Headley, Joel Tyler (1813-1897) and Benson John Lossing (1813-1891). 1860. WITH RARE BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF MOUNT VERNON.
The illustrated life of Washington ... With vivid pen-paintings of battles and incidents, trials and triumphs of the heroes and soldiers of revolutionary times. By Hon. J. T. Headley... Together with an interesting account of Mount Vernon as it is. By Benson J. Lossing. The whole embellished with numerous steel and wood engravings, and a splendid colored lithographic view of Mount Vernon and Washington's tomb. 9”h x 6”w. New York: G. & F. Bill, 1860. 528 pages plus 6 ads. Red cloth with gilt-stamped decorations. Illustrated with 17 B&W and 15 hand-colored wood-engravings, 6 steel engravings and the folding view of Mount Vernon. Covers rubbed, bumped and stained on spine. Scattered foxing. Very good condition.

Includes the rare “Birds-eye View of Mt. Vernon, the Home of Washington.” Above title: “Entered according to Act of Congress in the Year 1859; by G. & F. Bill....” 10”h x 14”w. Original hand color. 14 facilities are numbered and identified in the lower margin. Probably by Thomas S. Sinclair (1805-1881) whose work included another Mt. Vernon view during the same period. His works were usually published by G. & F. Bill.

Dwight, Timothy (1752-1817). NEW ENGLAND. 1821-1822.
Travels in New-England and New-York. 1st ed. 4 volumes. New Haven: Timothy Dwight, 1821-1822. 8vo (5 ½” w x 8 ¾”h).

Rebound in quarter burgundy-color leather with the original worn marbled paper covered boards. Gilt spine lettering and decoration. The contents are very good with very light uniform toning of the paper and some offsetting from the three folding bound-in maps. An errata slip is bound-in at the end of volume four. The maps appear to have been rarely opened and the text-block is clean and tight. Volumes one and two are dated 1821 and volumes three and four are dated 1822. (There is also a London edition of 1823, not included, with the three maps re-engraved.)

A very good set and probably the best description of New England in the early 19th century, covering Dwight's travels over several decades.

The three maps are:

"Map of the Southern part of New England Compiled for Pres’t. Dwights Travels, By George Gillet Esq. 1821." 13 ½’w x 11”h. In vol. 1.

"Map of the Northern part of New England Compiled for Pres’t. Dwights Travels, By George Gillet Esq. 1821. " Inset lower right: “Head Waters of Connecticut River.” 13 ½’w x 8 ¼”h. In vol. 2.

"Map of the State of New York Engraved for Pres’t. Dwights Travels. 1822." 12”w x 11 ½”h. In vol. 3.

All three maps have an unusual prime meridian – Yale College. This may be the only case where Yale was used as the prime meridian. Timothy Dwight, IV, (1752–1817) was a minister, theologian, educator, and author. He was the eighth president of Yale College, from 1795 to 1817. As author of the book in which the maps were published, Dwight had the opportunity to have Yale College selected as the location of the Prime Meridian for the maps.

HOWES D612.

TURKEY. Jansson. 1636/1647.
Natolia, quae olim Asia Minor. 15”h x 19 ½”w. A few scattered stains in image and margins. Centerfold open in upper margin. Old color. Image in good condition. Latin text verso. Signature “Asia. C”. Map by Jan Jansson (1588-1664). Also known as Johannes Janssonius.

The map first appeared in the 1636 German edition of Gerardi Mercatoris Et I. Hondii. Appendix Atlantis.... Published in Amsterdam by Jan Jansson. Reference Koeman Me 44.

This specific map appears in the 1647 Latin edition of Atlas Novus published in Amsterdam by Jan Jansson. Koeman Me 59.

The map shows Turkey, Crete, Cyprus and part of Syria. The mileage scale at the lower right is vertical in a cartouche, rather than the usual horizontal configuration.

CHILE. Hondius. 1630/1636.
Chili Lower left: Amstelodami, Henricus Hondius excudit. 15"h x 19"w. Centerfold damp stained. Map in good condition. Probably original color. English text verso shows through lightly.

First published in 1630, this map was published in Atlas or a Geographicke description of the Regions ... (Amsterdam: Henry Hondius, 1636). Koeman Me 41A. This is the rare English edition. It appeared later (1638 and 1641) but only one copy of each was known by Koeman.

This beautiful map shows most of Chile (from the vicinity of Copiapo south to 46 degrees South Latitude). North is to the left. Mountains are dramatically depicted. Ships and sea monsters add to the interest.

DIVIDERS. c1850.
[Brass & Steel Dividers.] 5 ½” long. Brass legs with steel points.

