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Taschen GmbH 2003 In-4 broché 26,9 cm sur 22,1. 496 pages. Très bon état d’occasion.
Reference : 76942
ISBN : 3822878669 9783822878668
Très bon état d’occasion
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5 book(s) with the same title
Letters from Italy in the years 1754 and 1755 by the late right honourable published from the originals with explanatory notes by John Duncombe MA. chaplain to his lordship rector of St. Andrew's and St Mary Bredman's and one of the six preachers in Christ Churh Canterbury the second édition
B. White Londres 1774 XLVI + 268 pages pages London. 11 6 X 17 9 cm. 1774. Pleine reliure cuir du temps. XLVI + 268 pages pages. John Earl of Corke and Orrery Letters from Italy in the years 1754 and 1755 by the late right honourable published from the originals with explanatory notes by John Duncombe MA. chaplain to his lordship rector of St. Andrew's and St Mary Bredman's and one of the six preachers in Christ Churh Canterbury the second édition London printed for B. White Horace's head Fleet Steet 1774 in 8° ( 11 6 X 17 9 cm) de XLVI + 268 pages Pleine reliure cuir du temps. Avec pièce de titre rouge. Coiffes arrasée. Plats entourés de deux liserets dorés. Frottements. Intérieur frais.
Coiffes arrasée. Frottements. Intérieur frais
BARTHOLIN, THOMAS (Edt.) - STENO, NICOLAUS [NIELS STEENSEN] et al.
Reference : 53613
(1673)
Acta Medica & Philosophica Hafniensia. Ann. 1671&16721673 1674.1675.1676." 1677.1678. 1679. Cum aeneis figuris/Figuris aeneis illustrata. 5 vols (all). - [ONE OF THE FIRST MEDICAL PERIODICALS]
Copenhagen, Peter Haubold, 1673-80. 4to. A very nice recent full calf pastiche binding with four raised bands and gilt red title-label to spine. blindstamped borders to boards. Old owner's inscription (""Sven Borgh/Lund 1840"") to title-page. A very nice and clean copy with only a bit of brownspotting and some evenly browned leaves. A tear (with no loss) to one leaf and one leaf (vol. V, L3) with a neat marginal restoration, far from affacting text. The following two leaves with minor loss to blank upper margin (far from affecting text). The large double-page folded plate with Stensen's lymphatic glands (vol. II, p. 240) with a neat restoration to verso, no loss. Annotations and corrections in the same early, neat hand throughout. Woodcut vignettes and initials. All four title-pages (part III & IV have a joint title-page) printed in red and black. (16), 316" (20), 376 (16), 174, 216" (8), 342 pp. With ab. 60 woodcut illustrations in the text, many of them quite large, two of them full-page, and all 62 engraved plates (of which two are on a folded leaf), four of which are folded. A truly excellent, fully complete copy with all five volumes and all 62 plates.
The very rare first edition of all five volumes of Bartholin's groundbreaking medical journal, which constitutes the first scientific periodical in Scandinavia and one of the very first medical periodicals in the world. Thomas Bartholin (1616-1680) was one of the leading physicians of his time, now remembered, among many other things, as the discoverer of the lymphatic system. He ""was the most celebrated physician of his period in Denmark and perhaps in all of Europe"". (Kronick, p. 81). He is considered ""a typical representative of the ""Curiosi naturae"" of the 17th century with all their learning, diligence and insatiable spirit of curiosity... He belonged with all his heart to the learned period, and yet he made an anatomical-physiological discovery of high mark when he found, and demonstrated, a hitherto entirely unknown vascular system in animals, and later in man - the lymphatic."" (Meisen, p. 25). He was a hugely influential and extremely productive man. Apart from his seminal discovery of the lymphatic system, he wrote a number of highly influential treatises, published a series of very influential anatomical papers, published his vast correspondence with other scientists, which has the character of a scientific archive at a time when there were not yet periodicals of natural science, provided us with the most extensive information about medicine in Denmark and about the conditions of the physicians, called attention to the significance of pathological anatomy, etc., etc., and ""[y]et the greatest importance is to be attached to his ""Acta medica philosophica Hafniensia"", in 5 volumes, that was published from 1673 to 1680, when he died. It is a scientific periodical, wide in its scope, one of the first of its kind."" (Meisen, p. 28). ""The Copenhagen biologists, under the quickening influence of Thomas Bartholin, produced five volumes of transactions known as the Acta medica et philosophica Hafniensia, which is now very rare."" (Hagenströmer)The leading contributors to the periodical, besides Bartholin himself, was the great Niels Steensen (Steno), Holger Jacobsen (Jacobaeus), Caspar Bartholin, Ole Borch (Borrichius), Ole Worm, Simon Paulli, Johan Rohde, Caspar Kölichen, etc., but the contributions were not confined to Danes or Scandinavians. For instance, the English anatomist Edward Tyson (1650-1708) also published here, as did several other internationally