Edition: 1st Edition
Published By: A. Tramblay, Directeur du Cosmos
First edition. Octavo (8vo). A pivotal 19th-century aeronautical treatise by the celebrated French engineer and bridge builder Marc Seguin. Bound in a contemporary and handsome quarter brown calf over marbled paper boards. ?The title page bears a significant and highly personal handwritten presentation inscription in black ink: "À mon bon ami Bartlett en souvenir des débuts de l'aviation chez Seguin". The inscription is signed by L. Seguin, likely Louis Seguin, the author's grandson and the pioneering founder of the Société des Moteurs Gnome.The contemporary binding is robust, showing typical light rubbing to the leather spine and corners. Internally, the text block is sound with scattered foxing throughout, as is characteristic of French paper from this period. There is a faint water stain to the lower margin of the early leaves, not affecting the text. A very good, unsophisticated copy with a remarkable provenance.?Published nearly forty years before the Wright Brothers’ first flight, this work represents a crucial moment in the pre-history of flight. Marc Seguin, a correspondent of the Académie des Sciences, applies rigorous engineering principles to the concept of "navigation aérienne".?The association in this copy—linking the theoretical foundations laid by Marc Seguin to the practical industrial success of the Gnome rotary engines developed by his descendants—makes this a unique artifact for the history of technology. The dedication to "Bartlett" suggests a gift to a contemporary colleague within the burgeoning early 20th-century aviation circle. With only eight copies listed worldwide, a most important part of aviation history.
Book Condition: Very Good
Author: SEGUIN Aîné Marc
Binding: Hardback
Price £2400.00
