Machines et Inventions approuvées par l'Academie Royale des Sciences: depuis son etablissement jusqu'a present; avec leur description. Dessinés & publiées du consentement de l'Académie, par M. Gallon.

Paris: Chez Gabriel Martin, Jean-Baptiste Coignard, Hippolyte-Louis Guerin, 1735. GALLON, Jean-Gaffin; GALON, M.|ACADÉMIE ROYALE DES SCIENCES. editor]. [ACADÉMIE ROYALE DES SCIENCES, association]. Machines et Inventions approuvées par l'Academie Royale des Sciences. Depuis son etablissement jusqu'a present; avec leur description. Dessinés & publiées du consentement de l'Académie, par M. Gallon. Paris: Chez Gabriel Martin, Jean-Baptiste Coignard, Hippolyte-Louis Guerin, 1735.

First edition. Six quarto volumes (10 1/8 x 7 3/8 inches; 256 x 185 mm). Vol. VII, lacking as usual, is a supplement and printed later in 1777. [4], viii, [4], 215, [1, nlank]; [4], v, [3], 192; [[4], v, [3], 207, [1, blank]; [4], v, [3], 239, [1, blank]; [4], v, [3], 173. [1, blank]; [4], v, [3], 196, [35, table], [1, blank] pp. With a total of 433 engraved plates, all but two are folding, showing various machines and inventions. The plates are numbered as such: (1-429, plus 105*, 177*, 329*, 2 additional plates numbered 341, but 197-8 on one sheet). With engraved headpieces and initials. Each volume with half-title. Title-pages printed in red and black.

Contemporary full calf. Spines richly gilt in compartments. Red and tan morocco gilt spine labels on each volume. Marbled endpapers. All edges stained red. Boards with some scuffing, rubbing and staining. Heads and tails of spines are a bit bumped with small chipping at top and bottom and a few boards with a small amount of cracking at hinges. Two previous owner's bookplates on front pastedown of each volume. Each volume housed in a fill cloth clamshell with green morocco spine label, lettered in gilt. Internally very clean. Overall a good set with very wide margins, and crisp clean plates.

"An important publication on scientific instruments approved by the Académie royale des sciences. This compendium of French inventions describes and illustrates machines and devices that were either examined by the Académie or were made up in model form. The inventors, only some of whom were academicians, included Godin and Outhier (who were involved in the expedition to measure the arc of the meridian with their instruments), Dortous de Mairan, Cassini, Clairaut le père, l'abbé Nollet, Huygens, Pascal, Perrault, and many others." (Christies)

"This copiously illustrated work describes inventions by Perrault, Huygens, Cassini, Clairaut, Gauger, Le Maire, De La Hire, Morland, Nolet, and others, and in particular the arithmetic machines of Pascal (vol.4, plates 262-263), Lépine (vol.4, plates 259-261), and Hillerin de Boistissandeau (vol.5, plates 341-343). A seventh volume was issued some years later, in 1777, covering inventions in the years 1735-1754. These first six volumes cover 1666-1734." (Sotheby's)

Provenance: Bern Dibner (1897-1988); Burndy Library (bookplate); Erwin Tomash (bookplate); The Erwin Tomash Library on the History of Computing, Sotheby's September 18-19, 2018; the Computer History Collection of Serge Roubé. Brunet I, 27. Graesse Vol. 1, p. 10. Tomash & Williams G22

HBS 68474.

$7,500.