famous physicians and scientists. Interestingly, the ""Acta Hafniensia"", as it is known, has a great focus on the odd and curious, the astounding and marvelous, the unnatural and abnormal. Thorndike claims that ""Monsters and freaks of nature receive perhaps the most attention."" (vol. VIII, p. 234). However, the journal was far from limited to this. ""Thomas Bartholin describes the male mandrill illustrated by three anatomical plates (Male genitalia) and a figure of the entire animal, which had died of disease in the Royal Menagerie. Holger Jacobsen describes the scorpion, the salamander, snakes, several birds, the heron and the parrot (based on dissections and figures by Steno). He also investigated the fascinating and unique anatomical puzzle of the tongue of the black woodpecker (with plate). He gives an exceptionally interesting account of the mole cricket, Gryllotalpa, which is important as being one of the first in which the elongated segmental heart of insects is described and figured. This memoir is a commendable piece of zootomical research, and it is all the more outstanding because the subject of it was an invertebrate (Cole). The most outstanding contributions in the entire periodical, however, are the 12 by Niels Steensen (Steno), which are all printed here for the first time. Steensen was the most gifted of Bartholin's disciples, and when he returned to Denmark in 1672, he immediately took up anatomical demonstrations and dissections, the fruits of which he published here, in the first three volumes of the ""Acta Hafniensia"". His contributions constitute important finds in the fields of The Brain, The Heart, The Muscles and General Embryology. ""Steno's dissections of the muscles of the eagle, Aquila (1673) is one of the most remarkable essays in zootomy published up to his time, and it is perhaps more detailed and reliable than almost any other."" (Cole). (Gosch 24).In the paper ""Embryo monsto affinis Parisiis dissectus"" (Gosch 15), we have the first known description of the ""tetralogy of Fallot"" (Garrison & Morton no 2726.1). ""Bartholin was the most celebrated physician of his period in Denmark and perhaps in all of Europe. He was professor of anatomy at the University of Copenhagen and later became Dean of its Medical Faculty. The publication seems also to have associated with the activities of a scientific society, although there seems to be little evidence for Neuberger's statement that the ""Acta"" were the proceedings of this society. The preface to the translation of the ""Acta"" which are included in the ""Collection Académique"" gives the following account of its origins: ""The Academy of Copenhagen was founded by Frederick III, who was aware how much glory it brought to him and to Denmark by encouraging the sciences and by attracting and holding scientists in his kingdom. One finds little to clarify the history of this academy, even in the five published volumes. The editing of the memoirs was principally under the care of Bartholin, the first Dane to publish medical observations. His aim was first to make a collection which embraced all parts of science"" but, deterred by the immensity of the task, he limited himself to the different parts of medicine and to those observations that were offered to him. His sponsor was Count Griffenfeld, the grand chancellor of Denmark, who obtained an edict enjoining all Danish physicians to render exact correspondence with the Dean of the Faculty of Copenhagen and to inform him of all singularities in medicine and natural history observed in different parts of the kingdom. Bartholin had great hopes for this collection and one can truly find in the five volumes which he published many discoveries which would have been lost or perhaps not have existed if this correspondence had not brought them to light and encouraged him."" The ""Acta"" consisted primarily in short original observations on medical and natural scientific subjects, although it also contained a few abstracts of books."" (Kronick p. 81). Waller: 712 (listing only 39 plates)Wellcome: II, p. 108 (listing 61 plates)Gosch: III, pp 58-59 & I, pp. 137-38Hagströmer Library has only vols. I-IVBartholin papers: Gosch: Bartholin 30-43Steensen-papers: Gosch: Steno 15-26" Garrison&Morton: 2726.1Cole, F.J.: A History of Comparative Anatomy, pp 369-93Thorndike: History of Magic and Experimental Science, vol. VIII, Chapter 30Kronick, David A.: A History of Scientific and Technical Periodical 1665-1790, p. 57 & pp. 80-82Meisen: Prominent Danish Scientists through the Ages, pp. 25-28
Ungdoms-Forsøg / Gjenfærdet ved Palnatokes Grav, en Original Fortælling" og Alfsol, en original Tragoedie. Ungdoms=Forsøg. - [EXCEEDINGLY SCARCE FIRST EDITION OF ANDERSEN'S DEBUT - ONE OF CA. 10 COPIES KNOWN]
