Les Phenomenes et les Curiosites de la Nature: (Phenomena and Curiosities of Nature)

First edition of this rare illustrated introduction to meteorological, geological, terrestrial and marine phenomena aimed at students.

The 36 (of 37) dramatic lithographs were drawn and printed by the Strasbourg engraver Emile Lemaitre, handfinished in color and gum arabic.

The phenomena include meteorological (sunrise, lightning, the Aurora Borealis, tides and rainbows), geological (mines, gold fields and volcanoes), as well as terrestrial wonders (Mount Vesuvius, Niagara Falls, the Andes mountains, Giant's Causeway, Fingal's cave, the Rhone, etc.)

The plates are accompanied by explanatory text printed in blue, detailing historical and scientific information, sometimes referring to the latest inventions and events. The Arctic plate includes Sir John Franklin's 1845 doomed expedition to the North Pole, while the Gold Fields plate describes the California Gold Rush of 1848.

List of plates: Sunrise - Thunderstorm - Rainbow - Earthquake - Waterspout - Moonlight - Flood - Avalanche - Simoom - Aurora Borealis - Tides - Ocean currents - North Pole - Mount Vesuvius - Underwater volcanoes - Virgin forests (Central America) - Desert (Gauchos on the Steppes) - Mines - Gold fields (California) - Glaciers - Source of the Rhine - Salt pans and fire pits (China) - Geysers - Niagara Falls - Cataracts (Staubbach Fall, Switzerland) - the Andes (Mount Chimborazo, Ecuador) - the Nile - Cave of Antiparos (Greece) - Natural bridge (Virginia) - Peter Botte Mountain (Mauritius) - Giant's Causeway - Fingal's Cave - Salt Mountain (Spain) - Disappearance of the Rhone - Fairies Grotto (Saint-Bauzille, France) - Adam's Peak (Sri Lanka).

Condition: Buckram binding holding firm, gilt on spine bright, boards bumped at corners with 3cm black ink stain on front. Interior with watermarked silk endpapers, ticket of Jacquet-Schreiber "papetiere lithographer," tissue guards (a few with small tears), plates with a few smudges and spots of foxing, but generally clean and vibrant.

(A second edition was published in 1869 with the title Les Curiosites et les Merveilles de la Nature.)