GIPHANTIA or A View of What Has Passed, And, during the Present Century, What Will Pass In The World. Translated from the original French, with explanatory notes.

Tiphaigne de La Roche, Charles-Francois (1722-1774)

Published by Robert Horsfield, 1761

About this Item

Published in London in 1761, this is the English First Edition of this fantastic imaginary voyage where a traveller in Africa gets caught up in a hurricane and finds himself transported to a civilisation of elemental spirits, he is given a guided tour and is shown marvels including a mirror on which he can view the whole world passing by in a moving image as if on a television screen, also a description of being able to capture an image on a surface as a photograph, but predating photography by over sixty years. The book is divided into two parts each with its own dated title page, the first part is dated 1761, the second part 1760, with publishers advert leaf at rear, bound an old half leather binding with marbled paper covered boards, page edges untrimmed, light browning to page edges, some light creasing wear else in good condition. And important early science fiction novel with the earliest reference to what was to become photography, and an early description of moving images seen on glass reminiscent of modern-day television.

Seller Inventory # 004830

Bibliographic Details

• Title: GIPHANTIA or A View of What Has Passed, And, during the Present Century, What Will Pass In The World. Translated from the original French, with explanatory notes.
• Publisher: Robert Horsfield
• Publication Date: 1761
• Language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Good