CARRA, [Jean-Louis].
Essai sur la Nautique Aérienne, contenant l’art de diriger les ballons aérostatiques à volonté, & d’accélérer leur course dans les plaines de l’air; avec le précis de deux expériences particulieres de météorologie à faire. Lu à l’Académie Royale des Sciences de Paris, le 14 Janvier 1784.
A Paris: Chez Eugène Onfroy…1784
8vo, pp. 23, (1), engraved frontispiece by Beaublé. Extra illustrated with an engraved portrait of Carra by Destouche after Bonneville. Modern mottled sheep, spine gilt with red morocco label and balloon ornaments, marbled endpapers, free endpapers with Montgolfier & Canson watermark. Some light foxing, tiny hole in last leaf repaired with loss of two letters, otherwise a fine copy.
FIRST EDITION. This work describes Carra’s very complicated design for steering a balloon which is shown in the frontispiece. Another detail shows how electricity might be obtained from the air for guidance of the balloon. Naudet Collection 315 (this copy). Maggs Cat. 387, 83. Tissandier, Bibliographie aéronautique, p. 16.
£800.00
In stock
Unsure of some of these terms? Click here to download a copy of Carter & Barker, ABC for Book Collectors (2006), which has full explanations.