1879 A Short History of Natural Science | Arabella Buckley | Full Leather Prize Binding | Somersetshire College Arms | Illustrated

Publisher: Edward Stanford, London

A beautifully preserved Victorian history of science in an elegant full leather prize binding, presented to Somersetshire College in Bath, England.

Written by celebrated science educator Arabella Buckley, this second edition traces the development of scientific thought from the ancient Greeks through Darwin and the great discoveries of the nineteenth century. Arabella Burton Buckley (1840–1929) was one of Victorian England’s most respected popular science writers. A secretary and protégé of geologist Sir Charles Lyell, she became renowned for making scientific subjects accessible to young readers and the general public. Charles Darwin praised her ability to explain evolution with exceptional clarity and accuracy, helping introduce generations of readers to the natural sciences.

More than a history of natural science, this volume follows the evolution of scientific discovery over two millennia. Beginning with the earliest Greek philosophers—including Thales, Pythagoras, Aristotle, Euclid, and Archimedes—the narrative continues through the scientific achievements of the Arab world during the Middle Ages before exploring the revolutionary discoveries of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, Boyle, Franklin, Linnaeus, Buffon, Lavoisier, Humboldt, and Darwin. Individual chapters examine astronomy, optics, chemistry, electricity, geology, botany, zoology, medicine, mechanics, and natural history, while numerous engraved illustrations demonstrate landmark experiments and inventions such as Archimedes’ principle of specific gravity, early magnifying lenses, chemical apparatus, Volta’s electric battery, Joule’s experiments on heat, and many other scientific breakthroughs. The volume concludes with chronological tables summarizing the development of scientific knowledge from ancient Greece through the nineteenth century.

A finely executed binding which features gilt tooling, dentelle turn-ins, marbled endpapers and page edges, and the gilt arms of Somersetshire College on the upper cover. Throughout the text are 74 engraved illustrations depicting early scientific instruments, experiments, astronomical discoveries, chemistry, electricity, optics, geology, and biology.

Condition: Very Good +

Light rubbing from age. Text block clean, with bright pages. Dark green morocco spine label. The illustrations remain crisp, and the binding is sound/firm. Marbled endpapers and page edges are well preserved. A handsome, well-cared-for Victorian prize binding that displays beautifully. 505pp.

Size: 5 1/4” x 7 1/4”

A wonderful decorative volume equally suited for a collector of Victorian science, the history of scientific discovery, or fine leather bindings.