Cosmos. Essai d'une description physique du monde. Traduit par H. Faye, un des astronomes de l'Observatoire royal de Turin. Troisième édition milanaise
Brussels: C. W. Froment, 1851. Hardcover. 8vo. XI, 409 pp. + XII, 456. 3 quarter leather over marbled boards with gold decorated spine. Raised bands. A tentative physical description of the world. The author, Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt, (September 14, 1769 – May 6, 1859) was one of the astronomers of the royal Observatory of Turin, an explorer, and one of the most famous men in his time. He regarded this work as a synthesis of everything known at that time concerning the material world, including the phenomena in the celestial spaces and of life on earth, from the nebulae to the geography of mosses on granite rocks. Though by no means "popular science", the work was enormously popular. One of the most famous men of his time, Humboldt has been called, "the last Universal Man, living at the turning point of universal science toward specialization.” In French, translated from the German. Heavy age wear to binding. Some scuffing to spine and boards due to age, inch and a half of backstrip on head of spine of vol. 1 missing, front endpapers of 1st vol. detached but present. Front board of 2nd vol. detached but present, vols. 1 and 2 of 4, binding in poor, interior in overall very good condition. fair. Item #18683
Price: $450.00