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an old map of the world is shown in a bookan old map of the world with the names of the countries on itmap of the world with the names of the countries on itan old book with a map of the world on itan old map of the island of st lucia in the middle of a bookan old book with a map of the world on itan old map of america with a map of the countryan open book with a map of the world on itan old map of the world with the names of countriesan open book with a map of the world on itan old book sitting on top of a white tablean old book with a picture of a man and a woman on itan open book with a drawing of a sphere on itan open book with a picture of a man and a woman on it
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254 - PTOLEMY (Claudius) & MAGINI (Giovanni Antonio). Geography, o…
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Estimate €3,000 - €5,000
Sale commission
Description
PTOLEMY (Claudius) & MAGINI (Giovanni Antonio). Geography, or a Universal Description of the Earth, in two volumes, the first of which contains the Eight Books of Claudius Ptolemy’s Geography. Rediscovered with singular diligence and corrected by His Excellency Mr Gio. Antonio Magini [...] Padua, Paolo & Francesco Galignani, 1621–1620. 2 parts in one folio volume (300 x 205 mm) on ivory-coloured vellum, ribbed spine, title and date handwritten on the spine (later binding; titles, places, dates and collation added at a later date to the spine and on the front cover). [2] ff. (title page and dedications from 1597 and 1621), 62-[14]-212-21-[30] ff. The illustrations consist of a vignette bearing the publisher’s mark, repeated on both title pages; 64 maps engraved by Girolamo Porro, including a small world map engraved as a separate plate across a double page and 63 half-page engraved maps; several wood-engraved figures within the text, initials and ornamentation. Title page stapled with brown water stain; the first two leaves partly detached; paper slightly browned in places; slight pale water stains in places; a few very rare small ink spots. A fine copy. (Sabin 66508.) Second edition of Leonardo Cernoti’s translation of Ptolemy’s work by Magini, an exact reprint of the 1597–1598 edition produced by the same printers. Porro’s maps were first printed in quarto format in the original Latin edition of Magini’s version (Venice, Galignani, 1596); this is their sixth publication, following the Latin editions of 1597, 1608 and 1617, and the aforementioned Italian edition of 1597–1598. Handwritten bookplate at the end by D. Domenico Benedetti, Bologna 1763. On the inside front cover, an engraved bookplate reading ‘Guill. de Nerville’ and a handwritten bookplate reading ‘F. de Nerville / 1881’ : Louis François Ferdinand Guillebot de NERVILLE (1858–1931), telegraph engineer, professor at the École supérieure des Postes et Télégraphes and subsequently at the École des Ponts et Chaussées, first director of the École d’applications d’électricité (which became the École supérieure d’électricité or Supélec), one of the pioneers of electricity in France, a specialist in electrical metrology, he was involved in defining international electrical units and, from 1886, headed the Central Electricity Laboratory, which he transformed into a major centre for research and training; he also contributed to the development of telegraph networks and international submarine cables.
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About the sale MONTIGNAC – 31st BOOK SALE – Day 1 of 4 – Nos. 1 to 549
Auction location
Auction time 08/19/2026 at 11:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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