Forst- und Regierungsrat, son of the
philosopher Johann Gotfried von Herder and father of the
botanical professor, Ferdinand von Herder. Spine split,
otherwise in a very good condition, with clean plate and
map. Ward and Carozzi, 1542.
A fine copy, complete with the rare plate 384
[56] Mordant de Launay [J. C.], LoiseleurDeslongchamps [J. L. A.] Herbier général de l’amateur, contenant la description,
l’histoire, les propriétés et la culture des végétaux utiles
et agréables. Paris: Audot (1816-1827). In eight volumes.
4to (25.0 x 16.1 cm). Half-title and title to each volume.
With in total 575 hand-coloured, tissue-guarded plates
[57] Oeynhausen, C. von and H. von Dechen and H.
von La Roche Geognostische Umrisse der Rheinländer zwischen Basel
und Mainz mit besonderer Rücksicht auf das Vorkommen
des Steinsalzes, nach Beobachtungen entworfen auf einer
Reise im Jahre 1823 gesammelt. Essen, G. Bädeker, 1825.
Two volumes in one. 8vo. 782 pp., one folding lithographed
plate with several geological profiles. Contemporary half
cloth over marbled boards. Paper label with the title in an
old hand on the spine. Original flyleaves.
Fr. 800
= One of the first geological descriptions of this southern
part of Germany (and adjacent countries), viz. the Taunus,
Schwarzwald, Vosges, and the Swiss Jura, Schwäbische
Alp. Especially interesting because of the description of
the petrographic formation of these mountains. Karl [Carl]
August Ludwig Freiherr von Oeynhausen (1795-1865), the
main author, was a wealthy German geologist and patron,
who popularised the salt bath of the famous Spa now named
Bad Oeynhausen. In the introduction on page v the authors
state “Mit dem vorliegende Werke in Verbindung steht eine
geognostische Charte in 2 Blättern” which is nearly always
lacking as it was published by another publishing house
in Berlin. Boards a bit rubbed, front flyleaf clipped, erased
library stamp on title. The folded map reinforced, otherwise
a good copy. Very rare. Zittel, p. 513.
[58] d’Orbigny, A. D. Voyage dans l’Amérique méridionale (le Brésil, la république orientale de l’Uruguay, la république Argentine,
la Patagonie, la république du Chili, la république de
Bolivia, la république du Perou). Exécuté dans le cours
des années 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832 et 1833.
Atlas. Oiseaux. Paris, P. Bertrand; Strasbourg, V. Levrault,
1847. Folio (33.8 x 24.9 cm). 68 lithographed and finely
handcoloured plates, numbered: 1-6, 6bis, 7-36, [“36”(bis)
= 37], 38-66. Dark green quarter calf over contemporary
dark green, pebbled and blind-tooled boards. Spine with
gilt lines and title. Speckled edges.
Fr. 2650
magnum opus, described by Achille Valenciennes. Dean,
Bibliography of fishes, errors in listing only five plates. A
complete set of the scientific results of d’Orbigny’s seven
years of travel and exploration in South America is a true
rarity, and even the individual parts are all very rare because
the production of this work, which started two years after
his return in 1835, took 15 years before completion. The
colouring is superb; quite subtle and where necessary hightened with silver and gom arabic. Most species are new and
well-recognizeable from these original illustrations. Dean
II, p. 212; Nissen ZBI, 3021.
[60] d’Orbigny, A. D. Voyage dans l’Amérique méridionale (le Brésil, la république orientale de l’Uruguay, la république Argentine,
la Patagonie, la république du Chili, la république de
Bolivia, la république du Perou). Exécuté dans le cours
des années 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832 et 1833.
Atlas. Insectes [by A. Brullé and É. Blanchard]. Paris, P.
Bertrand; Strasbourg, V. Levrault, 1847. Folio (33.8 x 24.9
cm). 32 Lithographed and finely handcoloured plates.
Later green grained half calf over green marbled boards.
Spine with gilt lines and title. Speckled edges. Fr. 2000
= These are all the plates of the insects, described by Émile
Blanchard and Auguste Brullé for Alcide d’Orbigny’s
magnum opus. A complete set of the scientific results of
d’Orbigny’s seven years of travel and exploration in South
America is a true rarity, and even the individual parts are
all very rare because the production of this work, which
started two years after his return in 1835, took 15 years
before completion.The colouring is superb; quite subtle
and where necessary hightened with gom arabic. Twentyfive plates show beetles, the others contain Orthoptera,
Odonata, Blattoidea, Lepidoptera, and Hemiptera; the last
group being second best represented, on two plates. Most
species are new and well-recognizeable from these original
illustrations. Horn-Schenkling, 16574; Nissen ZBI, 3021.
[61] Peetz, [F.] Käfer Westfl. [Westfalens]: the manuscript of the neverpublished “Coleoptera Westfalica”. Unpublished; ca.
1928-1937. In two volumes. 8vo. xvi, 402, [viii] pp., one
map; xxii, 372, [xi]. Uniform original pebbled half cloth
over marbled boards.
Fr. 1250
= In 1933, a team was formed under the leadership of Dr.
= These are all the plates of the birds for Alcide d’Orbigny’s
magnum opus. A complete set of the scientific results of
d’Orbigny’s seven years of travel and exploration in South
America is a true rarity, and even the individual parts are
all very rare, also if not complete because the production of
this work, which started two years after his return in 1835,
took 15 years before completion. The colouring is very good.
Many species are new and well-recognizeable from these
original illustrations. Skilfully rebacked; old crowned bookplate on the front paste-down, some thumbing in the lower
margin of a few plates; old repair to the edge of one plate,
otherwise a very good copy, with the colouring accurate
and vivid. Anker, 382; Nissen ZBI, 3021; Sitwell, p. 391.
[59] d’Orbigny, A. D. Voyage dans l’Amérique méridionale (le Brésil, la république orientale de l’Uruguay, la république Argentine,
la Patagonie, la république du Chili, la république de
Bolivia, la république du Perou). Exécuté dans le cours
des années 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832 et
1833. Atlas. Poissons. Paris, P. Bertrand; Strasbourg, V.
Levrault, 1847. Folio (33.8 x 24.9 cm). 16 lithographed and
finely handcoloured plates. Later paper-covered boards.
