Signed dedication copy to author's wife

NASMYTH, James Hall & CARPENTER, James.

The Moon: Considered as a Planet, a World, and a Satellite.

London: John Murray, 1874.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine. Item #003065

4to (272 x 210 mm). xvi, 189 [1] pp., including half-title, 46 text illustrations, and 25 plates on 24 leaves (comprising 12 mounted Woodburytypes of lunar models, 6 photogravures, 4 autotypes, 2 lithographs, and one chromolithograph). Photograph of the author, ink signed and dated 1877 pasted on 2nd free endpaper. Extra thick paper. Bound in grained dark-green calf over wooden boards, spine with 5 raised bands ruled, paneled and lettered in gilt, boards blind-stamped and ruled in gilt, turn-ins gilt decorated, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers (little rubbing to extremities, light spotting of upper board). Plates xii + xx with faint waterstain to lower corner. Provenance: author's copy given to his wife. With personal dedication on title 'To my Dear Wife / Anne E. Nasmyth / James Nasmyth / October 10th 1874 / [with personal finger print] my mark', affixed photographic portrait of the author, signed 'James Nasmyth' and with personal finger print 'my mark' and dated '1877.' An exceptional, bright and clean copy, much less foxed than usual. ----

FIRST EDITION. In a special richly gilt-decorated binding of heavy wooden boards intended for presentation. The Photobook, p.51; Ashworth, The face of the moon, Linda Hall, 20. - First edition. "Photographers sometimes adopted realism over naturalism in order to render motifs more literally. On occasion, however, the reverse was true: photographers attempted to deceive through extremely literal treatment. The artist Les Levine once claimed iconoclastically that the folksaying 'the camera never lies' is a lie. Nasmyth and Carpenter's The Moon presents an elaborately devised model photographed with the clarity of a subject at an arm's distance. The deception was necessary because successful astronomical photographs of sharp definition and good contrast were not possible until the twentieth century with the advent of sensitive films and efficient lenses. The Woodburytypes proved to be exceptionally effective illustrations and, doubtless, many readers were misled to think that they were seeing the face of the moon itself." -- Truthful Lens, p. 38. This work is also notable for its original publisher's decorated cloth binding; it is reproduced in The Truthful Lens as fig. 6. The face of the moon (Linda Hall Library cat), no. 20. This book is also discussed in Carol Armstrong, Scenes in a library, reading the photograph in the book 1843--1875, in passim. - Visit our website for additional images!

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