Item: 1635 Galileo Galilei, De Proportionum Instrumento, Compass, Woodcuts
Sold For: $3,026.00
Bids: 57
Date: Aug 05, 2012
Auction: Ebay
Description and Image By: miciom
Tractatus de proportionum instrumento, quod merito compendium vniuersae geometriae dixeris, autore Galilaeo Galilaei, … ex Italica lingua Latine conuersus, adiectis notis, quibus & artificiosa instrumenti fabrica, & usu ulterior exponitur Argentorati, typis Dauidis Hautti 1635 A rare science book written by Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642), “Tractatus de proportionum instrumento, quod merito compendium vniuersae geometriae dixeris, autore Galilaeo Galilaei, … ex Italica lingua Latine conuersus, adiectis notis, quibus & artificiosa instrumenti fabrica, & usu ulterior exponitur”, printed in 1635 in Strasburg by Dauidis Hautti. Extremely rare second Latin edition of Le operazioni del compasso, the work that introduced to Northern Europe Galileo’s general-purpose mechanical calculator, “capable of solving any practical mathematical problem that was likely to arise—swiftly, simply, without requiring previous mathematical education, and sufficiently accurately for ordinary practical purposes” (Dibner). This invention was the origin of our modern electronic hand-held calculator. The original 1606 edition describing this device was privately published by Galileo himself in an edition of 60 copies, and is of legendary rarity. Bernegger’s Latin edition , first published in Strasbourg, 1612 and then in this book of the 1635, included the first accurate depiction of the instrument and a clear and correct account of the manner of constructing it. His commentaries on the text were of such importance that they were later translated into Italian and published with Galileo’s collected works.Bernegger (1582-1640), a professor and rector of the University of Strasbourg, also translated Galileo’s Dialogo into Latin in 1635, two years after the Church had suppressed it. Illustrated with a woodcut printer’s device of a compass and by about 45 in-text woodcuts and many tables (see the photos). Very small wormhole in the outer margin of the first leaves. A little hole, probably due to a burn on leaf 73 which causes some small loss to a letter. Browning and foxing due to the quality of the paper, some other minor defects, but a very good copy of a rare scientific book written by Galileo Galieli and printed during his lifetime. Bibliographic reference: Riccardi I: pp. 506-7 no. 1/7 (not calling for a plate and never having seen the first edition of 1612). Half vellum binding from the XVIII century. Pages. 8 + 104. The text is complete. Could be missing an elusive folding plate which is not listed in Riccardi nor is it found in any Italian library. Size: 20.3 cm x 15.5 cm — 8.00 in. x 6.00 in.