Bion, Nicolai; Doppelmayr, Johann Gabriel (Translator)

[Mathematical Instruments] Neu-eröffnete Mathematische Werck-Schule; Oder Gründliche Anweisung / Wie die Mathematische Instrumenten

Nuremberg: Peter Conrad Monath, 1726-28. Leather bound. Third printing of the German translation, includes all three parts, large octavo size, 690 pp., all text in German. Very good +. Item #CNFBV132

Nicolas Bion (1652-1733), "chief instrument maker to the French King", published (in French) in 1709 "the 'Traité de la construction et des principaux usages des instrumens de mathématique', which became a key work on mathematical instruments". The work was published in German in 1713, with the translation being by Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr (1641-1686). Doppelmayr "wrote on astronomy, geography, cartography, spherical trigonometry, sundials and mathematical instruments...[he was also] responsible for the edition and translation of several important works in astronomy, geography and scientific instrument making" (n.b., first quote from the web site of upcommons hosted by Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, in an essay written by Mónica Blanco; second quote from the web site of webspace science).

The work, with the first part published in 1726, added two additional parts (here published in 1727 and 1728), the three separately paginated. Each section is replete with copperplate illustrations: the first section with thirty plates (numbered I to XXVIII, with two plates being in two parts; one folding, and one being a map), the second section (Geometry and Optics) with twenty plates (five of the plates folding), and the third section (Astronomical Instruments) with twelve plates. According to some, to the two later sections Doppelmayr "annexed a number of instruments to his German translation...without any reference to the nationality of such instruments" (n.b., ibid).

___DESCRIPTION: Three volumes bound into one book, the contemporary binding of white pigskin richly embossed in blind on both boards, all edges stained red, the three title pages in red and black, the first section with an illustrated frontispiece of the goddess Athena (denoting wisdom) surrounded by various instruments, the volume with a total of sixty-two plates (see details as set forth above); large octavo size (8.5" by 7"), pagination: [i-xiv] 1-432; [i-viii] [1] 2-48; [i-xii] 1-176 (note that plates not included in page count); all text in German.

___CONDITION: Volume is overall better than very good, the binding strong, the corners slightly bumped but not rubbed, a square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, all plates present and in uniformly fine condition with no tears or edgewear, and other than a few stray pencil marks in the margins free of prior owner markings; light overall soiling to the pigskin, light worming to the endpapers, the frontis (in the lower margin and at the very top fore-edge of the illustration), and the bottom margin of the title page, we note eight leaves with prior leaf repair and one with a closed tear (some very small loss of text), and note there is a typo to the page number 307, which was typeset as "207". Other than the minor condition issues noted a near fine copy, the plates fine with deep black printing, truly a pleasure to view.

___POSTAGE: Please note that this is an unusually heavy volume and additional postage may apply; please inquire for details.

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Price: $900.00