DIVIDERS. c1800.
[Five-leaf Hand Forged Brass and Iron Dividers]. 6” long. The hinge has five leaves, rather than the usual three. This was an early effort to maintain alignment of the two legs. One of the legs is a round brass pin driven into the upper part of brass leg, probbly replacing a lost triangular leg.

DUPLEX ANGLE. Harrison. c1920.
Duplex Angle. Inscribed on base: Harrison’s Patent. 9-inch long base. Mahogany with ebony edging.

The duplex angle is a right triangle with a moveable hypotenuse. The joint will remain to the angle set. It is especially adaptable for transferring or copying angles. It is flush on both sides so it can be used to draw equal angles in opposite directions, such as a roof truss.

DRAWING PEN. c1900.
[Ivory Handled Drawing Pen]. 4 ½” long. German silver with ivory handle.

DRAWING PEN. c1920.
[Ivory Handled Drawing Pen]. 5 ½” long. German silver finish.

DRAWING PEN. E.D. Co. c1920.
[Ebony Handled Drawing Pen]. 5 ½” long. German silver. Stamped E.D. Co. Union on one blade and Germany on the other.

DRAWING PEN. Elliott. c1870.
[Ivory Handled Drawing Pen.] 4 ½” long. Ivory handle and German silver. Elliott engraved on handle.

The firm was founded in London around 1804 when William Elliott opened a shop in London. The firm became known as “William Elliott and Sons” in 1850. In 1853 it became known as “Elliott Bros.”. It began using the signature "Elliott Bros London" in 1873 and “Elliott Bros (London) Ltd” in 1916.

OCTANT. c1820.
Cased Octant. Mahogany case with manufacturer’s label: ALEXANDER CAIRNS, OPTICIAN, Chronometer, Watch and Nautical Instrument Manufacturer 24, WATERLOO ROAD, LIVERPOOL. Merchant’s label: F.W. LINCOLN JR. & CO. MATHEMATICAL INSTRUMENT MAKERS & NAUTICAL STATIONERS 126 Commercial Street BOSTON. These labels may indicate the octant was made by Cairns and resold by Lincoln.

Ebony frame, brass index arm engraved Cameron Dundee measures 12 inches to the vernier scale, ivory arc graduated in 20 minute increments from -2 degrees to +99 degrees 40 minutes, vernier with thumb screw, peep sight, back peep sight, 2 sets of 3 colored glass filters, and blank ivory maker’s label. On the back side is a small rectangular ivory “Note Pad” insert for the user to record his readings.

Cameron was a merchant, not a manufacturer. The octant was retailed by Alexander Cameron, a jeweler and nautical instrument retailer based in Dundee, Scotland. He had premises in Dundee's High Street from 1818 to 1824, and at 120 Overgate from 1828 until his retirement in 1848.

OCTANT. Mitchell. 1809.
Octant. Housed in antique decorated stepped box.

Constructed with 14” brass index arm, ebony frame, ivory scale and an ivory vernier. The ivory scale is graduated every 20 minutes from -2 degrees to +98 degrees and read by tangent screw and vernier to single minutes of arc. There is also a back sight and a back horizon glass that can be used to measure angles greater than 90 degrees. Three colored filters are mounted on the frame. Marked on ivory insert: Rt. MITCHELL Maker 101 Pennington St. LONDON and 1809.

An octant is a portable instrument that uses a small mirror to bring two images together—for example, those of the sun and the horizon, to determine latitude at sea by observing the altitude (vertical angle) of the sun or stars. The octant was the successor of the backstaff and quadrant and the predecessor of the sextant. The term “octant” comes from the fact that the instrument’s arc covers 1/8th of a circle (=45º). The use of the mirror on the index arm multiplies this by 2, so an angle of up to 90º can be measured. John Hadley described an instrument of this sort to the Royal Society of London in 1731 and obtained a British patent in 1734, so octants are sometimes known as Hadley quadrants. They were still in use in the early twentieth century, but by 1755 the sextant began replacing the octant. Those made after around 1800 have ebony frames, brass index arms, and ivory scales read by verniers.

Additional images are available below the large pop-up image.

PARALLEL RULE. Harling. c1900.
Rolling Parallel Rule. Fitted dovetailed mahogany case, 18 ¾” long by 3 ¼” wide by 1 ¾” deep with brass latches and hinges.

18-inch long brass rolling parallel rule with brass knobs each end. Marked HARLING.

William Henry Harling founded his firm in 1851 at 47 Finsbury Pavement, Moorgate, London. He continued business there until 1961 when the firm became part of Blundell Harding of Weymouth, a town on the English Channel in Dorset, England.

