History of Ideas & Science

Magnets, hydraulics, alcohol, perpetual motion machines: a beautiful, unrecorded 14th century scientific manuscript

A truly outstanding late medieval manuscript comprising six self-contained works on chemistry, medicine, mechanics, engineering, and applied physics, including "one of the most impressive scientific treatises of the Middle Ages" (DSB X, 537): Peregrinus's "Tractatus de magnete", "the first extant treatise on the properties and applications of magnets" (532), which is "considered the earliest known European work of experimental science, and the foundation of the study of electricity and magnetism" (Norman).

Lady Meux’s remarkable three-volume country-house cookbook

An extraordinary country-house cookery typescript compiled by Lady Meux at Theobald’s Park, preserving 599 recipes in three substantial volumes and surviving as a highly distinctive aristocratic domestic archive. This particular copy matters for its scale, its evidently publication-minded presentation, and its unusually vivid record of elite hospitality at the very end of the Victorian age.

The First French Grammar Printed in the United States, written by an early Harvard French Instructor

Rare first edition of the first French grammar printed in the United States, a landmark of early American printing and language pedagogy, produced by Harvard’s first appointed instructor of French, printed in Boston. “One of the earliest books of its class printed in America.” (Sabin).

The first English grammar of Sinhala

First edition, Chater's book is the first English grammar of Sinhala, the major language of Sri Lanka, and the first major book to be published in Sri Lanka under British rule; very rare, no copy appears to exist in any institutions in the United States.

An entirely Paraguayan scientific production of the 18th century; exceedingly rare Lunario, the only made on the Jesuit Missions of Paraguay

Rare second edition, an important and the first scientific production of the Jesuit Missions of Paraguay, written by an Argentinian Jesuit missionary and astronomer. This “Lunario” or astronomical calendar, is the sole work of its kind to have been entirely created in the missions of Paraguay; furthermore, Suarez himself crafted many of the instruments necessary for its confection. It contains the movements of the Sun and the Moon, as they will be seen in the Jesuit Missions of Paraguay, from 1740 until 1841.

The first publication of Kepler’s third law, first edition of the Harmonices

First edition, first issue, of Kepler’s Harmonices, one of his most important and influential works, containing his third law of planetary motion, it “represents Kepler's attempt to discover God's archetypal model of the universe in the simple mathematical ratios embodied in the five regular polyhedrons, in the laws of musical harmony (based upon the seven ratios recently accepted as the basis of the 'just' scale), in his own theory of astrological aspects, and in the planetary system he had proposed in the Mysterium cosmographicum” (Norman).

Two of the most influential and early English works on cookery, preserving, and candying, in a contemporary binding

A rare contemporary bound sammelband of two scarce 17th century English works (rarely found together) on cookery, household management, and domestic arts, encompassing preserving, candying, distillation, banqueting dishes, medicinal recipes, perfumes, and cosmetics. The two works, presumably authored by Plat, have been historically confused into a single work with different titles, they are now known as this different works, as this sammelband is also proof of.

Dated fascicle from the re-engraved Goryeo Tripitaka

A complete dated fascicle from the re-engraved Goryeo Tripitaka. The "Zhi chan bing miyao fa" is a Mahayana-inflected sutra that details the methods for meditators to cure physical and mental illnesses when practicing meditation in a secluded place. It is an apocryphal Chinese Buddhist sutra, written in the fifth century "in the form of Indian Buddhist sutras translated into Chinese but in actuality composed or substantially compiled in China" (Greene, xi) and attributed to the scholar Juqu Jingsheng.

Brahe´s most important astronomical work

First trade edition, which is virtually impossible to find, of Tycho Brahe´s most important astronomical work, which provides a description of his astronomical instruments at Hven; the work was first printed in 1598 at his own press at Heinrich Rantz's castle in Wandbeck in a run of 40 copies which were distributed privately, which are virtually impossible to find today.

Illustrated Late Ming Woodblock Edition of the "School Sayings of Confucius"

The second known copy: a rare and handsomely illustrated late-Ming woodblock printing of the "School Sayings of Confucius", a collection of conversations that the philosopher supposedly had during his lifetime. At least partly apocryphal, they cover such topics as Confucius's life and character, his discussions on governance, ritual, and ethics, as well as his views on his disciples. The twelve illustrations, apparently inspired by earlier illustrated editions, represent events in the philosopher's life, which swing between myth and reality. There are few Ming printings of the work, but almost none are known in western collections, and the only other copy of this edition is held by the National Archives of Japan.

Spanish Renaissance advice on health, food and coitus for women

First edition, the Regimiento y Aviso de Sanidad discusses the basic principles of nutrition as the “first sustenance of mortals”, and includes interesting observations regarding foods from the Americas, which he refers to as coming from the “India” or “New India.” All forms of foods are dealt with, such as grains and flours, meats (from beef and chicken to hedgehogs, otters, and beavers), the different parts of animals, their uses and properties, fish, and dairy products, vegetables and herbs; a second section of the third book concerns fruits and a variety of greens, fats, salts, and spices, and finally beverages, including wine and the benefits of water.

Rare Hyderabadi palace cookbook with Ottoman dedication

Monumental Urdu recipe-book of the Nizami court, compiled by Ghulam Mahbub Hyderabadi, "Dar-e Bawarchikhana" (head of the kitchens) of Nawab Sir Asman Jah Bahadur, Hyderabad’s prime minister from 1887 to 1894. The work offers 680 recipes representing the late 19th-century repertoire of elite Hyderabadi dining, from biryani and pula'o to kabab, khorma, chutneys, and pickles.

Printed in Macao, a guide to writing Chinese characters in three styles, printed with the aid of Macao locals with little resources

The extremely rare first edition in folio of “the most important of Callery’s sinological works. The author states in the foreword how he set up his own printing office for this work, bought a small set of used types and, with the help of 6 natives, all inexperienced in Western languages, and with restricted funds and availability of materials, succeeded in producing this guide to writing Chinese characters in three styles, together with a trilingual dictionary (Chinese-French-Latin), and a collection of sentences in colloquial Chinese” (Löwendahl).

The King of Oudh’s Dictionary from his Royal Lucknow Press in a contemporary Indian binding and presented by a high-ranking British colonial official to the Signet Library
“Philology is the ruling principle and basis of all science as water is of life.”

First edition, an exceptional copy of this remarkable printing from Lucknow, housed in its contemporary binding and presented by George Swinton, Chief Secretary to the Government of Bengal, to the Signet Library.