M. Sigaud de La Fond - Description et usage d'un cabinet...

The work Description et usage d'un cabinet de physique expérimentale, written by Joseph-Aignan Sigaud de La Fond (disciple and successor of Abbé Nollet), is a major scientific book of the 18th century. The second edition, published in 1784, was completely revised, corrected, and augmented by M. Rouland, professor and demonstrator in experimental physics at the University of Paris. 53 folding plates out of text (generally divided into 25 plates for Volume I and 28 plates for Volume II). The entire set of plates is in very good condition, with no rust, no tears, and complete. This is very rare for a work supposed to be used in a laboratory. The second edition of the work Description et usage d'un cabinet de physique expérimentale, published in 1784, is a monument of the popularization of science in the Enlightenment era. Originally written in 1775 by Joseph Aignan Sigaud de La Fond (disciple and successor of Abbé Nollet to the Chair of Experimental Physics at the Collège Louis-le-Grand), this treatise in two volumes was completely revised, corrected, and augmented by M. Rouland, his nephew, who himself was a professor and demonstrator at the University of Paris. This work is not merely a book of theory; it is a laboratory guide and a catalog raisonné. In the 18th century, the nobility and the upper middle class were passionate about science. Scholars bought instruments to assemble their own “cabinet of physics.” This book served as a manual for handling these instruments and reproducing experiments before an audience. The folding plates illustrate with immense precision the entire scientific arsenal of the era. There is a presentation of a heraldic ex-libris glued to the marbled-paper board of the volume. This engraved ex-libris belonged to Charles Pinney (1793–1867), a notable historical figure from the city of Bristol in England. Charles Pinney was a wealthy trader and an English politician, famous for having served as Mayor of Bristol during the great Bristol Riots of 1831. These riots were among the most violent of the 19th century in the United Kingdom. Accused of negligence for failing to maintain order and delaying troop intervention, he stood trial before the Court of the King’s Bench in 1832, in which he was ultimately acquitted; The vignette is perfectly authentic. • The Pinney family coat of arms (quartered with eagles and cross-sable, surmounted by a mailed arm holding an axe). • The family motto in Latin: Amor Patriae ("Love of country"). • The engraved name of the owner: Charles Pinney. VOLUME I Introduction and preface 16 unnumbered pages Description and use of a cabinet 396 numbered pages + 25 folding plates VOLUME II Continuation ... + 28 folding plates 474 numbered pages

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