Rare Book Monthly

Book Catalogue Reviews - April - 2021 Issue

Science and Technology from the William Reese Company

Science & Technology.

Science & Technology.

The William Reese Company has published a catalogue of Science & Technology. This is their 374th catalogue but they point out it is their first devoted to science and technology. It's never too late. There is everything here from groundbreaking discoveries to quack “science.” In an age when science and logic is being challenged by all sorts of strange conspiracy theories, it is good to be reminded of how far we have advanced because so many followed the lessons of real science. Here are a few selections from this first catalogue for Reese.

 

We have seen Presidents who seem to ignore science. Here is one who did not. John Quincy Adams was a man of keen mind and reason, not easily fooled. In this letter dated April 5, 1839, former President and current Congressman John Quincy Adams discusses phrenology. Phrenology is a pseudoscience that claims you can tell someone's personality traits based on the contours and bumps on that individual's head. That was because certain places in the brain under those features supposedly were the places that determined those traits. While it all seems crazy now, it was taken quite seriously in Adams' time. In this letter to Dr. Thomas Sewall, who also disbelieved the claims of phrenologists, Adams writes of phrenology, “I have classed it with Alchemy, with judicial Astrology, with Augury – and as Cicero says that he wonders how two Roman Augurs could ever look at each other in the face without laughing, I have felt something of the same surprize that two learned phrenologists can meet without the like temptation.” Item 1. Priced at $6,500.

 

Now we have some real science and an invention that caught on with the public both instantly and with greater interest than just about anything else. This book gave the public its first real look at photography. The title is Historique et Description des Procédés du Daguerréotype at du Diorama, par Daguerre. This is a description of the photographic process developed by Louis-Jacques Daguerre – daguerreotype. This is a first edition, first issue, second imprint from September 1839, which coincided with making the first daguerreotype cameras available to the public. There would be 40 versions of this book published by the end of 1840. Daguerre was not alone in developing photography in the 1820s and 1830s, and his book also describes the process developed by Niepce, but Daguerre was the one who took photography from the lab and made it of practical use. His process would remain the commercially viable one for making photographs until the 1850s. Item 35. $32,500.

 

Here is an archive concerning the early days of another momentous invention. While several people were working on this technology too, the first to be able to commercialize the telephone was Alexander Graham Bell. It was on March 10, 1876, that Bell uttered his famous words, “Mr. Watson, come here.” Item 10 consists of an extensive archive of service reports and other data from 1877-1882. It belonged to George C. Maynard, an electrician and employee of the Bell Telephone Co. of Washington D.C. That company was formed in July 1877. They quickly set about providing direct connections between various locations in the city. Reports of connections to several government offices are found here along with lines connecting Bell's house with his lab and the Bell telephone office. $15,000.

 

This is a truly amazing photograph. It is 17 feet long, to be precise 19 3/4” x 204”. It is a very obscure photo by Charles F. and Gabriel Allen, not exactly household names. It was taken at the 1939 New York World's Fair. The site was the Lagoon of Nations in the International Government Zone. What the Allens have done is take a 360 degree picture from their vantage point. This is not a series of photos tacked together but one enormously long picture. Printed on the photograph is the message, “This is the largest direct photograph ever made!” Who am I to dispute that claim? It continues, “It is not an enlarged or pieced picture, but an actual negative size.” It also notes that the Allens have specialized in panoramic photography since 1892. Reese says that not a lot is known about the Allens but that the Library of Congress does hold six of their panoramas dated 1919-1935. They were unable to find any other copies of this photo or even any mention of it. Item 78. $4,500.

 

Item 72 contains three short typescripts from 1983 by Timothy Leary, the Harvard professor cum psychedelic drug advocate. One contains an outline and cast of characters for The Personal Brain (or the Brain Wave) a Novel. Another is The Care and Use of the Personal Brain According [to] the Instructions of the Manufacturers. It is a proposal for a video tape, “like J. Fonda's - except for the Brain!” The third is a manual for How to Increase Your Intelligence...” They were sent to Alan V. S. who someone noted on here was Leary's agent. This all had something to do with Leary's theories about the relationship of the brain with computers and such. Hopefully, Alan V. S. understood Leary a little better than I. Sometimes I wonder whether Leary did a bit too much turning on, tuning in, and dropping out. $1,650.

 

The William Reese Company may be reached at 203-789-8081 or amorder@reeseco.com. Their website is www.williamreesecompany.com.