Kjöbenhavn, [1822]. Strictly contemporary brown half calf with boards in a grey/dark grey simple pattern. Quite worn with cracks along the spine but intact. Ex-libris on inside front cover: ""Christoffersen"" in gothic letters in pencil. A copy that has been used and completely worn and then later saved by restoration, retaining the old spine and corners, and impressive professional facsimiles made from the copy of the book in the Royal Library in Copenhagen. Apparently, the present copy was a book club copy and bears contemporary annotations to the back free end-paper. When the copy resurfaced around 1970 (after having been stowed away in a box in the town of Jelling for decades), the new owner ""saved"" it by having it professionally restored, which is extremely well done. The strictly contemporary binding has been restored by the renowned book binder Birgitte Dall (1912-1989). With the help of the Royal Library in Copenhagen Birgitte Dall had truly excellent facsimiles made, printed on old paper, to replace the missing leaves. The following pages have been replaced: Title-page + pp. 1-2, 3-4, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18, 177-78, 179 (the last being the contents-leaf, printed on recto only) - in all 8 ff. Pp. 173-74 has been torn down the middle and is missing ab. half"" this leaf is present, but a facsimile has also been inserted. Six other leaves have been excellently restored, with no loss of text. There are six facsimile-leaves: the title-page, made from the title-page of the title-issue of 1827, the contents-leaf, and further four leaves. The remaining leaves are original leaves of the 1822-issue
The extremely rare first printing of Hans Christian Andersen's first book (Ungdoms-Forsøg) – with facsimiles of the title-page, the contents-leaf and a further four leaves. No more than about ten copies of the first issue and the title-issue, which appeared in 1827, are known to exist – only a couple of them are known in private collections, and less than a handful of copies are known outside of Denmark. The present publication, his first book, is of immense importance to Andersen's life and work and is arguably THE most important piece of Anderseniana. One copy of the 1822-issue with an extra 1827-title-page is in a private collection, and the Jean Hersholt-collection has a copy with the title-page and the contents in facsimile (like the present copy, it is coincidental whether these facsimilies are taken from the title-issue or the first issue). Two other copies are in the public Danish collections, in The Royal Library in Copenhagen and the Andersen Museum in Odense. Of the 1827-title-issue, there is a copy in Princeton University Library (formerly from Odense) and one in The Houghton Library. There are four copies in Danish libraries: The Royal Library in Copenhagen, the Andersen Museum in Odense, the Library of State in Aarhus, and Soroe Academy Library. In private collections, the only known copies are limited to about four, including the present. H.C. Andersen made his début as a writer three times during his youth, the first time being in 1822, when he was only 17 years old. Besides the prologue, his “Youthful Attempts” included a novelette (“The Specter at Palnatoke's Grave”) and a 5-act tragedy in blank verse (“Alfsol”): “How immature the tragedy ‘Alfsol’ and the tale of the ghost might seem, they paved the way for him to further education. He was 17 years old, penniless and in need for help, but the main part of the circulation ended up in the paper mill, and for some time the young poet rendered himself guilty with regard to the printer's widow. To this first painful experience one may trace back the ever-recurring motifs in his narratives that all poetry end up in the rubbish bin."" (Kofoed, 1999). When Andersen managed to get his book published in 1822, with E.M. Cohen's Widow, almost no copies were sold, nor in the years to follow. In fact, Mrs. Cohen did not manage to sell a single copy of the book, and, in 1827, she sold the entire edition of the remaining copies (300, minus the 17 copies Andersen himself had disposed of) to another publisher, P.T. Schovelin, who printed a new title for the book. The title-page of 1822 and the printed dedication to the Board of the Royal Theatre plus the table of content at the end of the book were removed and substituted by a new title-page followed by a table of contents. The new title was Gjenfærdet ved Palnatokes Grav, en Original Fortælling"" og Alfsol, en original Tragoedie. Ungdoms=Forsøg af Villiam Christian Walther (i.e. ""The Spectre at Palnatoke's Grave, an original Novel, and Alfsol, an Original Tragedy. Youthful attempts by Villiam Christian Walther""). This title-issue was also unsuccessful, even though he advertised the book on three different occasions. In desperation, he sold it all to a local grocery store, where it ended up as wrapping paper. (Jean Hersholt) In his autobiography, ""My Life's Fairy Tale"", Andersen tells how he came up with his pseudonym and how he managed to have the book printed: ""I had a young friend from my home town, Odense, who worked for a small printer's shop called 'E. M. Cohen's Widow'. He promised me if I could obtain enough subscription he would print the book in his spare time. As I loved William Shakespeare and Walter Scott, and I loved myself too, I had the book published under the pseudonym of William Christian Walter"". Walter Scott’s novels were being translated into Danish during these years, and thus, “[…] the young man tried to tie his destiny to two of the most famous