FARMAN, D.
Auto-Cars. Cars, tramcars, and small cars. Translated from the French by Lucien Serraillier. With preface by Baron de Zuylen de Nyevelt.
London: Whittaker & Co… 1896
Small 8vo, pp. ix, 249, (1). With 112 illustrations in the text. Original red cloth (spine faded and a little worn at ends, small hole in cloth on upper cover, upper edge of upper board bumped and with 2 cm. damage to edge), printed advertisements on the endpapers. Signature of Ernest Talbot Dove, 1901, on the half-title.
FIRST EDITION. One of the first books in the English language on the automobile, the most important development in personal transport after the horse. The year 1896 saw the publication of the first automotive books in English — the other books published that year included those of Knight and Sennett. Farman was a mechanical engineer, and his book gives a great deal of information on the history and technology of the horseless carriage and on early motor cars. It was published in Paris in the same year in French (Farman was born in Paris and his first language was French). He was the brother of the aviator Henry Farman, and together they established the largest motor agency in Paris, the Palais de l'Automobile, dealing in Delauney-Bellevilles, Panhard-Levassors, and Renaults. Norman catalogue 766.
£650.00
In stock
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