Sectiones conicae in novem libros distributae, ...Paris, Etienne Michallet, 1685. Large folio (38 x 26 cm). With a charming woodcut headpiece at the beginning of the main text, hundreds of woodcut diagrams in the text. 19th-century boards (ca. 1820?).

[8], 249, [1] pp.First and only early edition, in Latin, of a comprehensive and influential text book on conic sections, discussing the standard classical Greek work of Apollonius, the projective methods of Desargues and the application of Cartesian analytical geometry, by the artist, mathematician and astronomer Philippe de La Hire, "among the best of the followers of Desargues and Descartes" (DSB). It "seemed to be the last word on the subject" and La Hire's "pre-eminence in this field" was still acknowledged in 1738 (Kemp, p. 121). La Hire here provides the clearest and most fully developed presentation of the projective principles pioneered by Desargues, whose work became generally known through La Hire's further development and improved presentation of his ideas. With a few leaves slightly browned (2 severely) or foxed (the last leaf extensively) but otherwise in very good condition and largely untrimmed, with many deckles intact and large margins. Binding rubbed and spine damaged.l Honeyman coll. 1886; Kemp, The science of art, pp. 221-222 & passim; for La Hire: DSB VII, pp. 576-579.