poets of European literature, William Shakespeare and Walter Scott.” (Kofoed, 1999). Andersen began approaching everyone in order to get enough subscriptions and money for the printing and miraculously managed to see his first book go to the press: ""No shrewd businesswoman, Mrs. Cohen let herself be sold on the idea to publish Andersen's first little book. It was during this time of his life that Andersen evidenced one of his most important faculties – the ability and nerve to ask anyone for anything he desired at any time. Not satisfied with general book buyers, he practically confined his soliciting to the Royal Court, starting with the Crown Princess and working down the list to bishops, professors and educators. His sales campaign was hardly successful, for he disposed of only seventeen copies."" (Jean Hersholt). Hans Christian Andersen constitutes the greatest Danish author ever to have lived, arguably the greatest author of children's literature in the world, the founder of the fairy tale-genre and one of the most famous authors of all time. He almost singlehandedly put Denmark on the literary world map and gave to mankind a completely new way of writing and viewing the world. ""Very few authors have so endeared themselves to the people of every county in the world as has Hans Christian Andersen. Yet Andersen did not set out to be a teller of fairy tales, but rather to be a serious novelist, a writer of heroic dramas.” (Jean Hersholt). His road to fame was not straightforward and presumably, no one who made the acquaintance of the awkward and poor teenage Hans Christian Andersen would have predicted the role he came to play in the development of world literature. Growing up in a very poor family, the impressions and experiences he received throughout the first 14 years of his life were to be decisive for his literary production: “In the autobiography of his youth, Levnedsbogen (not published till 1926), Andersen emphasised that the way of life in Odense had preserved popular old customs and superstitions unknown in Copenhagen and therefore available to him as a colourful stimulus to his imagination. However, even more decisive were the disturbing social experiences from the lowest ranks of society and his own urge to cast off the trammels of poverty, break with his social inheritance and realise his potential in the only outlet the times provided, the world of art, an urge that became ever more dominant throughout his childhood.” (Mylius) One of the decisive factors that determined the direction of H.C. Andersen’s life was the fact that Odense, as the only other town outside the capital, had a theatre. Besides being exposed to books at home, he also had contact with the theatre in Odense. In Sepember 1819, at the age of 14, Andersen left Odense to seek his fortune at the theatre in Copenhagen. There, “he fought desperately to gain a foothold in the theatre as a ballet-dancer, actor or singer. Finally, when none of these attempts succeeded, he tried his hand as a playwright"" this was also in vain but resulted in the director's deciding to send him to school so that something proper might be made of him, and this experience was thus as decisive for his later life and work as the Odense years."" (Mylius). It was here, in Copenhagen, during the early theatre years, after he had been cast aside as an actor, cast aside as a dancer, and cast aside as a singer that he wrote his groundbreaking play ""Alfsol"", which he handed in to the theatre in order to have it accepted for performance. But that too was cast aside, with the explanation that the author lacked all forms of education and had clearly never learned to write properly. As Hersholt puts it, “even at this age he had already had a varied but rather dubious career."" (Jean Hersholt). Dean Gutfeld, however, had gotten to know Andersen and saw the potential in the young boy. Therefore, Gutfeld spoke well of the uneducated boy and had asked the theatre director, Collin, to look mercifully at it. ""A well-liked speaker, Dean Guffeld was alive then and was the one person that spoke most warmly and enthusiastically about my tragedy, which had now been completed. He sent it with a recommendation to the theatre direction and I was floating between hope and fear."" (own translation from Andersen 1942: p. 46). Collin still refused the play, but it was this act of Gutfeld's that made Collin take an interest in Andersen and made him take him under his wings – if any, THE decisive moment in Andesen's life. Collin arranged that, at the expenses of the King, Andersen was sent to Slagelse Latinskole to get proper training and education. In the fall of 1822, Andersen left Copenhagen to go to Slagelse. From then on and throughout the rest of his life, Collin was his benefactor in all aspects of his life. Andersen came to consider him the closest to a father that he had, Collin's home became Andersen's home, and Collin's children his siblings and closest friends throughout his life. As mentioned, the book is exceedingly rare and only a couple of copies are known in private collections. Less than a handful of copies are known outside of Denmark. BFN: 2" Hersholt: 19.
