Milestones of Science Books

CHATELET, Gabrielle Emilie, Marquise du.

Institutions de Physique.

Paris: Prault fils, 1740.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #002664

8vo (192 x 122 mm). [8], 450, [18], [12] pp. Including half title, errata leaf, 2 privilege leaves, final blank, engraved frontispiece, large vignette on title, fine pictorial headpieces, 11 folding engraved plates, 4 pp. of publisher's catalog bound at end. Contemporary French mottled calf, gilt-decorated spine with 5 raised bands and gilt-lettered morocco label (hinges restored, corners a little scuffed), marbled endpapers. Internally little browned, occasional spotting, pencil annotations to half-title, first 3 leaves loose but still holding. A fine, wide-margined copy. ----

Poggendorff I, 424; Honeyman 674. FIRST EDITION. "A book of Newtonian inspiration on the principles of physics and mechanics... although she [Chatelet] limited her efforts to commentary and synthesis, her work contributed to the great progress made by Newtonian science in the middle of the eighteenth century" (DSB). Chapter IV deals with Newton's discovery of gravity.Chatelet (1706-1749) was an intimate friend of Voltaire and a fellow admirer of Newton. She was quite successful as a natural scientist, she set up a laboratory at her castle in the Champagne and was taught by leading scholars in mathematics, physics and philosophy. Visit our website for additional images and information.

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