An Allen wrench is included so the roller can be removed.

SURVEYOR’S FIELD BOOK. Evert Van Alen. 1795.
The Field Book is 6 ½” high by 4” wide and has thin cardboard covers. All entries are in ink script. The outside of front cover is annotated: “At St. Lawrence”. The inside of front cover is annotated “Evert Van Alen’s Field Book 1795 - ”.

The first page reads: “1. MONDAY June 1st 1795. Began at the Mouth of a large Creek on the South Shore of the River St. Lawrence to Survey the Tract heretofore granted to - Peter Penet & ran due East 800, Elm tree mark N.E. of Peter Penet 1795 E.V.A. ....” and he continues to discuss chaining (measuring), establishing direction, placing stakes (e.g., basswood, hard maple, and ironwood) and marking trees until June 18th, including weekends, when the survey notes end.

This field book is the survey of a tract 10 miles square, with one corner at the St. Lawrence River and French Creek, reserved by the Oneida Indians in the treaty of 1788 for Peter Penet for services rendered, and called “Penet Square”. Penet had sold the 64,000 acre property, and the new owners apparently had reason to have a survey conducted. This field book is of historic significance to Penet Square.

For a view of the property on a printed map, see the ten-mile square labeled “Penet” at the lower right of the title of "A Map of the State of New York By Simeon De Witt Surveyor General MDCCCII" at the following site: http://www.sunysb.edu/libmap/img0017b.jpg

Van Alen’s survey starts at the St. Lawrence River, proceeds due East 800 chains, recording entries for 9 ½ miles and 50 [chains]; goes due South for 800 chains and records entries for 9 miles and 80 [chains]; goes due West for 800 chains, recording entries for over 9 ½ miles; then goes due North from the SW corner of the Penet property. The survey notes end shortly after one mile of the North-bound leg, leaving several blank pages. One can only speculate as to the reason the remaining survey was not recorded. Perhaps Van Alen changed field books. The last few notes are not legible, except they end with “E.V.A. 1795”.

Van Alen recorded miles traversed and another unidentified length [but “chains”]. The measure in general use at the time was a chain of 4 rods (66 feet) in length, called the Gunter’s chain after the inventor. The chain is made up of 100 links with a small notched brass plate attached to every tenth link for ease of keeping track of distances less than 100 links. A mile is equal to 320 rods or 80 chains. Van Alen used the chain to measure intermediate distances, starting over after each recorded mile. In the two dozen cases where a specific mile is entered, the preceding entry is “80” [chains] and includes the type of wood in the stake used to mark the location. His reference to 800 [chains] on each leg represents the distance he must traverse (80 chains per mile x 10 miles) to the corner station where he turns 90 degrees.

Evert Van Alen mentions a meeting in his field book on 8 June with his uncle, presumably John Evert Van Alen (1749–1807), during which they discussed the survey. John was an American surveyor, merchant, and politician from Rensselaer County, New York. He served in the New York State Assembly and represented New York in the United States House of Representatives from 1793 until 1799. The Lloyd W. Smith Collection now held by the Morristown National Historical Park has a 1774 receipt signed by John Van Alen, a letter, Dec. 14, 1793 to John Van Alen from Evert Van Alen concerning business, and a note about Evert Van Alen, thus establishing some relationship between the two men.

A glimpse of the extensive number of surveys done by Evert Van Alen can be seen in the survey papers titled “Rensselaerwyck Manor Records, 1730-1899”, now in possession of the Manuscripts and Special Collections of the New York State Library. John E. Van Alen and Ebert Van Alen worked together on at least 21 of the Manor surveys. The entire list can be seen at: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/msscfa/sc7079_ls.htm

An extract of the 1788 treaty follows:

“At a treaty held at Fort Schuyler, formerly called Fort Stanwix in the State of New York, by his Excellency George Clinton ... with the Tribe or Nation of Indians called the Oneidas - it is on the twenty-second day of September, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight, covenanted and concluded as follows:

“First, the Oneidas do cede and grant all their lands to the people of the State of New York, forever.

“Secondly ....

“Thirdly.... And further, that the people of the State of New York shall, as a benevolence from the Oneidas to Peter Penet, and in return for services rendered by him to their nation, grant to the said Peter Penet, of the said ceded lands lying to the northward of the Oneida lake, a tract of ten miles square, wherever he shall elect the same.”

HANDMADE QUADRANT. c1800.
Quadrant. Probably American. Cased in handmade fitted quadrant-shaped oak and pine wood box with 15-inch arc and 2 ½” deep.