Fortegnelse over Dr. Sören Kierkegaards efterladte Bogsamling som bortsælges ved offentlig Auction Tirsdagen den 8de April 1856 og fölgende Dage i Klædeboderne Nr. 5 – 6. Alt imod Betaling til Procurator J. Maagg, Klædeboderne Nr. 101. [The Aucti... - [ONE OF CA. 10 COPIES KNOWN TO EXIST]
Kjöbenhavn, S.L. Möller, (1855). 8vo. Bound in an exquisite later light brown half calf binding with elegant gilding and five raised bands to spine (bound by renowned Swedish bookbinder Hedberg). With the gilt super ex libris of the great Swedish collector Gustav Bernström to front board. First and last leaf recto and verso respectively dusty, as they act as self-wrappers. Otherwise very nice and clean. (2), 87, (1) pp.
The exceedingly scarce first printing of the auction catalogue of Kierkegaard’s book collection, sold shortly after his death. The catalogue is of the utmost scarcity with merely 10 copies or so still known to exist. The auction catalogue is one of the most important works for the understanding of Kierkegaard. It is a pivotal testament to the way Kierkegaard worked, collected, published, and was inspired, and it provides a wealth of information about the great philosopher. It is an indispensable tool for anyone interested in Kierkegaard, both his life and work, and it has played a significant role in Kierkegaard scholarship since the time of his death. “The catalogue has long served as one of the most valuable tools in Kierkegaard studies and has been actively used by commentators, translators, and researchers. Scholars quickly recognized the potential importance of this catalogue primarily for tracing the various sources of Kierkegaard’s thought.” (Nu, Schreiber, & Stewart: The Auction Catalogue of Kierkegaard’s Library, p. (vii) ). The catalogue was printed in 278 copies, but as always with this kind of document, only very few copies survived. We have only ever had one other copy (the one kept in the shop, as it was made by Herman H.J. Lynge), and the original printing has only been on the market very few times. According to Plesner, merely 10 copies still exist, which fits with the infrequency with which we have seen it. “Søren Kierkegaard died on the 11th of November 1855. Only a few months later, at the beginning of April 1856, his books were put up for sale. There was not much time to list the collection, and it is evident that the printed catalogue was got together in haste. It was probably Herman H.J. Lynge, the best known second-hand bookseller of that time, who compiled the catalogue, as the placard announcing the sale stated that the catalogue “was obtainable” at his shop. The sale was an event which created stir among scholars all over Denmark. People came long distances to make their own bids and to satisfy themselves of the condition of the books. Seldom before or afterwards has a book sale in Denmark been advertised so widely. From the 8th of March there were ten advertisements alone in the “Adresseavisen” until the big advertisement on the front of the paper on the 8th of April. The sale which lasted three days from the 8th to the 10th of April 1856, was held in Søren Kierkegaard’s flat in 5-6 Klædeboderne, the present 38 Skindergade… The event drew crowds… Bidding was lively and the average price for the single items was nearly a rix-dollar a very high price for that time. Lynge was completely overwhelmed by the high bids. In a letter of the 22nd of May (The Royal Library, Recent Letters, D.) to the famous collector F.S. Bang…, he wrote: “At the sale of Dr. Søren Kierkegaard’s books everything went at very high prices, especially his own works, which brought 2 or 3 times the published prices”.” (Rohde Auction Catalogue, p. LVIJ). People came from near and far to get a piece of the recently deceased legend. Many authors, philosophers, and scholars were present in the auction room, which was completely full, as was the Royal Library, who bought ca 80 lots (though Rohde says ca 50). Some of the lots were withdrawn from the catalogue before the auction, by the heirs, namely those of his own books that had annotations, markings or notes by Kierkegaard himself in them. “Many of the books, not only his own, were paid for with much higher prices than in the book shops especially such writings about which one thought that he had used them frequently, were much desired and paid for with high prices, but even more so were the books, in which he had noted some remark, however small, until in the end these were excluded from the sale, as the heirs prohibited them being sold.” (In Morgenposten no. 99, 30. April 1856, written by “P.”, translated from Danish). It was not customary at the time to report on sales in the papers, but contrary to tradition, Morgenposten (The Morning Post, a paper sympathetic to the peasant movement), three weeks after the auction sale, issued a lengthy report taking up almost the entire front page. It is evident from this that Kierkegaard through his last struggle – the Church Feud (see XXXII in Section I) – continued directly affecting the Danish population after his death. The Morning Post is clearly on