Spine with gilt lines and title. Speckled edges.
Fr. 800
= These are all the plates of the fishes in Alcide d’Orbigny’s
H. Beyer and F. Peetz, for gathering all the beetle records
in Westphalia. The aim was to replace the outdated work
by Friedrich Westhoff “Die Käfer Westfalens”, published
in 1881-1882. “Due the Second World War and the death
of some members, the group did not continue the work,
however, some results were published as “Lokalfaunen”....
In the 1960’s and 70’s, Prof. H.-U. Thiele (Cologne) and
his students, among others in Bergisch Land and Prof. Fr.
Weber (Münster) and his students studied ground beetles
in different parts of Westphalia. In 1967 another attempt
was made by the newly formed “Arbeitsgemeinschaft der
westfälischen Koleopterologen” was founded, and the
working title “Coleoptera Westfalica” (koleopterologie.de/
verzeichnis/regionen/westfalen.html). Apparently, Peetz
had already assembled a great deal of data; using special
preprinted leaves with columns for the family, genus, and
species names; data on synonymy, references, and distribution; localities, dates; etc. The records of hundreds of species,
from thousands of localities and innumerable collecting
dates are written in a neat hand. The manuscript was in the
collection of the malacologist, entomologist and ecologist
Herbert Ant (1933-2010), but for some reason unknown, he
and his group were not able to complete the work either.
Slight rubbing to board edges, small stamp of Herbert Ant
on the edges, otherwise very good, clean.
[62] Philippi, R. A. Abbildungen und Beschreibungen neuer oder wenig
gekannter Conchylien. Cassel, Theodor Fischer, 18451851. Three parts in three (complete). 4to (28 x 21.5 or 22
cm) [12], [8], [8] pp, 144 fine hand-coloured lithographed
plates with ca. 900 accompanying text sheets. Uniform
contemporary red half calf over red grained boards.
Spines with four raised bands; compartments with gilt
titles and number.
Fr. 4800
= The German (later Chilean) conchologist Rudolf Philippi
(1808-1904) initiated and edited this series, but he was not the
only author. Contributions are by various specialists such
as Dunker, Koch, Pfeiffer, a.o. Philippi made several other
contributions to conchology, this being the largest and most
important one. Genera treated include, for instance, Haliotis,
Trochus, Littorina, Venus, Natica, Helix, Bulimus, Achatina,
Nerita, Strombus, etc., etc. The fine plates have been printed
by the famous “lithographische Anstalt von Th. Fischer in
Cassel” and most probably all drawn by Philippi himself.
The important index of shells in each volume is present. The
plate numbering is erratic. The page numbering even more
so. All pages numbered by pencil and some text a bit foxed,
or more uniformly tanned as usual. A few plates have some
marginal foxing and of some 18 plates the paper is slightly
darker. Spotting and tanning are frequent in copies of this
series, in this set however, it is quite limited. In all a very
good and attractively bound set. Caprotti, p. 210; Nissen ZBI,
3154.
burgundy half calf over marbled boards (volume III),
each with gilt title on the spine.
Fr. 15.500
= One of the most original and influential works on malacol-
ogy, including the very rare and nearly always lacking third
volume published 30 years later. “Poli ... is celebrated as the
author of a lavishly illustrated, scientifically illuminating
and extremely costly work on the molluscs of Sicily which,
because it is so rare, is not as widely known as it should
be” (Dance, A history of shell collecting). Giuseppe Saverio
Poli (1746-1825) was one of the first to extensively describe
and illustrate both the mollusc shell and the animal that
produced it. He used the Linnaean system to describe the
shells but was dissatisfied with the systematics of the living
animals. He introduced a “parallel” system with different, yet also binominal names for the animals. Later, these
nominal species were synonymised and nowadays we find
that several of Poli’s shell names as well as several of his
mollusc names are valid. The parts published during Poli’s
life deal with bivalves and multivalves (mainly chitons and
some groups no longer regarded as Mollusca); the very rare
additional part by the Italian medical doctor and zoologist
Stefano Della Chiaje (1794-1860), published just after Poli’s
death, treated the gastropods (snails), cephalopods and
scaphopods. It completes Poli’s work. Della Chiaje, a pupil
of Poli, added a eulogy and bibliography, as well as the
portrait of Poli which was drawn by the renowned Italian
painter Giuseppe Cammarano (1766-1850) and engraved
by another important Italian artist, Antonio Ricciani (17751836). Provenance: a 19th century medical library (their
stamps on the title pages). The boards are contemporary
but not uniform, which in the case of the third volume is
understandable as it was published much later. A tear with
old repair to plate 48, and to the frontispiece to volume III,
lacking pp. 71-74 (one text leaf) at the end of volume I (apparently never included), otherwise a very good complete set
of this rare (volumes 1-2) to extremely rare (volume 3) work.
Caprotti I, p. 56; [II] p. 184; Dance, p. 66; Nissen ZBI, 3213.
[64] Pouget, [J. H. P.] Traité des pierres précieuses et de la maniere de les
employer en parure. Paris, the author, Joyailler, and
Tilliard, 1762. 4to (24.8 x 18.8 cm). Engraved, allegorical
title page, [2[, vi, 88 pp. with several woodcut head- and
An extremely rare complete set including the
much later published, practically
unobtainable, third volume
[63] Poli, G. S. and S. Della Chiaje Testacea utriusque Siciliae eorumque historia et anatome
tabulis aeneis illustrata a Iosepho Xaverio Poli francisci
I.P.F.A. Siciliarum et Hierusalem regis instutore. Tomus
I-III (complete). Parma, Regio, 1791-1795, and Ducali, 18261827. Three volumes in three. Folio (uniform size; ca. 50.5
x 34.6 cm). 680 pp. [(iv), x, 90, 50, 70; 75-264, lxvi; (iii), xxiv,
44, 56, xlviii, iii]. Frontispiece portrait of Poli in volume
III; 57 engraved plates [1-18; 19-39; 40-57] in double suite
(illustrations in detail and again in outline), the detailed
version of plate XL used as frontispiece to volume I.,
several engraved head and tail pieces. Contemporary
near matching brown half calf over tree-calf resembling
boards (volume I) and marbled boards (volume II), and
tailpieces, one woodcut figure of gem cutting shapes in
the text, and 89 engraved plates with contemporary handcolouring. Full burgundy morocco. Both boards with gilt
borders, a gilt coat of arms with three castles, and castle
vignettes in the corners. Spine with five raised bands,
compartments rich gilt with gilt castles surrounded with
floral patterns, and olive morroco label with gilt title. Giltlined edges and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers. All
edges gilt.