Handmade and hand-inscribed brass, 11 ¾” radius to outside of arc. Scribed at 30-minute intervals from 0 to 90 degrees. Level bubble mounted on index arm. Engraved scale on one side of frame; measuring scale (rule) on other side graduated in inches and 1/10 inches. Peep and slit sights at each end of one fixed arm. A 90-degree bracket secures to the sight arm for mounting the quadrant on a staff or tripod.

Used for measuring vertical angles. By simply reversing the instrument, either negative or positive vertical angles can be measured.

A more-detailed view of the quadrant may be seen by scrolling down the large pop-up image and clicking on the words "Handmade brass quadrant".

BUTTERFIELD-STYLE COMPASS/SUNDIAL. c1774.
Traveler’s Compass-Sundial. In fitted leather-covered octagonal velvet-lined case 3 1/2'” long by 3” wide.

An exceptional Butterfield-style compass/sundial dating to the mid to late 18th century and signed on the horizon plate Dubois aux Génie Paris. It has two sets of hours engraved in Roman numerals and one set in Arabic numerals. The brass gnomon is fan-shaped and fastened to a bird. The gnomon is adjustable for the local latitude from 40 to 60 degrees. The back of the sundial plate is engraved with the latitudes of 12 European cities. The compass is recessed into the base of the sundial and is marked with the French initials of the 8 major directions. The compass is also engraved every 2 degrees from minus 30 to plus 30 degrees from North so that local variation of magnetic North can be nulled. The underside of the compass is engraved with the latitudes of 4 additional European cities. The horizon plate has an octagonal configuration.

Dubois made a wide range of instruments in Paris, especially during the period 1771-1774. His instruments may be seen in many European museums.

A detailed image of the surface of the dial and the gnomon may be seen below the large pop-up image.

COMPASS/SUNDIAL. Smith. 1870.
Compass/Sundial. In 1 ½” diameter round brass case with lid. Embossed on lid: MAGNETIC TIME KEEPER & COMPASS and with a shining sun with a face and radiating rays. The base of the case is embossed D.L. SMITH’S PATENT AUG 23 1870. The lid presses on smoothly and securely to the base. Two tiny dents on the lid. Manufactured by Magnetic Watch Co., Hinsdale, NH. Missing the domed glass crystal covering the dial.

This ingenious sun dial is self-aligning. The sundial plate is stiff paper and is marked in hours by Roman numerals and scribed each 15 minutes. The plate floats freely to orient itself to magnetic North. The brass gnomon is fixed to the plate so one just holds the sundial level, waits for it to settle, and reads the sun time from the shadow. Compass directions are indicated on the outer ring of the dial.

WAYWISER. American. c1850.
American Waywiser. Constructed almost entirely of oak and pine wood including the gear train which drives the dials that indicate the distance traveled. The wheel rim and the dial arrows are metal. The 4 small dials provide readings in feet, rods (16.5 ft.), furlongs (40 rods or 1/8 mile) and miles traveled. There are two boxes mounted on the frame, one opens to reveal the gear train, the other provides storage space and includes a small drawer. In addition a larger storage box hangs below the frame. The diameter of the wheel is 31 ½ inches. The two rear supports are folded up when pushing the waywiser (those are modern replacements).

A waywiser consists mainly of a large wheel mounted to a frame that can be pushed along a relatively level surface and a dial that registers the distance traveled. Typically, the wheel measures 8.25 feet in circumference, as in this case, such that 2 revolutions are equal to 1 pole (one rod or 16.5 feet). Waywisers became popular in England in the 18th century, and were still in use in the United States in the late-19th century. They were also known as perambulators.

Detailed images of the waywiser may be seen by scrolling down the large pop-up image.

Two similar waywisers are held by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. They are illustrated and described below the large pop-up image.

Fitzgerald, Joseph H. EXHIBITION CATALOG. 1992.
Quest for the Indies: Routes of Exploration. 8 ½”w x 11”h. Miami: Historical Museum of Southern Florida, 1992. 116 pages followed by 26 map plates without page numbers. 136 maps are identified and illustrated in the text. Dr. Fitzgerald was the guest curator.

Quest for the Indies expands upon themes introduced in an exhibition of the same name produced by the Historical Museum of Southern Florida. The time-frame is primarily from the mid-1400s to the mid-1600s and two-thirds of the maps pre-date 1650.

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY. EXHIBITION CATALOG. 1985.
Treasures from the New York Public Library. 8 ½”w x 11”h. New York: New York Public Library, 1985. 132 pages with about 300 illustrations.

The catalog is divided into 19 categories of the Library’s treasures and the items depicted are numbered according to the same categories. Details for each item are included.

