Science & Technology / Optics & Perspective

NUNES, Pedro. De crepusculis liber unus, nu[n]c rece[n]s & natus et editus.Including: [Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn MU'ADH] (mis-attributed to Ibn AL-HAYTHAM). De causis crepusculorum liber unus, à Gerardo Cremonensi iam olim Latinita te donatus, nunc vero omniu[m] primum in lucem editus.
(Colophon: Lisbon, Ludovicus Rodericus, January 1542). 4to. With woodcut architectural title-page with an arch containing putti and mythological figures (including 2 winged female fauns holding drapery, with the Royal Portuguese coat of arms at the foot and an armillary sphere at the head, 40 woodcut diagrams concerning astronomy, spherical geometry, optics and geodessy in the text, Rodericus's spectacular full-page emblematic woodcut device (a dragon with the motto "salus vitae" on a banderole), numerous woodcut initials (several series), and a vine-leaf ornament (a variant of Vervliet 94?). Set mostly in the first successful italic type to have sloped capitals, cut by Peter Schoeffer the younger, but with extensive passages in roman. Bound in a period-style Italian calf binding, gold-tooled spine, each board with a blind-tooled frame and a gold-tooled centrepiece, with "Petri Nonii" on the front and "MDXLII" on the back. [73], [1 blank] ll. Full description

PALLADIO, Andrea and Ottavio BERTOTTI SCAMOZZI. Le terme dei Romani disegnate da Andrea Palladio e ripubblicate con la giunta di alcune osservazioni da Ottavio Bertotti Scamozzi giusta l'esemplare del Lord Conte di Burlinthon impresso in Londra l'anno 1732.
Vicenza, Giovanni Rossi, 1797. 4to. With an engraved frontispiece, and 25 engraved plates (17 folding and 8 full-page) by Antonio Mugnoni. Contemporary gold-tooled, marbled brown calf. 55, [1 blank] pp. Full description

PECKHAM, John and Georg HARTMANN. Perspectiva communis. Ideo sic dicta, quod contineat elementa tès optigès, omnibus philosophiae studiosis necessaria.
Nürnberg, Johan Petreius, 1542. Small 4to (18 x 15 cm). With 44 woodcut diagrams in text. Modern boards. [55] ll. Full description

POZZO, Andrea. Perspectiva pictorum et architectorum ... | Prospettiva de pittori et architetti ...
Rome, Antonio de Rossi (part 1) and Johannis Jacobi Komarek Bohemi (part 2), 1702 (part 1) and 1700 (part 2). 2 parts in 1 volume. Folio. Part 1 with a large woodcut vignette on both title-pages (one in Latin and one in Italian), an engraved architectural frontispiece dated 1693 (behind the title-pages of part 1), a full-page engraved plate with drawing instruments before the preface, and 102 numbered engraved plates with perspectival and architectural plans and illustrations, including a large folding view of Pozzo's "trompe-l'oeil" fresco on the ceiling of the St. Ignazio church in Rome. Part 2 with a large woodcut vignette on both title-pages (one in Latin and one in Italian), an engraved architectural frontispiece by Teodoro Ver Cruys (behind the title-pages of part 2), an introductory allegorical plate, and 118 numbered engraved plates with perspectival and architectural plans and illustrations, and a full-page engraved plate on fresco painting to the added treatise at the end. Contemporary gold-tooled sprinkled (mottled?) calf, sewn on 6 supports with corresponding raised bands on the spine, with a red morocco title-label lettered in gold in the second compartment, the other compartments with detailed gold-tooled decorations. The boards show a double fillet frame in an ornamental frame with ornamental cornerpieces on the outer corners, all within a double fillet frame, gold-tooled board edges and turn-ins, red sprinkled edges, marbled endpapers. Full description

[MANUSCRIPT]. PRÉVOST, M. Cours de géométrie pratique professé par M. Prevost et suivi par C.F. Frenet. Comprenant 1o. La géométrie élémentaire avec ses applications au toisé, au cubage, géodésie, etc. 2o. La géométrie descriptive avec ses applications à la perspective, à la coupe des pierres etc.
[Lyon?, ca. 1825?]. Oblong folio (35 x 45 cm). With a flourished calligraphic title-page signed "[Charles] Esclozas scripsit", and 140 leaves with more than 350 figures in black ink and sometimes pencil, red ink or coloured washes (blue, yellow, red, green and grey), illustrating plain and solid geometry, projections, perspective, architecture, bridges, cartography, globes, sundials, etc., and with text and illustrations in black thick-thin borders. Contemporary green half morocco, spine richly gold-tooled. [1], [1 blank], [97], [1 blank] pp. plus 140 illustration ll. partly numbered in 13 series. Full description

RISNER, Friedrich. Opticae libri quatuor ex voto Petri Rami novissimo Fridericum Risnerum per ejusdem in mathematicis adjutorem olim conscripti, ...
Kassel, Wilhelm Wessel (sold by Johann Berner in Frankfurt), 1615. 4to. With numerous optical, astronomical and mathematical woodcut diagrams in text, woodcut headpieces, tailpieces and initials, and headpieces built up from cast fleurons. 18th-century tan calf, gold-tooled double fillets, re-backed in sheepskin. [20], 259, [1 blank] pp. Full description

ROSSETTI, Donato. Antignome fisico-matematiche con il nuovo orbe, e sistema terrestre.
Livorno, Giovanni Vincenzo Bonfigli, 1667. 4to. With 66 woodcut diagrams and other illustrations in text. Contemporary limp sheepskin parchment, with 2 fastenings made from loops of braided cord on the front cover but only traces of thongs on the back. XII, 179, [1] pp. Full description

[SMITH, Robert and others]. The elementary parts of Dr. Smith's compleat system of opticks, selected and arranged for the use of students at the universities: to which are added in the form of notes some explanatory propositions from other authors.
Cambridge, printed by J. Archdeacon, 1778. Large 4to (27 x 20.5 cm). With 17 numbered, folding engraved plates. Contemporary gold-tooled brown sprinkled calf, gold-tooled red morocco spine label, gold-tooled board edges. VI, [9], [1 blank], 119, [1 blank] pp. Full description

SUAREZ DE FIGUEROA, Christobal (Thomaso GARZONI). Plaza universal de todas ciencias, y artes, parte traduzida de Toscano, y parte compuesta por el doctor Christoval Suearez de Figueroa.
Perpignan, Luis Roure, 1630 (colophon: 1629). 4to. With title printed in woodcut border with large woodcut coat of arms; interesting woodcut initials and head- and tailpieces. Contemporary mottled calf. [8], 379, [1 blank] ll. Full description

[TAISNIER, Jean (?)]. La science curieuse, ou traité de la chyromance, récueilly des plus graves autheurs que ont traité de cette matiere, & plus exactement recherché qu'il n'a esté cy-devant par aucun autre.
Paris, Francois Clousier, 1665. 4to (21.5 x 16.5 cm). Illustrated with 90 engraved plates (9 showing 1 full-page hand each, 1 table and 80 showing 16 smaller hands each, with the relevant lines for reading palms). With 1 woodcut decorated initial, and several woodcut head- and tailpieces. Contemporary mottled calf, sewn on 5 supports, gold-tooled board edges, gold-tooled spine with the title lettered in gold. [1], [1 blank], [6], 212 pp. Full description