Fr. 9000
= Coloured copy of a rare work by the French jeweler and
gemologist Jean Henri Prosper Pouget (d. 1769) in an exceptionally fine, contemporary French binding. Coloured
copies are very rare, we have not seen a coloured copy
before. According to Brunet, plain copies were sold at fr.
12-15, whereas coloured copies were sold at fr. 18 to 24.
The plates show a wide variety of intricate Louis XV-style
jewelry designs for broches, earrings, bracelets, necklaces,
sword hilts, aigrettes, etc.; many based on or including flowers, insects, birds, etc., and carefully coloured by hand. The
fine binding has a crowned coat of arms in Louis XV-style,
with two eagles and a shield with three castles. Pouget also
published a sequel, in 1764, which is extremely rare, and
a “Dictionnaire de chiffres et de lettres ornées, à l’usage
de tous les artistes, contenant les vingt-quatre lettres de
l’alphabet”. Only three coloured copies were up for sale in
the last 65 years. The paper in the coloured copies probably
was of a better quality, as there is no toning or foxing whatsoever. An excellent copy in a fine binding. Brunet 4, 4782
[p. 848]; Sinkankas, 5231.
[65] Rhine river [photos] Album with original, large photographs of the building
of the locks in the Rhine at Kembs, France (1929-1932).
Kembs, no publisher indicated, [1929]-1932. Oblong photo
album (board size 22.5 x 34.0 x 3.0 cm). 26 tissue-guarded
original photographs mounted on 26 cardboard sheets
with printed captions. Original burgundy half cloth over
marbled boards. Marbled endpapers.
Fr. 625
= A fine and luxurous documentation of the economi-
cally important large scale building operation which made
the river Rhine much better navigable between Basel in
Switzerland, and Strassbourg in France. A complex of eight
locks and a hydro-electric plant was built in a record time
during the Great Depression. By coincidence, a major renovation took place 80 years later, and is to be completed in
2015. Perhaps this album was intended as a souvenir for
those who were in charge of completing this massive project. The crisp, large photos (16.7 x 23.3 cm) show the work
in progress, and the large machines, which appear to be
specially made or adapted for this work. Each photograph is
individually dated. Boards a bit warped, plates clean. Very
rare.
[66] Riedel, G. F. and F. Kirschner Tabulae regni animalis, omnes VI classes animalium
comprehendentes. Tabellen des Thierreichs. Regni animalis classis II Avium ordines I-VI. Augsburg, Kaiserlich
Franzische Akademische Handlung [1780-1786]. Folio
(52 x 36 cm). 24 contemporary hand-coloured copper
engravings and 24 black & white copper engravings.
Beautiful, contemporary style, pastiche binding, half calf
over paper boards. Richly gilt decorated spine with seven
raised bands; gilt ornaments and title.
Fr. 5300
= Exceedingly rare, especially in this double suite, including
contemporarily hand-coloured plates. This is the complete
set of ornithological plates. These bird plates bear the
printed signature of Gottlieb Friedrich Riedel in the margin.
He was born in 1724 in Dresden, Germany and died in
1784 in Augsburg, Germany. He was a well-respected and
accomplished porcelain painter and the teacher of Friedrich
Kirschner in the Ludwigsburg-based porcelain factory,
where he worked from 1770 as a painter of birds, insects
and flowers. Friedrich Kirschner was born in about 1748
in Bayreuth, Germany, and died in Augsburg, Germany,
in 1788. Complete copies of this work are extremely rare;
globaly there is only one known copy in the UB in Augsburg.
Other libraries - such as the UB Tübingen, Frankfurt,
Staatsbibliothek München, UB Strasbourg, UB Basel,
Amsterdam, ÖNB, Library of the British Museum (NH)
and the French National Library - only possess incomplete
copies. Coloured copies are almost unheard of; the fish and
amphibian section of the coloured version has only come to
auction once, in 1964; the coloured birds, apparently, have
never been auctioned. No known coloured sections exist in
any institutional library. Some staining or soiling to plate
margins and two marginal paper restorations. The plates
with a nice strong impression and the contemporary colouring very well-executed and vivid. Ludwig, p. 171, p. 287
and p. 342-43; Nissen IVB, 781; ZBI, 3421; Schlenker, 288.1;
Thieme & Becker, vol. 20, p. 379 and vol. 28, pp. 316-317;
Wood, p. 538.
The rarest work on Mediterranean crabs,
with fine illustrations
[67] Roux, [J. L. F.] P. Crustacés de la Méditérranée et son litteral, décritez
et lithographiéz. Marseille, privately published, 1828
[-1830]. 4to. Half title, title page, 116 pp. and 45 engraved,
hand-coloured plates. Later blind-embossed full morocco
with original printed front and rear wrappers mounted
on front and rear boards. Spine with four raised bands,
gilt lines and title, black vignettes. Marbled endpapers.
Fr. 7500
= One of the two major zoological contributions (the other
being the “Ornithologie provenale”) by Jean Louis Florent
Polydore Roux (1792-1833), zoologist and painter. The
work contains the descriptions and fine illustrations of
Mediterranean crabs, hermit crabs, shrimps, isopods and
other crustaceans, many of which are described as new.