Boorstin, Daniel J. THE DISCOVERERS. 1983.
The Discoverers. 9 ½”h x 6 ½”w. 1st. edition. New York: Random House, 1983. xvi, 745, 1 pages. On acid-free paper. Black cloth. Very good condition. Dust jacket has price clipped.

“Daniel J. Boorstin’s story of our world is not the usual succession of battles and empires and political leaders, but a tale of discoveries and beginnings.... He puts flesh on many familiar names - Herodotus, Thucydides, Ptolemy, Galen, Marco Polo, Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Faraday, Marx, Freud – and resurrects from almost forgotten history some truly remarkable figures.”

Campbell, Tony. PRINTED MAPS. 1987.
The Earliest Printed Maps: 1472-1500. 8”w x 10 ½”h. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1987. 244 pages with 69 illustrations. Brown cloth. Book in excellent condition. No dust jacket.

“Publication of the maps described in this catalogue occupied the relatively short period between 1472 and 1500, but the concepts that moulded them are separated by centuries, even millenia. The two main strands can be made out ... The first of these pairs was itself a strange mixture of Greek cosmographical theory (culminating in the work of Ptolemy), Christian imagery and medieval superstition. The second comprised the new knowledge gained from travel across continents and oceans.”

Campbell cites each of the 222 maps printed in Europe during that period and provides exhaustive descriptions and bibliography and excellent illustrations of those maps, as well as lists of institutions holding the maps.

Jane, Cecil. VOYAGES OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 1930.
The Voyages of Christopher Columbus Being the Journals of His First and Third, and the Letters Concerning His First and Last Voyages, To Which is Added the Account of His Second Voyage Written by Andres Bernaldez. Now newly Translated and Edited, with an Introduction and Notes by Cecil Jane. 8”w x 10” h. London: The Argonaut Press, 1930. Limited edition, one of 1050 copies, printed on fine Japanese vellum. Uncut. (6), 347 pp., including 2 appendices, an index, limitation leaf, and page marker. Illustrated with 5 maps, one of which is a fold-out; all in fine condition. An original woodcut by William Monk is on the title page. Publisher's original grey cloth backed in white; pictorial coat-of-arms impressed on the top right of the front cover.

Includes Columbus' journals from all four voyages as well as a section on the second voyage from Andrés Bernáldez. When Columbus came back from his second voyage, he stayed at the house of Bernáldez in Seville, Spain and shared with him his journals from the trip. Drawing on this material, Bernáldez wrote an account of the second voyage.

In his 131 page introduction, Cecil Jane notes that “there is no figure in history at once so well known and so unknown as that of the discoverer of the New World”.

Polk, Dora Beale. CALIFORNIA AS AN ISLAND. 1991.
The Island of California: A History of the Myth. 6”w x 9 ¼”h. Spokane: The Arthur H. Clark Company, 1991. 397 pps. Extensively illustrated with 58 maps. Hard cover. Dust jacket. End paper maps. Excellent condition. Like new.

This book is part of “The Spain in the West Series” initiated in 1914. The words “Spain in the West XIII’ over leaf from the frontispiece indicates this is the 13th volume of the series.

“[T]his misconception flourished on and off for almost two centuries following the Spanish discovery early in the 16th century. This book traces the origin of this strange notion – how it evolved, how it kept recurring, and how it was finally put to rest.”

Ramsay, Raymond H. GONE FROM THE MAP. 1972.
No Longer on the Map: Discovering Places that Never Were. 6 ½”w x 9 ¼”h. New York: Viking Press, 1972. "First published in 1972 by The Viking Press, Inc.". Hardcover. No dust jacket. Xii, 276 pages, 7 Appendices plus Notes and Index. Approximately 40 black/white photographs, maps and other illustrations. Full cloth; gold-stamped titles; top leaf-edges tinted; end-paper double hemisphere world maps. Book in very good condition.

Chapter headings include: El Dorado: Man and Myth; Terra Australis Quasi Cognita; The Very Strange Case of Friesland; Two Irish Questions: Saint Brendan and Breasil; Various Islands, Some of Them Devilfish; From Seven cities to None; That Illusive Northwest Passage; The Unknown Northern Land; The Peregrinations of Greenland; The Maybe of Mayda; and Three special Cases.

Schwartz, Seymour I. MISMAPPING AMERICA. 2003
The Mismapping of America. 6”w x 9 ¼”h. Rochester: University Press, 2003. xv, 233 pages. 69 illustrations, mostly maps. Hard cover. Dust jacket. Like new.

“The Mismapping of America presents and analyzes the significant cartographic errors that have shaped the history of the United States. Perhaps the most blatant error is the very name "America," that honors Amerigo Vespucci, who not only never set foot on North American soil, but also played no significant role in the discovery of South America. The appearance of the name "America" imprinted on a map ensured its permanence.