Rare Book Monthly

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    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 26: Lot 962. Baird. United States Exploring Expedition. Philadelphia 1858.
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    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 26: Lot 49. Petrarca. Das Gluecksbuch, Augsburg 1536.
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    Rare Book Auction 155
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    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 26: Lot 1496. Jacob / Picasso. Chronique des Temps, 1956.
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    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 26: Lot 17. Heures a lusaige de Noyon. Paris 1504.
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    Rare Book Auction 155
    Saturday April 26, 2025
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 26: Lot 13. Schedel. Buch der Chronicken. Nürnberg 1493.
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 26: Lot 957. Donovan. Insects of China. London 1798.
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 26: Lot 123. A holy martyr. Tuscany, Florence, mid-14th century.
    Jeschke Jádi
    Rare Book Auction 155
    Saturday April 26, 2025
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 26: Lot 438. Dante. La Divine Comédie. Paris 1963.
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    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 26: Lot 994. Westwood. Oriental Entomology. London 1848.
  • Sotheby's
    Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Sotheby’s: The Shem Tov Bible, 1312 | A Masterpiece from the Golden Age of Spain. Sold: 6,960,000 USD
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    Sotheby’s: Thomas Taylor | The original cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Sold: 1,920,000 USD
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    Sotheby’s: Leonardo da Vinci | Trattato della pittura, ca. 1639, a very fine pre-publication manuscript. Sold: 381,000 GBP
    Sotheby’s: Henri Matisse | Jazz, Paris 1947, the complete portfolio. Sold: 312,000 EUR
  • Fonsie Mealy’s
    Rare Books & Collectors’ Sale
    April 30th & May 1st
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Taylor (Geo.) & Skinner (A.) Maps of the Roads of Ireland, Surveyed 1777. Lond. & Dublin 1778. €500 to €750.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Messingham (Thos.) Florilegium Insulae Sanctorum seu Vitae et Acta Sanctorum Hibernia, Paris 1624. €350 to €500.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Heaney (Seamus). The Haw Lantern, L. (Faber & Faber) 1987, First Edn., Signed and dated. €225 to €350.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Valencey (Lt. Col. Chas.) Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, Vols. I-IV, 4 vols. Dublin 1786. €400 to €600.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Powerscourt (Viscount). A Description and History of Powerscourt, Lond. 1903. €350 to €500.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Moryson (Fynes). An Itinerary ... Containing His Ten Yeeres Travel Through the Twelve Dominions of Germany, Bohermerland, Sweitzerland…, Lond. (John Beale) 1617. €700 to €1,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: After Buffon, Birds of Europe, c. 1820. Approx. 120 fine hd. cold. plts., mor. backed boards. €125 to €250.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Dunlevy (Andrew). An Teagasg Criosduidhe De Reir Ceasda agus Freagartha... The Catechism or Christian Doctrine by Way of Question and Answer, Paris (James Guerin) 1742. €400 to €700.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: The Georgian Society Records of Eighteen-Century Domestic Architecture in Dublin, 5 vols. Complete, Dublin 1909-1913. €500 to €750.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Scale (Bernard). An Hibernian Atlas or General Description of the Kingdom of Ireland, L. (Robert Sayer & John Bennet) 1776. €625 to €850.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: [Johnson (Rev. Samuel)]. Julian the Apostate Being a Short Account of his Life, together with a Comparison of Popery and Paganism,L. (Langley Curtis) 1682. €300 to €400.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Nichlson (Wm.) Illustrator. An Almanac of Twelve Sports, Lond. 1898. €300 to €400.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Heaney (Seamus) trans. The Light of the Leaves, 2 vols., Mexico (Imprenta de los Tropicos/Bunholt) 1999. €1,500 to €2,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Fleming (Ian). Moonraker, L. (Jonathan Cape) 1955. €1,500 to €2,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Heaney (Seamus) & Egan (Felim) artist. Squarings, Twelve Poems, D. (Hieroglyph Editions Ltd.) 1991. €1,750 to €2,250.
  • Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: ANDERSEN'S EXTREMELY RARE FIRST APPEARANCE IN PRINT. "Scene af: Røverne i Vissenberg i Fyen." in Harpen, 1822.
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    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: THE FIRST FAIRY TALES WITH A SIGNED CARTE DE VISITE OF ANDERSEN AS FRONTIS. Eventyr, fortalte for Børn. 1835-1837.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: KARL LAGERFELD. Original pastel and ink drawing in gold, red and black for Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes (1992), "La cassette de l'Empereur."
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY OF THE SIXTH PAMPHLET FOR PETER KOCH. Eventyr, Fortalte For Børn, Second Series, Third Pamphlet. 1841. Publisher's wrappers, complete with all pre- and post-matter.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN RARE AUTOGRAPH QUOTATION SIGNED IN ENGLISH from "The Ugly Duckling," c.1860s.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: HEINRICH LEFLER, ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR FOR ANDERSEN'S SNOW QUEEN, "Die Schneekönigin," 1910.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: FIRST EDITION OF ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES IN ENGLISH. Wonderful Stories for Children. London, 1846.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: ANDERSEN ON MEETING CHARLES DICKENS. Autograph Letter Signed ("H.C. Andersen") in English to William Jerdan, July 20, 1847.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY FOR EDGAR COLLIN. Nye Eventyr og Historier. Anden Raekke. 1861.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: DOLL HOUSE FURNITURE BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON, DECORATED WITH FANTASTICAL CUT-OUTS, for the children of Jonna Stampe (née Drewsen), his godchildren.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY FOR GEORG BRANDES. Dryaden. Et Eventyr fra Udstillingstiden i Paris 1867. 1868.

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