The illustrations are of a very high quality, being both artistic and scientifically accurate. Roux published his work
privately but used several Paris publishers such as Levrault,
for subscription to, and distribution of the work. Apparently,
only one volume consisting of nine parts was published,
and all is present here. The order of the plates is erratic but
the total number should be 45, as in this copy. Like Roux’s
“Ornithologie provençale”, this is a very rare work. Only
11 libraries possess a copy (four in the USA, two in Great
Britain, three in France, one each in The Netherlands and
Germany). Not a single auction record can be found. Vague
old private owner’s stamp on half title, some mostly light
and marginal spotting to several text pages, a few plates a
bit age-toned, otherwise a very good, clean copy. BM(NH)
Cat. p. 1743; Nissen ZBI, 3492.
[68] Schäfer, R. Herbarium vivum. A German herbarium collected and
arranged by Robert Schäfer. Stuttgart (?), unpublished,
1898-1900. Folio. Preserved in two large binders with
marbled boards (labelled 1-23, A-L; and 124-231, M-Z),
containing 44 [22; 22] thick blue paper portfolios (40 x 25
cm) with handwritten labels pasted on the front leaves,
each containing three to six dried plant specimens,
numbered 1-231, 160a, for a total of 232 different species.
Fr. 3000
= A superbly preserved herbarium, systematically arranged,
numbered, and nearly always with collecting localities and
dates, the Latin and German names of the species and families, and the place in Linnaeus’ Systema, all handwritten
on printed labels published by the Verlag der süddeutchen
Apotheker-Zeitung in Stuttgart. This indicates that the
collecting of plants served as a basis for the knowledge of
medically important herbs. The plant specimens are very
carefully arranged and held in place by tiny paper strips.
Collecting dates are mainly from 1898-1900. The specimens
are usually of flowering plants, all belonging to the German
(western European) flora. Unfortunately nothing is known
about the collector. His name is very common in Germany.
A fine, unique item.
One of the 18th century’s most splendid and
“largest” natural history achievements
[69] Seba, A. Locupletissimi rerum naturalium thesauri accurata
descriptio et iconibus artificiosissimus expressio per
universam physices historiam. Opus, cui, in hoc rerum
genere, nullum par exstisit. Ex toto terrarum orbe
collegit, digessit, descripsit, et depingendum curavit
Albertus Seba, Etzela Oostfrisius, Academiae Caesareae
Leopoldino Carolinae Naturae Curiosorum collega xenocratus dictus; Societatis Regiae Anglicanae, et Instituti
Bonensis, sodalis. Amsterdam, Jansson-Waesberg;
Arkstee, Merkus, and Petrus Schouten, 1758. Large folio
(54.0 x 36.0 cm). Half title (in French), title page printed
in red and black, with engraved allegorical vignette, text
with woodengraved initials, and allegorical vignettes.
[22], 212 pp. and 116 hand-coloured engraved plates.
Contemporary grained half morocco over grained
boards. Spine with seven slightly raised bands, compartments with gilt floral pattern and title in French. Marbled
endpapers. Edges uncut.
Fr. 42.500
= A fine, hand-coloured and uncut copy of the third volume
(mainly dealing with molluscs) of one of the most splendid
and largest natural history works from the mid-18th century.
Seba’s “Cabinet of Natural Curiosities” is regarded as one
of the 18th century’s greatest natural history achievements
and remains one of the most prized natural history books
of all time. Though it was common for men of his profession to collect natural specimens for research purposes,
Amsterdam-based pharmacist Albertus Seba (1665-1736)
who made a fortune working for the VOC (Dutch East India
Company), had a passion that led him far beyond the call of
duty. His collection of natural history objects was displayed
in four very large volumes, which are nowadays very rare,
and of which this is the third, edited by Aernout Vosmaer
(1720-1799) assisted by Pallas and Houttuyn. This part deals
with marine life, in particular fishes, starfish, crabs and mostly - molluscs, as well as corals. All the figures are in
contemporary colouring. “Coloured copies cost fl. 200.00
per binding making Seba the most expensive book in this
period” (Landwehr, p. 185). The colouring is fine and comparable to the copy signed by J. Fortuyn in the Royal Library in
The Hague. The images of the shells depicted in this volume
belong to the most beautiful and decorative, produced in the
second half of the 18th century. The colouring is in general
quite accurate; only some shell sections have a more frivolous colouring. This, however, is not peculiar as the tropical
shells then available on the European markets were often
“enriched” with additional colours, painted on the shells.
Two editions of this work were simultaneously published,
namely a Latin/French one, and a Latin/Dutch one. This is
the French one, which is the rarer of the two (see Landwehr,
p. 70). The leaves are uncut and therefore with the widest
possible margins. A very good clean copy. Landwehr, 178,
179; Nissen ZBI, 3793.
The longest running single publication on insects ever published, complete and in contemporary bindings
[70] Sepp, J. C. Beschouwing der wonderen Gods, in de minst geachte
schepzelen. Of Nederlandsche insecten, naar hunne
aanmerkelijke huishouding, verwonderlijke gedaantewisseling en andere wetenswaardige bijzonderheden,
volgens eigen ondervinding beschreeven, naar leven
naauwkeurig getekent, in ‘t koper gebracht en gekleurd.
(AND) (Second Series by S. C. Snellen Van Vollenhoven)
Beschrijvingen en afbeeldingen van Nederlandsche vlinders. (AND) (Third Series by A. Brants) Nederlandsche
vlinders beschreven en afgebeeld. Aflevering I-X. (all series
complete & all published). Amsterdam, ‘s-Gravenhage, J.
C. Sepp, M. Nijhoff, 1762-1928. First series: Amsterdam, J.
C. Sepp, 1762-1860; eight volumes bound in eight. 4to (24.0
x 17.5cm). With eight hand-coloured engraved or lithographed frontispieces and 400 hand-coloured engraved
or lithographed plates. Second series: Amsterdam, J. C.
Sepp, s-Gravenhage, M. Nijhoff, 1860-1900. Four volumes
in four. 4to. With 200 lithographed hand-coloured plates.
Third Series: ‘s-Gravenhage, Martinus Nijhoff, 1905-1928.