"Other significant errors explored in The Mismapping of America include: Giovanni da Verrazzano's misinterpretation of Pamlico or Albermarle Sound for the Pacific Ocean, thereby suggesting the presence of an isthmus in the middle of the North American continent, the existence of a direct North West passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the misconception that California was an island, and the insertion on Lake Superior of a fictitious island that is specifically referred to in defining the boundary of the United States.”

Skelton, Raleigh Ashley et al. VINLAND MAP. 1965.
The Vinland Map and the Tartar Relation. Co-authors Thomas E. Marston and George D. Painter. Foreword by Alexander O. Vietor. 4th printing. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1965. 12"h x 9"w. xii, [6], 291 pages with 29 b/w plates and 10 figures. 2 folding maps. Cloth. Dust jacket chipped. Book in very good condition.

This book analyzes 2 documents that surfaced in the late 1950's. The first is a manuscript account of the expedition of Friar Carpini across Central Asia on a mission to the Mongols in 1245-47. The second is a world map including the Western Ocean with representations of Iceland, Greenland and a land mass named "Vinland" (the North American mainland as known to the medieval Norsemen). The controversial Vinland map is a medieval-style map. If genuine, the map would demonstrate that some Europeans were aware of at least a portion of North America some 50 years before Columbus. Almost 50 years of heated controversy have not settled this issue.

In 1957, the map was offered for sale by a private library through an intermediary dealer to the British Museum, where it was examined by R.A. Skelton, Superintendent of the Map Room. The museum turned it down, but Skelton had sufficient interest to write this book about the map.

Dibner, Bern (1897 – 1988). ELECTRICAL MACHINES. 1957.
Early Electrical Machines: The experiments and apparatus of two enquiring centuries (1600 to 1800) that led to the triumphs of the electrical age. 8 ¼”w x 10 ¾”h. Norwalk: Burndy Library, 1957. 57 pps. Numerous illustrations; one fold-out. Wrappers. On the cover: an image of an early machine. Excellent condition.

Bern Dibner’s life is well summarized in the following excerpt from the web site of The Smithsonian Institution’s “The Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology”.

“The Dibner Library traces its roots back to Bern Dibner (1897-1988), an electrical engineer, book collector, and philanthropist. Born in the country now known as Ukraine, Dibner immigrated to the United States in 1904 and settled with his family in New York City. He graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1921 and embarked on a career in electrical engineering which led to his patenting a number of inventions and his founding of the Burndy Engineering Company in 1924.

“Dibner, who was fascinated by both art and technology, found great pleasure in studying Leonardo da Vinci. This interest led him to obtain a small library (eventually called the Burndy Library) of works about da Vinci which grew over the years as Dibner's interests expanded into the history of electricity, the history of Renaissance technology, and finally the history of science & technology in general. His collection continued to grow, and in 1941 he formally set up the Burndy Library as a separate institution "to advance scholarship in the history of science." By 1964, Dibner's collection totaled over forty thousand volumes and he opened a new building in Norwalk, Connecticut, to house the library more appropriately”.

Dibner donated much of his library to the Smithsonian and to MIT. Later, the remainder was donated to the Huntington Library.

Dibner, Bern (1897 – 1988). GALVANI. 1971.
Luigi Galvani: An expanded version of a biography prepared for the forthcoming edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica. 8 ¼”w x 10 ¾”h. Norwalk: Burndy Library, 1971. Wraps. 24 pps. Three large folding images of drawings made from those in Galvani’s essay “De Viribus Electricitis”, 1791. On cover: image of an electrical apparatus illustrated in that essay.

Luigi Galvani (1737 –1798) was an Italian physician and physicist who lived and died in Bologna . Galvani's investigations with “animal electricity” led to the invention of an early battery, but not by Galvani, who did not perceive electricity as separable from biology. Galvani's name survives in the Galvanic cell , the galvanometer and galvanize.

“The Dibner Library traces its roots back to Bern Dibner (1897-1988), an electrical engineer, book collector, and philanthropist. Born in the country now known as Ukraine, Dibner immigrated to the United States in 1904 and settled with his family in New York City. He graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1921 and embarked on a career in electrical engineering which led to his patenting a number of inventions and his founding of the Burndy Engineering Company in 1924.

