Gravesande William (5 results)

Quarter Leather. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. A very good copy of the extremely scarce 1st edition of 's Gravesande's Essay on Perspective, first published as 'Essai de Perspective' in 1711. Willem Jakob 's Gravesande (1688-1742) was a Dutch mathematician and natural philosopher. He was Professor of Mathematics, Astronomy and Philosophy at Leiden University and used his position to promote Newton's mathematical and astronomical theories. He is credited with being the first Continental theoretician to disseminate and promote Newton's works. His best known publication 'Mathematical Elements of Natural Philosophy, Confirmed by Experiments' was published in 1720 as the result of his experimental work on Newton's mechanical concepts. This copy is newly bound in quarter calf with raised bands and title label to spine and marbled paper sides. New endpapers have been added. Contents: half title with old signature of W Parry to top; publishers' advert; title; translator's dedication 2pp; author's preface and errata pp i-x; text pp 1-120 with 32 folding plates - plates 30-32 bound after the Finis. The contents are in very good clean condition with light toning to paper - becoming darker towards page edges. There is occasional brown spotting, and an old damp stain mark at the top corner of pp 97, 101 and 103. There some professional paper repairs to plate edges. There are 2 sets of mispagination but the text is continuous: 83-48-85 and 91-26-93. Please enquire if you would like to see additional images.

8vo. iv, 187, [1] pp. 4 folding plates, decorative headpieces. Original gilt-stamped calf, modern red leather gilt-stamped spine label, raised bands; rubbed, joints cracked, upper spine mended. Ownership stamp of "P.G." Very good. RARE. First edition in English; first printed in Leiden in 1727, as Matheseos universalis elementa. "This work, translated into Dutch (1728) and English (1752 [sic]), is of didactic rather than original merit, but it was significant for its invitation to mathematicians to elucidate systematically Newton's Universal Arithmetick, which 'sGravesande exemplified by his own explanation of two passages from Newton's book. 'sGravesande found the lighthearted treatment of infinitesimals and the infinite in Bernard de Fontenelle's Elemens de la geometrie de l'infini (Paris, 1727) unacceptable, and he maintained his objections in the Journal litteraire against Fontenelle's rejoinder (1730)." â" DSB V, p. 510. REFERENCES: ESTC no.: T187811; not in Babson.

Hardcover. Condition: Good. 4to (26 cm), contemporary Dutch blindstamped vellum on boards, spine with raised bands and manuscript title (hinges carefully restored); some marginal waterstaining at beginning of vol. I, a brown spot at inner margin of last 4 leaves in vol. II, but otherwise a good clean copy with a distinguished provenance: a manuscript inscription on the flyleaf of the famous swiss botanist Johannes Scheuchzer (1684-1738 see Poggendorff II, 794) dated april 1735, recording the purchase of the present volume, with his red wax seal. As well on titlepage of vol. I the mss. entry of the Swiss Mathematician Edmund Klinkhardt (d. 1848; see. Poggendorff I, 1274). Titles printed in red and black with engraved vignettes, pp. (26), 345, (5); pp.(8), 199, (13) with 72 folding engraved plates and 1 folding printed table. Second edition of Gravesande's main work (vol I in the 2nd issue). He was the earliest influential exponent of Newtonian philosophy in continental Europe, and the present work represents the largest, best argued and most philosophical summary of Newtonian science and experimental method, widely read not only in Europe but in England as well. Poggendorff I, 943; Roller-G. I, 478; Wallis 82.1. "The scientific reputation of G. is enshrined in this book, which he constantly corrected and amplified" (DSB V, 510).

Volume I only. 8vo. pp. 1 p.l., xxii, 259, [5]ads. 33 folding engraved plates. woodcut ornaments & initials. later bds. (spine ends chipped, covers worn with some paper loss, hint of foxing). First Edition of the English Translation by J.T.Desaguliers. Volume I only. Gray 83 (calling for 32 plates). cfBabson 68. cfWellcome III p. 150.

2 Volumes in 1. 8vo. pp. vi, [v]-xxii, 259, [1]ads; 8 p.l., 285, [19]index. titles in red & black. 58 folding engraved plates. woodcut ornaments & initials. A very nice clean copy in modern half morocco. ownership entry on front blank of Sir James Stonhouse, 11th Baronet [1716-1795], English physician & Anglican divine. Fifth Edition of the English Translation by J.T.Desaguliers of this work by the Dutch mathematician and natural philosopher which laid the foundations for the teaching of Newtonian mechanics through experimental demonstrations. "'sGravesande was the earliest influential exponent of the Newtonian philosophy in continental Europe.The strength of his exposition was in his perfection of the method of justifying scientific truths either by self-evidence or by appeal to experimental observationperfected by him through the design of many new instruments constructed by the instrument maker Jan van Musschenbroek". (DSB) Babson 68. cfGray 83. cfWellcome III p. 150.