History of Ideas & Science

Unrecorded celestial atlas, made by a Jesuit missionary in China.

An unrecorded manuscript celestial atlas from the Sui dynasty, edited with an extensive commentary by the early 18th century Jesuit astronomer Antoine Gaubil, hailed by Joseph Needham as the “the interpreter general and father superior of Chinese astronomy”, of which this manuscript gives impressive evidence. The manuscript contains an unpublished translation of the “Bu Tian Ge” (a.k.a. “Songs of pacing the heavens” or “The song of the marches of the heavens”), a Sui dynasty (581-618 CE) star catalogue in verse by the Taoist hermit Dan Yuanzi, also known as Wang Ximing. Beyond the text of the star catalogue, Gaubil provides his ink- drawn copies of 31-star charts, including a fold-out celestial map of the north polar region. Gaubil provides an extensive commentary on the text, and a tabular catalogue of Chinese stars that allows us to determine the corresponding European stars based on their distance from the North Pole.

Integrating Confucionism, one of the earliest Chinese books printed in Singapore, bound in the contemporary wrappers

First edition of a religious tract by Aihanze, the pen-name of the German Protestant missionary Gützlaff. Comprising five parts dealing respectively with morality in Holy Scripture, Christian ethics, the Saviour, theory of prayer and explanations of the law, and the doctrine of Christ.

First Spanish translation of the Origin of Species, extremely rare, first edition to include two letters by Darwin

Rare first Spanish edition -and first translation into Spanish- of one of the most significant and meaningful works of science ever published, the Origin of Species; this translation with two letters by Darwin not published anywhere else: “the most important single work in science” (Dibner); “a turning point, not only in the history of science, but in the history of ideas in general” (DSB). Published in 1877, almost 20 years after the first saw light in London, the reason for the delay was -most likely- the strong influence the. Church had still in most Spanish-speaking countries, in direct relation with the contradiction between Darwin’s theory and Church teachings (evolution from an animal as opposed to creationism).

First edition in Spanish of the first printed book on architecture, commented by Spanish architect Herrera.

The first edition of Leon Battista Alberti's 'De Re Aedificatoria' in Spanish, one of the most influential books on architecture, an appealing copy.

First English edition of the first major science book printed in English.

First English edition of the “oldest mathematical textbook in the world still in common use today... the first substantial book to be printed with geometrical figures.” (PMM) and the first major science book printed in English; an influential translation, containing contributions by John Dee, and his famous Preface, widely regarded as his most important work. An unusually fine copy, preserving the large folding plate and the 37 diagrams with one or more overslips, the maximum possible count.

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.

Fascinating Spanish binding in honor of a political execute, containing a project for a liberal political constitution

Exceptionally rare early project for a Spanish Constitution, a copy made uniquely meaningful by both by the fabulous Spanish binding and the provenance: the richly tooled binding contains inlays with the inscriptions ‘Consitucion o muerte’ and ‘En loor de D. Rafael del Riego’, either of which would have carried the wrath of the absolutist monarchy, owned in the 19th century by one of the preeminent members of the Jewish community of Spain, Sir Moses Montefiore (of Spanish Jewish descent), and later by his nephew Sir Joseph Sebag Montefiore. Two known copies, both in Spain.

The first English grammar of 'low' Tamil

First English edition of Beschi's grammar of colloquial (or "low") Tamil, first published in Latin by the Danish Missionary Press in 1738. This English translation by the German soldier and educator Christoph Horst (1761-1810) formed the subsequent basis for all following English-language attempts at a Tamil grammar.

The Malay Vocabularies collected and published in Batavia

Collected edition of five early Malay vocabularies, published in Batavia for the Dutch East India company by Andries Lambert Loder, the company's chief printer.

The pharmacological use of sugar in 17th century Spain, of which we locate a single copy worldwide

First edition, exceedingly rare and interesting work about the pharmacological and somewhat gastronomical use of a pink sugar made with rose extract during the 17th century Spain, a curiously popular product at the time; according to OCLC only one copy is found, at the BNE in Spain, no copies in the United States.

The mathematics that helped Columbus discover America and Vasco da Gama to plan the route to India: Zacuto´s astronomical tables.

‘Abraham Zacuto was one the most important geographers and cosmographers in the age of Columbus. His works were well known to Columbus, in Salamanca, and generally all over Europe’ Jews and the Americas. (JCB Jews and the Americas’).

Zacuto (1452-c.1515) served as Royal Astronomer to King John II of Portugal until his exile (following the expulsion of the Jews from Portugal) to Tunis, in the north of Africa. His astrolable, astronomical tables and charts played a fundamental role in Portuguese and Spanish navigation to America and India, famously used by Vasco da Gama and Columbus, he is one of the men who help usher, in this case using science, Portuguese global expansion over the globe. After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 he emigrated to Portugal accompanying his teacher the Rabbi Isaac Aboab. Zacuto´s reputation had preceded him and King Joao II of Portugal appointed him Royal Astronomer. Zacuto believed that it was possible to reach India by circumnavigating Africa, an idea that received Royal support. Joao II´s successor, King Manuel I made him the scientific adviser to the expedition that under the command of Vasco da Gama was organized to reach India by following Zacuto´s proposed route.

The introduction of English in Colombo (Sri Lanka) in the 19th century, educating children in Colombo, including a vocabulary of the Cingalese

A collection of three early imprints from the Colombo mission press: a Sinhalese-English dictionary for schools by the missionary John Callaway, together with New Testament extracts in Sinhalese, and the Vocabulary in Cingalese, also by Callaway, all in a contemporary local calf binding. Callaway was appointed Superintendent of the Wesleyan Mission Press in 1818, so he would have been involved in the production of these books, not just as the author. All first editions except for the Vocabulary, which is a second edition.

First edition of the first scientific and illustrated book published in Havana in the 18th century

First edition, the first scientific book published in Havana, the first book on natural history printed in Havana, the first illustrated books published in Havana with plates made by a Cuban-born artist, and certainly the most profusely illustrated at that time, here housed in the contemporary Cuban binding and in exceptional condition.