Ten parts bound in five. 4to. With ten hand-coloured
lithographed plates. Contemporary calf, gilt ornamented
spines, contemporary cloth, and contemporary printed
wrappers.
Fr. 24.000
= A complete set (with one rare extra) of one of the finest
works on butterflies ever published and which took over 160
years(!) to complete. Cobres I, 381: “Ein Werk ohne seines
gleiches, in der ungemein sauberen Ausführung, daher
höchst schätzbar.; ... eines der prächtigsten Abbildungswerke
der Lepidopterologie ...” (W. Junk). Its marvelously executed
plates are the height of entomological illustration. The
famous publishing house Sepp & Zoon was a firm that exercised the utmost care in producing colour-plate books of
outstanding quality. In this case Sepp was the author as well
as the publisher. The first series was started by Christiaan
Andreas Sepp together with his son, Jan Christiaan (17391811). It was published in issues and in a format similar to
the model chosen by Roesel von Rosenhof; Sepp followed
his own path for the descriptions of butterflies and their
illustrations. It has become the most important work on
Dutch Lepidoptera (Landwehr 182). Complete copies such
as the one offered are of great rarity. The publication of this
work, which, according to Nissen, probably began as early
as 1728, stopped in 1928 when the author of the third series,
A. Brants, died after having completed only the first ten
issues of the first volume. ADDED: the very rare supplement
by P. C. T Snellen, “Determinatie der Lepidoptera afgebeeld
in het werk getiteld: Beschouwing der wonderen Gods...
door Jan Christiaan Sepp 1ste Serie, deel 1-8. Amsterdam,
J.C. Sepp & Zoon, 1862.” 4to. (4), 43 pp. The bindings are
not uniform, but this is normal because the series were
published over such a long period of time. One plate with
an old marginal paper reapir. Bindings with some skillful
repairs, volume 5 of the first series with a slightly shorter
board - a mistake by the original binder. In all, a fine clean,
and super complete set, which is very rare to find. Hagen
II, p. 153; Horn-Schenkling, 20145, 20733 (the 1862 Snellen
paper); Landwehr, 183; Nissen ZBI, 3808, 3808a, 3808b.
A fine copy of an excessively rare volcano–
logical work with original photographs
[71] Silvestri, O. Eruzione 1888-89 all’ Isola di Vulcano. Ricordo fotografico. Catania, Gabinetto di Fisico-chimica terrestre della
R. Università di Catania, ca. 1890. Oblong folio, with
19 original albumen prints of approximately 17.5 x 23.0
cm mounted on 19 printed boards (each 24.8 x 32.1 cm),
with printed captions mounted. In original pebbled cloth
portfolio. Original printed oval label with dentate border
pasted on the front board.
Fr. 12.000
= An excessively rare work with spectacular original photos
of the 1889-1889 eruption of the volcano on the island
Vulcano. Indeed, Vulcano, the “home” of the Roman God
Vulcanus, is the true origin of the general word volcano.
The 1888-1889 eruption is the only one in modern times.
An earlier eruption took place in ca. 135 BC. The first plate
contains a detailed map, also mounted, of the island (scale
1: 50,000), all the others show scenes of the various stages of
the eruptions, from various viewpoints, as well as images
of the damage to buildings, and even a boat due to volcanic
eruption boulders, and ashes. All with extensive explanatory captions in Italian. The author, Orazio Silvestri (18351890) was an Italian geologist and volcanologist. He graduated in Pisa in philology and literature. Later he devoted
himself to the study of natural sciences at the Scuola
Normale Superiore, in Pisa, and for a time, he taught natural
history at a high school in the same city. In 1862 he became
assistant professor of industrial chemistry at the University
of Naples. During that time he developed an interest in the
geology and mineralogy of Mount Vesuvius, perhaps the
most (in)famous volcano in the world. In 1863 he organized
the first chemical laboratory of the University of Catania.
The eruption of Mount Etna in 1865 turned his attention
back to volcanology. Between 1874 and 1877 he was professor of chemistry at the Technological Industrial Museum
of Turin. Then he returned to the University of Catania,
in the chair of geology and mineralogy. He organized the
new “Institute Volcanologico” and promoted the founding
of the “Servizio geodinamico dell’Etna” with its purpose
to observe and study the seismic and eruptive phenomena
of the most famous Sicilian volcano. He published several
memoirs in major domestic and foreign periodicals. He
also founded the Catania section of the Italian Alpine Club
and was interested in the construction and geodynamics of
Mount Etna. The present work is not recorded by A. Pantanè
(L’attività scientifico-operativa del prof. Orazio Silvestri
a Catania), who discusses Silvestri’s work only up to 1887.
Very rare; OCLC reports only one copy in the Museo Galileo
in Florence. Small number on front label, small label on the
spine, otherwise an excellent, unmarked copy with clean
plates.
[72] Symons, G. J. (ed.) The eruption of Krakatoa, and subsequent phenomena.
London, Trübner & Co, 1888. Large 4to (29.9 x 22.7 cm).
xvi, 494 pp., plates I-XLIII (many large, folded), including a
chromolithographed frontispiece showing the aftermath
of the explosion, and a double-sized plate with six full
colour images of atmospheric abberations due to volcanic
dust in the stratosphere. Contemporary embossed cloth
with later matching spine with gilt title.
Fr. 1285
= First and only edition of this work on the explosive eruption on 26-27 August 1883 of the volcanic island, Krakatau,
or Krakatao (Krakatoa is an inadvertent error that stuck in
the English-speaking world) in Sunda Strait between Java
and Sumatra. It was, perhaps, the most impressive natural
disaster of the 19th century and the largest volcanic eruption
in modern times. The resulting tsunami reached a height of
more than 100 feet, and the swell was noticed in the English
Channel, 12,000 miles away. The sound of the explosion was
the loudest ever observed and travelled around the earth
seven times. The ash plume reached a height of over 50
kilometres, well into the ionosphere. This study deals with
the observed phenomena, including seismic and unusual
meteorological data, the various types and contents of the
ejected materials, a detailed historical sketch, and a bibliography. Inscribed by a former owner (dated 1888), half title
top outer corner with paper repair, a few marginal annotations, otherwise a good copy. Cat. BM(NH) p. 2067; Not in
Ward & Carozzi.
