Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$1865.49 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: Pleine basane de l'époque, dos à cinq nerfs orné et doré. Un volume in 12 (160x95 mm), 24-lxx-(10)-222-(32) pages et 1 planche hors texte dépliante. Coins émoussés. Quelques rousseurs, une plus intense à la page 195. Petite déchirure marginale de la planche sans atteinte des figures. Edition originale de la traduction française donnée par François-Thomas Dalibard d'après l'édition originale anglaise parue à Londres en 1751. Ouvrage scientifique le plus important de Benjamin Franklin contenant ses expériences sur l'électricité. Il y démontre que la foudre est électrique et en déduit la nature positive et négative d'une charge électrique. C'est la correspondance entre Benjamin Franklin et Peter Collinson qui est à l'origine de cette publication. References : PMM [199 (first ed. in english. 1751): "the most important scientific book of eighteenth-century America"], Wheeler Gift [367d : "This Philadelphia letters were translated by M. Alibard and others to experiment with pointed conductors"]. ___________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________ENGLISH_DESCRIPTION : Contemporary full sheep, spine gilt in six compartments. 12mo (160x95 mm), 24-lxx-(10)-222-(32) pages and 1 folding plate. Corners worn. Some foxings, one more intense on page 195. Little tear in the margin of the plates. First edition of the French translation given by François-Thomas Dalibard after the original English edition published in London in 1751. Franklin's major scientific work, on electricity, proving that lightning is electrical and deducing the positive and negative nature of an electrical charge. It is the correspondence between Benjamin Franklin and Peter Collinson which is at the origin of this publication. References : PMM [199 (first ed. in english. 1751): "the most important scientific book of eighteenth-century America"], Wheeler Gift [367d : "This Philadelphia letters were translated by M. Alibard and others to experiment with pointed conductors"]. 280g.
Seller: Eric Zink Livres anciens, PARIS, France
Price: US$4000.00 + shipping
Description: 24,lxx,[10],222,[2],[30]pp. plus folding plate. 16mo. Contemporary mottled calf, spine gilt extra with raised bands, gilt leather label, edges stained red. Corners and spine extremities lightly worn. Slight separation at fold of plate. Contemporary bookplate on front pastedown, manuscript table of contents on front free endpaper. Very good. The first French edition of Franklin's famous work on electricity, a translation of the first part of his English publications on his experiments, originally published in London the previous year. This was the first edition issued in a foreign language, and the foundation of Franklin's fame in France, where a quarter century later he was greeted as the great sage of the New World. HOWES F320, "aa." FORD, FRANKLIN 80.
Seller: William Reese Company - Americana, New Haven, CT, U.S.A.