Michael Faraday. Ipswich, [1851]

This is a rare early state or proof copy of this lovely portrait of Michael Faraday, the greatest figure in the history of elecromagnetism.

$2,800

Le Conquête de l’Air. Paris: Le Petit Journal, 1909

This spectacular color lithograph commemorates the Grande Semaine d’Aviation of 1909, the first international public flying event and a turning point in aviation history. The powered aircraft featured at the event dominate the center. Surrounding it are portraits of pioneering figures in flight (including Wright, Curtiss, Latham, Fournier, and Blériot) and vignettes from aviation history.

$2,500

“Photogenic drawing, or drawing by the agency of light” (pp. 159-176) in Edinburgh Review, No. CLIV for January 1843. New York: Mason, 1843

FIRST AMERICAN EDITION. This is a major paper on the founding publications on photography by Daguerre and Talbot (as well as those of Netto and Moser) and the history of the new art photography.

$2,200

Why War?. Paris: International Institute of Intellectual Cooperation, League of Nations, 1933

First edition in English, one of 2000 numbered copies. Translated from the German by Stuart Gilbert.

$1,600

The Fight Against War. New York: John Day, (c.1933)

FIRST EDITION.

This scarce collection of Einstein’s writings on war and peace was published in 1933, the year the Nazis took power in Germany and the year Einstein left Germany for the United States. In his prefatory note, Einstein writes, “Mr. Lief [the editor, Alfred Lief] has taken great trouble in collecting utterances of mine having pacifistic content and he presents them with my authorization. … I consider it my duty to confess my pacific conviction publicly. May the seriousness of my purpose be transferred to you, my readers! A. Einstein.”

$1,500

“Theorie der Lichterzeugung und Lichtabsorption” [and] “Prinzip von der Erhaltung der Schwerpunktsbewegung und die Trägheit der Energie” in Annalen der Physik, 4. Folge, Band 20. Leipzig, 1906

FIRST EDITION of “On the Theory of Light Production and Light Absorption” and “The Principle of Conservation of Motion of the Center of Gravity and the Inertia of Energy.”

$1,200

Elements of the Theory and Practice of Chymistry. London: Millar and Nourse, 1758

FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH of Macquer’s Elémens de chymie-theorique (1749) and Elémens de chymie-pratique (1751), translated by Andrew Reid from the 1756 editions. The theoretical section lays out the principles of chemistry, and the practical section presents a course of chemistry including engravings of apparatus.

$1,200

“Plancks Gesetz und Lichtquantenhypothese” in Zeitschrift fuer Physik, vol. 25-26. Braunschweig and Berlin, 1924

“With their work Bose and Einstein established the field of quantum statistics one year before the appearance of quantum mechanics” (Brandt, The Harvest of a Century)

$800

Space Flight … When? [and] Space Flight. Westwood, New Jersey, 1946

This rare fanzine was printed in tiny numbers. We have found traces of the 1946 number on the Internet, but the 1947 number appears to be even more rare. Each number publishes the result of the author’s survey of science fiction writers, editors, and aficionados concerning the likelihood of space travel for humans.

two volumes: $750

Horse-Hoeing Husbandry: or, An Essay on the Principles of Vegetation and Tillage. Designed to Introduce A New Method of Culture; whereby The Produce of Land will be Increased, and the Usual Expense Lessened. Together with Accurate Descriptions and Cuts of the Instruments Employed in it … fourth edition, very carefully corrected. London: Millar, 1762

The edition that Thomas Jefferson owned.  Jefferson wrote from Monticello in 1817, “While I was an amateur in Agricultural science (for practical knowledge my course of life never permitted me) I was very partial to the drilled husbandry of Tull.”

$600