[73] Tachard, G. Voyage de Siam, des peres jesuites, envoyez par le
Roy aux Indes & à la Chine. Avec leurs observations
astronomiques, et leurs remarques de physiques, de
géographie, d’hydrographie, & d’histoire. Paris, Arnould
Seneuze, Daniel Horthemels, 1686. 4to (23.8 x 17.5 cm).
[xvi], 424, [viii] pp. Engraved title-vignette, engraved
headpieces and initials to the dedication page and six
chapters; ten full-page and ten double paged leaves
with engravings, signed by Pierre Paul Sevin (artist) and
Cornelis Vermeulen (engraver), for a total of 20 plates.
Contemporary full calf. Spine with five raised bands;
compartments with rich gilt floral patterns and dark red
morocco label with gilt title. Marbled endpapers.Fr. 4000
= Rare first edition, complete with all twenty plates, of the
full account of the author’s first mission to Siam, including his long stay at the Cape of Good Hope with extensive
notes on the South Africa Cape province, depicting hottentots, as well as exotic animals such as the zebra, rhinoceros;
chameleon and several other cape reptiles on four doublesized plates; several elephants, the “walking” ginseng root,
and a view of Bangkok. The very fine, large, and detailed
head-pieces mainly show views on towns, gardens, courts,
etc. Guy Tachard (1650-1712) was a French missionary and
discoverer, he died in Bengal. Provenance: Mr de Revoset,
an old handwritten dedication on title and p.1. The work is
rather rare, and seldom found complete. Some copies in BNF
(3) and COPAC (2 in Oxford and 1 in the BL). Copies often
have fewer plates than our copy. Our number of leaves with
plates agrees with the OCLC standard description and that
of the copy in the BL. There are a few copies on the market,
but all have only 19 plates. Nissen only records an 8vo
edition. Margins quite wide. Corners rubbed. Later endpapers. The margins with light dampstaining on some leaves,
a few marginal wormholes and some marginal thumbing and staining. The plates usually cleaner. In all a good
complete copy with all the plates. De Backer/Sommervogel
VII, 1802; Graesse VI2, 7; Nissen ZBI, 4066.
[74] Thiollière, Victor Joseph de l’Isle et al. 22 letters by various palaeontologists to E. Dumas
(including three clearly written letters of 13 pp. in total
by Thiollière). Paris and various other places, 1834-1854.
In portfolio with marbled wrappers and printed label
”Thiollière”.
Fr. 1900
= A nice collection of correspondance about geology, palae-
ontology, fossils from southern France, localities and collections. Perhaps the most important part is by the French
palaeontologist and ichthyologist Victor Thiollière (18011859) and the geologist and palaeontologist Jean Louis
George Émilien Dumas (1804-1870). These letters deal with
geological and palaeontological topics of the French Midi
in a very scientific way and include a list of fossils which
were send to Dumas in 1850. Thollière was the author of
“Description des poissons fossiles” (1854-1873), which was
a continuation of the famous Agassiz monograph on fossil
fishes. Further letters are by the little known French palaeontologist M. Puzos, who published on ammonites: three
letters addressed to Dumas and three letters from Dumas
dated 1834-1835 also on geological collections of the St.-PaulTrois-Châteaux region; Eduard Boucault (fossil collection, mainly Mesozoic ammonites, oysters, etc. in Harvard
Museum): two letters to Dumas dated 1846; the malacologist an palaeontologist Saint-Ange de Boissy: three letters to
Dumas and one in return dated 1846-1847 also on geological
matters; A. de Geneve: a letter to Dumas dated 4 July 1834
discussing fossils from the Alps; R. Henry: one letter in a
nice handwriting written from Paris in 1854 about Dumas’
geological map of the “bassin d’Alais”; Oscar Rolland du
Roquan (1812-1863): one letter to Dumas dated 1848 and one
answer by Dumas about his “Rhosistes des Corbieres” and
other fossil localities; from same year one letter by Doublier
(from Draguignan) and one in return (1850); and one by
Dumas (rough draft) to the geologist Bidreman on the quary
of Barjac (1848?). All letters are in a very good, clean state
and most aurthors have a well-readable handwriting. A nice
set giving more than a glimpse into the scientific discourse
between some of the foremost French palaeontologists and
several lesser-known colleagues.
[75] Trattinnick, L. Auswahl merkwürdiger Pilze. Wien, Rudolf Sammer,
1851. Folio (39.6 x 26.2 cm). Title page with plate explanations on verso, 16 large, hand-coloured engraved plates.
Later marbled wrappers.
Fr. 3200
= Important and very rare work on mushrooms living on
trees by the Austrian botanist Leopold Trattinnick (17641849), curator of the k.k. Hof-Naturaliencabinete from 1809
to 1835. Several species were named and described by the
author, others by Persoon, and Fries. According to Stafleu
& Cowan (VI: pp. 436, 441), Trattinnick sold wax models of
mushrooms. The publisher, Sammer, took the plates from
the estate, hence the posthumous publication. The plates
were drawn by Frister, Schmid, Strenzel, and others, and
engraved by Leitner. According to Volbracht, who copied a
plate (one of the few plates thought important enough to fill
a whole page of his Miko Libri!), this work is “Sehr Selten”
[very rare]. There is also a plain edition, but this is the rare
and finely coloured one, producing some stunning plates.
Stafleu & Cowan, 14890; Volbracht, 2122.
[76] Vaillant, L. and G. Grandidier Histoire physique, naturelle et politique de Madagascar
publiée par Alfred et Guillaume Grandidier. Volume
XVII. Histoire naturelle des reptiles. Première partie:
crocodiles et tortues. Paris, Le Garde des Sceaux, 1910.
Half-title and title page, 86 pp., 27 plates of which nine in
chromolithography, 17 in lithography and one heliogravure. Contemporary full pebbled cloth with gilt title on
the spine.