“Dibner, who was fascinated by both art and technology, found great pleasure in studying Leonardo da Vinci. This interest led him to obtain a small library (eventually called the Burndy Library) of works about da Vinci which grew over the years as Dibner's interests expanded into the history of electricity, the history of Renaissance technology, and finally the history of science & technology in general. His collection continued to grow, and in 1941 he formally set up the Burndy Library as a separate institution "to advance scholarship in the history of science." By 1964, Dibner's collection totaled over forty thousand volumes and he opened a new building in Norwalk, Connecticut, to house the library more appropriately.” Excerpt from the web site of The Smithsonian Institution’s “The Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology”.

Dibner donated much of his library to the Smithsonian and to MIT. Later, the remainder was donated to the Huntington Library.

Dibner, Bern (1897 – 1988). BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 1976.
Benjamin Franklin, Electrician: in celebration of the two hundredth year of the nation he helped found. 8 ¼”w x 10 ¾”h. Norwalk: Burndy Library, 1976. 48 pps. Illustrated. Wrappers. Colored image of Franklin on cover. Excellent condition.

An account of Benjamin Franklin as a scientist including the lightning rod and kite-flying experiments.

“The Dibner Library traces its roots back to Bern Dibner (1897-1988), an electrical engineer, book collector, and philanthropist. Born in the country now known as Ukraine, Dibner immigrated to the United States in 1904 and settled with his family in New York City. He graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1921 and embarked on a career in electrical engineering which led to his patenting a number of inventions and his founding of the Burndy Engineering Company in 1924.

“Dibner, who was fascinated by both art and technology, found great pleasure in studying Leonardo da Vinci. This interest led him to obtain a small library (eventually called the Burndy Library) of works about da Vinci which grew over the years as Dibner's interests expanded into the history of electricity, the history of Renaissance technology, and finally the history of science & technology in general. His collection continued to grow, and in 1941 he formally set up the Burndy Library as a separate institution "to advance scholarship in the history of science." By 1964, Dibner's collection totaled over forty thousand volumes and he opened a new building in Norwalk, Connecticut, to house the library more appropriately.” Excerpt from the web site of The Smithsonian Institution’s “The Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology”.

Dibner donated much of his library to the Smithsonian and to MIT. Later, the remainder was donated to the Huntington Library.

Drake, Stillman. COPERNICUS. 1973.
Copernicus: Philosophy & Science: Bruno-Kepler-Galileo. 8 ¼”w x 10 ¾”h. Norwalk: Burndy Library, 1973. Heavy blue pictorial cardstock wrappers. 31 pages, b/w illustrations. Excellent condition.

This book was published in 1973, the 500th anniversary of the birth of Nicolas Copernicus. It shows how the great scientists Bruno, Kepler & Galileo build on the foundation laid by Copernicus.

COLLARED PLOVER. Curtis. 1828.
Collared Plover. Var? Charadrius Jamaicensis. Gm? 5 ½”w x 9”h to platemarks. Imprint: London. Published by G. B. Whittaker. June 1828. Lower left: C.M. Curtis del. Revd. Mr. Hannah’s Mus. Hand colored. Faint stain at right. Otherwise very good condition.

From the title it is obvious that either Curtis or Hannah had questions about the identification of this bird. The Collared Plover, now Charadrius collaris, is a small wader in the plover bird family. It breeds from Mexico south through Central America and most of South America. It also occurs on some of the southern Caribbean islands, and both Trinidad and Tobago. At that time it must have been seen on Jamaica. It appears to be mainly sedentary with limited seasonal movements.

TIME OUT FOR MUSIC. Noël. 1894.
[Time Out for Music]. Image 7 ¼: w x 10 ½”h on 9 ½”w x 11 ½”h stiff paper. Signed lower right: Noël R 94. Pen and ink.

Two young men are shown playing musical instruments, one a flute and the other an accordion. The artist is not well known but must have been French based on the way he singed his name.

POLITIQUE DES FEMMES. Gavarni. 1839-1840.
[Collection of Seven Lithographs of French Society]. Images are 7 ¼”w x 8 ¾”h. At top center on all: Politique des Femmes. At lower center on all except as noted: Par Gavarni. Gavarni’s name can also be seen in reverse on most of the images. The publisher is Banger at various addresses. The printer is d’Aubert & Cie. [Company]. The text verso includes the name of the newspaper, Le Charivari,in which the images were published. The date the image was drawn can be determined from numbers on some of the images. Very good condition.

"Elimination à huis Clos". Upper right: [Number] 1. Gavarni’s name can be seen in reverse on the image followed by the number 39.

"Protocoles." At lower left: Gavarni. Upper right: [Number] 9. Gavarni’s name can be seen in reverse on the image preceded by the number 39.

"Un Plenipotentiaire". Upper right: [Number] 12. Gavarni’s name can be seen in reverse on the image.

