Physiognomy (3 Ergebnisse)

hardbound. Zustand: Good. First Edition 1780 - anonymous work, published shortly after the influential texts on Physiognomy by Johann Lavater, and largely expanding on Lavater's ideas; frontispiece, and 9 full-page engravings; text block untrimmed; half-leather, six compartments, five raised bands, title label to spine; speckled boards; 2 x former owner's names (front endpaper and title page), toning/browing to some pages, o.w. generally Good throughout with no significant marks or flaws; boards edgeworn and rubbed and with mild scuffing, corners worn; split to leather along spine. no dustwrapper. 359pp. 8vo. Good. b&w illustrations (illustrator). …

Utrecht/ Amsterdam, C. van der Post, 1859, 1st ed., 94 pag., origineel glanspapier geel omslag met 3 houtsnede gezichtsprofielen. = Zeldzaam.

FIRST EDITION, half-title (listing prices in boards vs 'neatly bound'), engraved allegorical frontispiece 'Truth Sacrificed to the Muses', occasional figures within the text; frontispiece offset to title, final quire a little spotted and soiled (two pages lightly stuck together), but generally very clean, pp. xii, 216, untrimmed in publisher's blue boards, pale backstrip with printed paper label; rather rubbed and scuffed, early ms. to upper cover and repeating red stamp (also at half-title), good. The sole printing of this work of physiognomy for artists, which lifts the main principles from the work of popular Swiss physiognomist Johann Caspar Lavater (1741-1801) and French anatomist Jean-Joseph Sue (171092) and publishes them under 'Lavater Sue and Co'. The Monthly Review of 1801 was dismissive: 'The Duchess of Devonshire will probably not be flattered by a dedication from non-entities and the public will look with eyes askance on a publication that comes in so questionable shape'. Yet however opportunistic (and plagiaristic), these short essays are unintentionally amusing: 'the mouth is an opening across the face'; 'a Dutchman's skull is rounder'; 'the bee revels in luxury', and contain some quite ingenious attempts to describe animal forms using only minor typographical tools. An unsophisticated copy in original boards, scarce with the half title.…