Search Results: Titles starting with O from Comellas Rare Books

Bononiae, Petronii de Ruinettis, 1675. 12mo. 46 pages. 1 leaf. Green morocco, triple gilt fillet round sides, gilt edges (recased at a later date). First Latin Edition of Boyle's work on sea-water chemistry and its desalination, published in London the year before with a few other texts under the title "Saltness of the Sea". "Boyle was very interested in the problem of rendering sea-water fit for consumption and much of the present tract is taken up with an account of experiments designed to make this operation feasible for sailors. As a result of the tract he became involved in long correspondance, some of which was printed in Grew's ’Salt-Water sweetened', on distillation of sea-water" (Fulton). This first Latin edition, published in Bologna shortly after the first London edition, is very rare. It is located in a very small number of European libraries and doesn't seem to be available in any American collection (cf. Worldcat). Good copy, recased in a nice morocco binding. Fulton, 114.

Paris, chez Prault, Lambert, et Duchesne, 1754. 8vo. XVI. 125 pages. 7 out-of-text folding plates. Untrimmed in its contemporary wrappers (modern casing in half-morocco with ornamented spine). First Edition of this theoretical work by Rameau, in which he deepens the reflection undertaken in his 'Demonstration of the principle of harmony' (1750). For him the principle of instinct for music is no longer limited to be the basis of all the arts of taste, but also of all sciences subject to calculation (see Bibliothèque Nationale, Rameau Exhibition). Extremely valuable copy printed on thick paper and presented by Rameau to Louis Alexandre Catherine Duport de Montplaisant (1691-1774), "président à mortier" of the Parliament of Dijon, the hometown of the famous composer. It bears the following autograph inscription on the title page: "Ex dono Authoris a Mr. Demonplaisant". Another old handwritten note, written in gray pencil on the back cover, reads: "Ex Dono de Montplaisant 1765". 7 music out-of-text… Read More