Turner, Richard

Plain Trigonometry, Rendered Easy & Familiar [bound with] A View Of The Earth. Being a short but comprehensive system of modern geography. [and with] A View of the Heavens. Being a short but comprehensive system of modern astronomy.

London and Worcester: S. Crowder and S. Gamidge (1765, 1766, 1765), 1765. Hardcover. Three volumes bound in one, first edition of the first and third titles, second edition of "A View of the Earth", quarto size, [160] pp., illustrated with maps and globes. Good. Item #16100203

Following his matriculation from Magdalen Hall, Oxford in 1748, Richard Turner (1720-1791), English clergyman and educational writer, became chaplain to the countess dowager of Wigton, and in 1754 was instituted vicar of Elmley Castle in Worcestershire; in June of the same year he was appointed rector of Little Comberton. Turner was the author of a number of educational texts, including "The Young Gauger's Best Instructor" and the first edition of one of the present works, "A View of the Earth", which appeared in 1762.

The present copy includes the first edition of his introductions to trigonometry and astronomy, both published in 1765; later works included a similar volume on geometry and a study of education. The maps in the Geography volumes include a double-hemisphere frontispiece and maps of the continents of Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and Africa by John Gibson; the "Astronomical Clock" on page 41 of the "A View of the Heavens" is lacking the printed volvelle used to determine the hour of night from the position of the stars. A scarce trio, the trigonometry volume particularly so with no copies appearing in recent auction records.

___DESCRIPTION: Contemporary quarter calf and marbled paper covered boards, title-pages printed in red and black, volume one with numerous illustrations in-text, volume two with six engraved maps, one engraved plate of a terrestrial globe and numerous illustrations in-text, volume three with a plate of the Celestial Globe and a plan of the Copernican System of the Universe and numerous illustrations in-text; folio size (12" by 7"), pagination: Volume I: [i-iv] 1-39 [1 ad]; Volume II: [i-iv] 1-45 [3 ads]; Volume III: [i-iv] 1-59 [60].

___CONDITION: A highly eligible candidate for rebinding with the leather spine mostly perished (cords and signatures showing), front board held on by one cord only, rear board held on by most cords, corners substantially rubbed, marbled paper boards quite worn, lacking free endpaper, the volume opens with the title page of volume one; internally bright with minimal foxing, and with bright beautiful engravings; overall a good copy internally, fair externally. Lacking the volvelle on page 41 of "A View of the Heavens", a facsimile is laid in for reference.

___CITATION: DNB Vol. XIX, p. 1279.

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Price: $1,500.00