Fr. 3850
= The entire, rare, section on the crocodiles, turtles and
tortoises of this immense series of monographs on the
natural history of Madagascar, founded and edited by the
French explorer and naturalist Alfred Grandidier (18361921). This is the only herpetololgical part. Léon Louis
Vaillant (1834-1914) was a talented and prolific French herpetologist, ornithologist and malacologist who worked at the
Natural History Museum in Paris. Alfred’s son, Guillaume
Grandidier (1873-1957) was an accomplished geographer,
ethnologist and zoologist who published a great deal on
the natural history of Madagascar, including many contributions in the “Histoire physique, naturelle et politique de
Madagascar” which was published between 1875 and 1942.
Most parts, including this one, are scientifically very important and rare. “His most magnificent work in herpetology,
co-authored with Guillaume Grandidier, was the volume
on turtles and crocodiles (1910) in the “Histoire Physique,
Naturelle et Politique de Madagascar” series, with its
exquisite colored plates. Regrettably, no other herpetological volumes were issued in this series” (Adler). Not in the
Adrian Crane Library catalogue; Nissen ZBI, 1676; Adler,
vol. I, pp. 58-59.
[77] Verneuil, M. P. l’Animal dans la décoration. Paris, Librairie Centrale
des Beaux-Arts (E. Lévy, ed.), [1897]. Folio. (45.9 x 33.7
cm). Half title, title (in two colours). iv pp., 60 fine lithographed plates, some heightened with silver and gold.
Ten original printed wrappers preserved. Contained in
a beautiful green clamshell box figuring the image of the
original wrapper. Fr. 6400
= Rare complete set - originally published in ten livraisons
- of one of the most influential works in the Art Nouveau
movement by the French illustrator Maurice Pillard Verneuil
(1869-1942). The plates show a spectacular mix between realism, with the animals portrayed accurately and in great
detail, and romanticism: the selection of individual animals,
the composition of the plates, the use of colour - it all adds
up to a power of imagination that left a strong impression on
turn-of-the-century free and applied art. Many plates show
reptiles, others deer, swans, sea horses, butterflies, hares,
peacocks, etc., etc. Single plates have been known to fetch
Euro 200 or more. The plates are all in very good condition,
free of spotting, only some very marginal light age-toning
and several stamps to the versos of the plates (no visible
effect to the front of plate) and to the half title and title page.
Original wrappers have been preserved and are all in two
parts. One has a clean tear and one is missing a large piece
of its front. The original portfolio is not included. Only four
complete copies have appeared at auction over the last 40
years; it is especially rare to have the original wrappers still
included. Benezit, 8, p. 534.
[78] Volta, [G. S.] Ittiolitologia Veronese del Museo Bozziano ora annesso
a quello del conte Giovambattista Gazola e di altri gabinetti di fossili Veronesi con la versione Latina. Verona,
Giuliari, 1796-1809. Folio (leaf-size 54.7 x 38.6 cm), lii,
cccxxiii pp., 76 plates (19 double-sized, five multiple
folded). Contemporary style half calf, gilt ornaments and
title on spine.
Fr. 15.800
= Only edition of the important precursor of the ichthyologi-
cal works of Louis Agassiz, written by the Roman catholic
priest Giovanni Serafino Volta (1764-1842) using material
from the Museum of Count Gazola. Volta also worked for
the famous natural history museum, Museo di Lazzaro
Spallanzani. It took 13 years to complete the work and therefore complete copies, like this one, are rare. It includes the
important text and the Carta Topografica di Bolca e Vestena
Nuova. The fish specimens figured are from the famous
Monta Bolca site near Verona. The illustrations of the specimens are true-size, resulting in some spectacularly large
plates, up to 150 cm wide. The last auction record, and the
only one this century, was at the Berès sale in Paris (2006) at
Euro 18,000 hammer, thus for over Euro 21,500 (then approximately BRP 19,000) in total. Title-page a bit soiled, Some
marginal dampstaining to a few leaves, otherwise a very
good, clean copy with the widest possible margins. Dean, p.
590; Nissen ZBI, 4289; Ward and Carozzi, 2260.
[79] Wachenhusen, H. Von Zeitung für Pferdeliebhaber. 1-44. Hamburg, Langhans,
1825-1826. 4to (20.7 x 16.7 cm). 44 issues in one. Index leaf,
352 pp., 3 large, folded tables, 9 folded engraved plates.
Contemporary marbled boards. Gilt lines and red label
with gilt title on the spine.
Fr. 800
= The start of a rare periodical on horses and horsemanship,
founded and edited by Von Wachenhousen, former Major
of the royal Swedish Cavalry. It includes a title page to the
“Erstes Heft”, a preface dated 29 September 1825, and an
index to the “ersten Heftes”, indexing issues 1-12. However,
the publication continued in the same year with number
13, followed by numbers 14-44 in the next year. Most likely
it was a weekly, but this is no-where stated. Apparently
subscription ended here, and the set was bound, although
another eight issues are known to be published. Included
in this copy is the fine large plate of a horse with a plate
explanation listing 53 numbered named parts. In fact all
the hippological plates are detailed and interesting. In 1977
it was republished as “Bibliophiler Taschenbücher no. 11”.
Boards and spine rubbed, a few spots, but generally a good
clean copy.
[80] Wagner, J. J. Historia naturalis Helvetiae curiosa, in VII, sectiones
compendiosè digesta. Tiguri [Zürich], J. H. Lindinner,
1680. 12mo. Title page, [xxiii], 390, [xxviii] pp. Late 18th or
early 19th century boards. Spine with red morocco label
with gilt lines and title. Speckled edges.
Fr. 535
= Rare first edition of one of the earliest natural history
descriptions of Switserland, with emphasis on the Alps in
respect of their shape, glaciers, caves, lakes, rivers, mineral
springs, etc. Furthermore it deals with its fossils (about 50
pp.), as well as the meteorites, plants (with a list of principal herbs, a chapter on wine, and one on mushrooms) and
animals (mainly vertebrates, including the reptiles and
fish, and the insects). Preserved in transparent sleeve. Some
rubbing to the joints, otherwise a remarkably well-preserved
copy. Haller I, 1039; Ward & Carozzi, 2265; Not in Volbracht.
