SIR WILLIAM HAMILTON OBSERVATION MOUTH VESUVIUS OTHER VOLCANOS 1773 5 PLTS MAP
Item History & Price
Sir W. [William] Hamilton, A Observations on Mount Vesuvius, Mount Etna, and other Volcanos: In a Series of Letters, Addressed to the Royal Society, from the Honorable Sir. W. Hamilton...to Which are Added Explanatory Notes by the Author hitherton unpublished. The Second Edition. (London: T. Cadell, 1773)12mo (7 1/2" x 5") 179 pp. + folding map (at page 168) + [1] pp. ad. Bound in early, probably original full London brown calf, 5 raised band,... boards ruled in blind and gilt. Second Edition (with same format and illustrations as First Ed. appearing one year earlier.)"While stationed at Naples, Hamilton developed a great interest in volcanoes, earning a contemporary European reputation as 'the modern Pliny' and the 'professor of earthquakes'. 'I am mad on the subject of volcanoes', he wrote to Greville on 3 March 1778. Vesuvius erupted several times during Hamilton's years in Naples, especially in 1767, 1779, and 1794, and on each occasion he made careful observations. Elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1766, he submitted to the society many observations and drawings of active volcanoes, which were published in the Philosophical Transactions over the period 1767 to 1795. Among his subjects were volcanic eruptions, volcanic soil, and electrical thunderstorms. In 1767 and 1770 he shipped a large number of volcanic rock, ash, and lava specimens from Vesuvius to London; some survive at the Natural History Museum, Kensington" (ODNB). Completely original copy, original leather bright. Outer hinges worn but fully attached with inner hinge japan paper professional guarding. Board edges, headcaps and tailcaps worn (see photos). Text block tightly bound, clean, and with only minimal light foxing. Plates and map fresh and with little foxing.Provenance: with ownership inscription front free endpaper: "W. S. Ascoli from J. Anderson" (possibly Italian mathematician W. S. Ascoli b. 1843". Aslo from the library of Dr. Alexander McBirney, late American vulcanologist.Buyer pays domestic Priority Mail Medium Flatrate Box airmail. International Priority Mail airmail available to most countries. I prefer Paypal, Ebay's credit & debit card payment system, and I ship next business day with Paypal payment. No sales tax.
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