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Antiquarian: Scientific Instruments

Mudge, William. An Account of the Trigonometrical Survey Carried on in the years 1791, 1792, 1793, and 1794, by Order of his Grace the Duke of Richmond, late Master General of the Ordnance. By Lieut. Col. Edward Williams, and Capt. William Mudge, of the Royal Artillery; and Mr. Isaac Dalby. Communicated by the Duke of Richmond, F.R.S. Extract from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London for the Year MDCCXCV. London: Peter Elmsley, 1795. First Edition, Quarto. iv + [413 - ] 591 pp. + 4 folding plates. Rebound in tan cloth boards, paper labels, retaining the original title page and table of contents of the entire volume. Page edges age-darkened, some slight foxing and crinkling, a Very Good copy in a handsome new binding. $500.

Mudge (1762-1820) was responsible for a number of major innovations in surveying, and became director of the Ordnance Survey on Williams's death in 1799. The plates show a portable transit instrument, the plan for setting up a bar to determine the length of chains, and a large relief map showing the principal triangles used in the survey, stretching from Portland Point to Beachey Head.

Chaucer, Geoffrey. Treatise on the Astrolabe. In R.T. Gunther, Chaucer and Messahalla on the Astrolabe. Now Printed in Full for the First Time, with the Original Illustrations. Oxford: For the Subscribers at the University Press, 1929. "Early Science in Oxford, Vol. V." First Edition of the Complete Text by Chaucer, First (?) English Edition of the Messallah. Blue cloth, gilt spine (externally Fine, the prelims foxed). vii + 234 pp., plates. Printed on heavy stock, which has made for a "tight" volume that will loosen if opened wide (hence the absence of internal photographs for our copy). Still, a near-Fine copy of a rare book. $500.

Chaucer's original text (assembled from various manuscripts) and the illustrations are included, along with a modern English translation. Skeat had published some of the text (without translation) in 1872, but with redrawn illustrations. As Gunther noted, these are essential to the text, which was written for Chaucer's no doubt precocious son, then aged 10! Thus, Gunther reproduces the original illustrations from the manuscripts. The work by Messahallah served as the source for Chaucer's knowledge of the astrolabe, and is included in both English translation and in the Latin original. A wonderful volume by the great poet-astronomer, the first detailed account in English of a complex scientific instrument!

[Sturm, Johann Christophorus, 1635-1703]. Mathesis Juvenilis: Or, a Course of Mathematicks for Young Students, Containing Plain and Easy Treatises, by Way of Question and Answer, in the following Sciences, viz. Astronomy, Chronology, Dialling, &c. Vol. III. London: for D. Midwinter, 1708. First Edition in English. 6¾" x 5", 453 pp., plates (1 folding). Contemporary calf, blind-ruled, spine with raised bands. Much worn, the front cover and flyleaf loose but present. Old signature on flyleaf, another has been cut from the top edge. Age-browned throughout. NUC calls for two folding plates, but only one is present here. $325.

An important work, containing some of the earliest descriptions of sundials (and hence important in the history of horology). Although an odd volume, it is complete in itself, beginning with the "Special or Theorical [sic] Part" of Astronomy (pp. 3-124), "The Science of Time, Or Chronology" (pp. 135-290), and "Gnomonicks, or Horologiography" (pp. 291-453), i.e., "Dialling." The many plates include images of a large number of sundials, some of very unusual configuration! Sturm was Professor at Altdorf, credited with reconciling Aristotelian and Cartesian notions of physics in Germany, and for important experiments on magnetism, hydrostatics, air pumps, etc. No copy in Norman, Clockmaker's Library, Honeyman, etc., but Baillie records a 1705 German edition.

Carl Zeiss, Jena. Astronomical Instruments, Optical Equipment, Observatory Domes, Observation Ladders, Rising Floors. "Astro 30." 1920. ["H. XII. 20" at end]. 142 pp., richly illustrated. 10½" x 7½". Brown wraps, unevenly faded, wraps loosening from text block, some wear and a short tear to edge of front. Faint owner's name on blank flyleaf, internally clean and bright. $250

Carl Zeiss, Jena. Astronomical Telescopes and Accessories. "This Catalogue is designated Astro 8." 1906. [Date at bottom of title page given as "VII. 06"]. 11¾" x 9". Blue-Gray wraps, with a gilt and black telescope on the front. 64 pp., richly illustrated, with tissue printed "addenda" tipped in on some pages, and one inserted at rear (torn, with some loss of text). Some cover wear, wraps loosening from text block, the stapled binding pulling through the endpapers, blank endpaper foxed, some very slight traces of foxing on a few leaves. Still a bright copy, internally clean, with prices indicated in Marks and Sterling. $900

Carl Zeiss, Jena. Telescopes. "Astro 80." 1928. ["H. II. 28"]. 48 pp., richly illustrated. 8¼" x 5¼". Tan wraps, gilt, owner's name on front, otherwise a Very Good copy. $50