[81] Wahlenberg, G. De Vegetatione et Climate in Helvetia Septentrionali inter
flumina Rhenum et Arolam observatis et cum summi
septentrionis comparatis tentamen. Turici Helvetorum
(Zürich), Fuessli, 1813. 8vo. xcviii, 200 pp., one folding
table, three folded engraved plates. Contemporary half
calf over marbled boards. Spine with gilt ornaments at
head and food; red morocco label with gilt title. All edges
red.
Fr. 535
= Göran “Georg” Wahlenberg (1780-1851) was a Swedish
naturalist and plant geographer who promoted floristic
and systematic research in Sweden. “In 1812-14 Wahlenberg
travelled in Switzerland... His researches in the Swiss
alps resulted in the book “De Vegetatione et Climate in
Helvetia...”, in which he gives an account of the plant regions
and their designations, the tree limits, and the lower and
upper limits of the various plants, comparing also the vegetation in northern Switzerland with that of Lapland”. (Fries,
Short History of Botany in Sweden, p. 69). Some foxing in
the text and on the table but not on the plates. The first plate
is a nice profile of the vegetation in the Swiss Alps. Front
pastedown paper partly missing, a few pages a bit foxed,
mostly marginal; title page and dedication page leaves with
a restoration in upper margin, but in all a very good copy
in a nice contemporary binding. Pritzel, 9913; Stafleu and
Cowan, 16519.
First X-ray verification of fine art
Dürer meets Röntgen
[82] X-Rays: Friedrich Haller & Söhne Atélier und
Laboratorium mit Röntgen’schen Strahlen Very early applied radiology [Röntgen photographs,
X-rays] including the first use of X-rays in authentication of fine art (i.e. painting by Albrecht Dürer). Munich,
Friedrich Haller & Söhne, Atélier und Laboratorium
mit Röntgen’schen Strahlen, 1897. Loose in folio album.
Set of nine extremely early, mint conditioned X-Rayphotographs mounted on six presentation cardboards
(three with two photographs each) and with manuscript
descriptions; the photographs measuring between 6.6 x
5.6 cm, and 34.4 x 23.6 cm, all housed in contemporary
gilt cloth portfolio titled “Album”.
Fr. 32.000
= A set of very early Röntgen photos; in all, seven anatomi-
cal and two art-historical X-rays, as follows: (1) the largescaled (34.4 x 23.6 cm) negative of a painting ascribed to
Albrecht Dürer, named “Der segnende Heiland” (Christ
with a crown of thorns). The painting, once owned by Mr.
Friedrich Burger, who ran an art gallery in Munich, had first
been extensively described by Dr. Oscar Freiherr Lochner
von Hüttenbach in a paper in 1894, where Hüttenbach clearly
states that the painting should be attributed to Albrecht
Dürer. Apparently Mr. Burger still had trouble selling the
painting, because in January 1897, he let Friedrich Haller
& Söhne try a completely new method of authenticating
his painting; by means of X-ray. According to a newspaper
article clipped from the “Allgemeine Zeitung”, mounted on
the backside of the card board, and dated in a contemporary
hand “26/I 97” (= January 26th 1897) this X-ray indeed proved
that this was a true Dürer, marking the photographs for sale
as the first known attempt to verify a painting’s authorship
by this revolutionary method. The story was considered so
important, it was repeated at length in the New York Daily
Tribune of 11 April 1897: “A new test for old paintings. The
genuineness of an Albrecht Duerer proven by X-Rays. The
practical value of Röntgen´s famous discovery lies in its
revelations of the unseen. While the applications of this
instrument of research have hitherto been confined almost
entirely to surgical diagnosis, yet there are other important
uses to which it can be put...” The X-rays reveal the date
1524, whereas previously the work was thought to date from
1521, and a previously unknown Gothic text. This is the
oldest known verification of a piece of fine art by the means
of X-rays revealing information about an old masters paintings’ history hidden behind layers of paint, varnish, and dirt.
The present whereabouts of this painting are unknown. We
presume it was lost during WWII, or (less likely) it is hidden
away somewhere in a private collection. It was not until the
1920’s that X-rays were regularly used in the analysis of old
paintings. From the newspaper article we learn something
interesting about the rarity of these particular X-ray photographs, too; as it states that only a few copies were sent to
a handfull of distinguished people in Europe. “The Queen
Regent of Spain having been thus complimented, she sent
her specimen to one of the academies of art in Spain, and it
was the subject of favorable comment there.” (2) the somewhat smaller scaled positive of the former number (21.5 x 15
cm), here the painting is depicted much more clearly with
better contrast; (3) a 42-year-old woman’s skull; (4) a man’s
hand, signed in the photographic plate “Armin Flümthal
- similar to the first X-Ray in history, depicting either
Röntgen’s or his wife’s hand”; (5) the lower part of the body
of a 13-year-old female with malformed legs; (6) a man’s foot
with a crocked grown fracture; (7) the pelvis of a 17-year-old
woman with a deformed pin to fix a fracture; (8) the pelvis
of a 12-year-old boy - all of which so far are negative proofs;
(9) the large-scaled (life-sized?) positive of #4 above, stating the time of exposure of three minutes (!) All photos in
an exceptionally mint condition. All with the atelier’s label
mounted to the back side. Provenance: the medical doctor,
Karl Theodor, Duke in Bavaria (1839-1909), who founded
the Augenklinik Herzog Carl Theodor (the Duke Charles
Theodore Eye Clinic) in Munich in 1895.
[29]
[70]
[67]
[63]
Prices are excluding the Dutch Value Added Tax of 6%. Customers within the EU
with a valid VAT number or customers outside the EU are exempt.
Postage will be charged extra according to weight.
We accept payment in various ways, but much prefer a direct bank transfer in Euro.
[39]
Dieter Schierenberg b.v
Zamenhofstraat 150, unit 320
1022 AG Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
[email protected]
www.schierenberg.nl
Tel: +31 20 6362202
Mob: +31 6 55755935