"Discussion du Budget". Upper right: [Number] 14. Gavarni’s name can be seen in reverse on the image.

"La paix a tout prix. Upper right: [Number] 15.

Abdication. Upper right: [Number] 16. Gavarni’s name can be seen in reverse on the left side of the image, and the number 40 can be seen at the right.

Le grand lever. Upper right: [Number] 18. The number 40 can be seen in reverse near the bottom center. Fold lines, one in the image.

Paul Gavarni was the nom de plume of Sulpice Guillaume Chevalier (born 1801 or 1804 in Paris; died 1866), a French caricaturist, water colorist and lithographer. He began life as an engineering draftsman, but turned his attention to caricature and began a series of lithographed sketches in which he portrayed the most striking characteristics, foibles and vices of the various classes of French society. He was first known for his amusing drawings of costumes, which appeared in La Mode. Most of his best work appeared in Le Charivari, an illustrated newspaper published in Paris from 1832 to 1937. The group offered here was published in Le Charivari. At first, Le Charivari published caricatures, political cartoons and reviews. However, in 1835 the government banned political caricature, and Le Charivari began publishing satires of everyday life.

Images of all may be seen by clicking on the thumbprint image at the right and scrolling to the bottom of the pop-up image.

UN COUPLET DE VAUDEVILLE. Gavarni. 1839.
[Collection of Five Lithographs of French Society]. Images are 7 ¼”w x 8 ¾”h. At top center on all: Un Couplet de Vaudeville [and a number]. At lower center on all: Par Gavarni. Gavarni’s name or initial can be seen in reverse on the image followed by the number "39", indicating the year he made the lithograph. At the lower right: Am Bureau du Charivari R. du Croissant 16, the publisher. At the left: Imp d’Aubert & Cie. [Company], the printer. The text verso includes the name of the newspaper, Le Charivari, in which the lithographs were published. Fold lines. Edges of margins irregular. Images in very good condition.

"Un Couplet de Vaudeville No. 1."

"Un Couplet de Vaudeville No. 2."

"Un Couplet de Vaudeville No. 3."

"Un Couplet de Vaudeville No. 4."

"Un Couplet de Vaudeville No. 6".

Paul Gavarni was the nom de plume of Sulpice Guillaume Chevalier (born 1801 or 1804 in Paris; died 1866), a French caricaturist, water colorist and lithographer. He began life as an engineering draftsman, but turned his attention to caricature and began a series of lithographed sketches, in which he portrayed the most striking characteristics, foibles and vices of the various classes of French society. He was first known for his amusing drawings of costumes, which appeared in La Mode. Most of his best work appeared in Le Charivari in which this group was published. Le Charivari was an illustrated newspaper published in Paris from 1832 to 1937. At first, Le Charivari published caricatures, political cartoons and reviews. However, in 1835 the government banned political caricature, and Le Charivari began publishing satires of everyday life.

Images of all may be seen by clicking on the thumbprint image at the right and scrolling to the bottom of the pop-up image.

WASH DAY. Noël. 1894.
[Wash Day at the River]. 7 ¼” w x 10 ½” h on 9 ¼” w x 11 ¼”h heavy paper. Signed lower left: Noël R 94. Pen and ink.

The image depicts three kneeling women scrubbing clothes at the edge of a river or lake. Other women are shown in various poses in the background. The artist is not well known but must have been French based on the way he signed his name.

SCENES IN KIBBUTZIM. Krakauer, Grete Wolf. 1927.
[Group of 4 Scenes of Life in Israeli Kibbutzim.] The images are 12”w x 9 ½”h on sheets 13 ¾”w x 11”h. Colored prints, apparently of life in a kibbutz. Pencil signatures of the artist, Grete Wolf Krakauer, are at the lower right.

The artist Grete Wolf Krakauer was born in Vienna in 1890 and immigrated to Palestine (now Israel) in 1924 with her husband, architect and painter Leopold Krakauer (1890-1954). He designed many buildings in Jerusalem and in kibbutzim and was a well-known artist.

In 1922 she participated in the Venice Biennale (Biannual). The Venice Biennale is one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world. Established in 1895, the Biennale now draws an attendance of over 300,000 visitors at the Art Exhibition. The event became more international in the first decades of the 20th century. Starting in 1907 several countries began installing national pavilions at the exhibition. After World War I, the Biennale showed increasing interest in modern art.

In 1926 she participated in the Tower of David Exhibition in the old city of Jerusalem.

At age 75 she travelled to the Far East and exhibited in Thailand.

She died in Jerusalem in 1970.

All four images may be seen by clicking on the thumbnail image at the right and scrolling down the pop-up image.