Kierkegaard’s side in the fight against the official Christendom and interprets the crowds of people interested in the auction sale of his books as evidence of the immense influence he exercised and the many people he made see the truth. After having attacked the clergy, the Morning Post continues “Though thank god, the sale – and that is the reason for its mention – gave many important and gratifying indications that Kierkegaard has not lived, has not suffered and struggled in vain, but that his words have penetrated many hearts and that during his lifetime he opened the eyes of many to the false and demoralizing effects of lethargy and self-glorification of the clergy…” The article vividly describes the ambience in the sales room, where the audience was primarily present in order to obtain a relic from the deceased “saint”. Kierkegaard had a comprehensive library, but it did not count among the largest private libraries of the period. It was necessary for him to have a wide selection of especially philosophical and theological works, but he did not want it to be too large. As Johannes the Seducer says in Either-Or, “One must limit oneself – that is a primary condition for all pleasure”. But Kierkegaard was also a collector, and he also let himself be tempted by books he did not need, but merely desired or for some reason was attracted to. Theological works constitute the main part of his book collection and make up approximately half of the collection he left behind when he died" but he had a wide range of philosophy, Greek and Latin classics, literature – most well represented is Danish and German literature –, and he had a solid collection of bibliographical and other reference works. Throughout his life, he has owned more than the ca. 2.000 books that he had in his collection when he died, but these books, registered in the auction record, are the only ones we know for certain that he had, and the auction record is an invaluable source of knowledge about the books that Kierkegaard owned and read. In fact, this auction record is the basis of a wealth of knowledge about Kierkegaard, his reading habits, his collecting habits, his book binding habits, and his relation to his own books. It is one of the most frequently used tools in Kierkegaard research and is an indispensable bibliographical work. In 1957, Niels Thulstrup issued the catalogue anew, with an introduction. He did not include the appendices, however. It is still disputed whether the books listed in the appendices belonged to Kierkegaard or not, but they were part of the original catalogue and are certainly worth considering. Furthermore, contrary to what Thulstrup states in the preface, not all the numbers of the original auction catalogue are in fact included in the new edition. Thulstrup simply omitted some of the numbers that he did not find relevant. Thus, this new edition was by no means complete, and in 1967, a new edition appeared. This edition of the catalogue was made by H.P. Rohde, has an excellent preface in both Danish and English, and contains all the information from the original printing. Furthermore, Rohde has added all available information about the individual copies that he could find as well as the auction protocol’s registration of the buyers of the individual books. “Today it [the original printing] is a very rare book. According to the auction protocol, it was merely printed in 278 copies, and most of these seem to be lost. It was therefore very commendable of the Søren Kierkegaard-Society when some years ago it decided to effect a new edition. Everyone with an interest in Kierkegaard has need of that. … What one expects from such an edition is first and foremost that it simply replaces the original catalogue, which is now unobtainable.“ (Rohde, Fund og Forskning VIII, 1968, p. 85). “[T]he catalogue represents an invaluable point of departure for any deeper understanding of Kierkegaard and his sources.” (Nun, Schreiber, & Stewart, p. xvi). Himmelstrup 3133 The present copy is no. 98 in Girsel's ""Kierkegaard"" (The Catalogue) which can be found here.
Om Oprindelsen til Uligheden blandt Menneskene, og dens Grundstøtter. Et kronet Priisskrivt. Oversat af det Franske af Salomon Soldin. - [FIRST DANISH EDITION OF ONE OF ROUSSEUS'S MAIN WORKS]
København, Soldins Forlag, 1800. 8vo. Contemporary half calf with gilt title-label. A bit of overall wear, mostly to extremities. Two ex libris to inside of front board, one being that of Anton Thomsen (Danish philosopher, 1877-1915), also with his signature and date on front free end-paper. Old owner's signature on title-page (A.D. Finns). Occasional marginal pencil notes and underlinings, otherwise nice and clean. (x), (2), 221 pp.
Scarce first Danish edition of one of Rousseau's main works, being one of the most important works of political thought in general: The ""Discourse on the Origins of Inequality"" (original Discours sur l’origine de l’inegalité, 1755) is considered Rousseau's first important work and the work that lays the foundation for his later thought.The work was translated by the editor and publisher Salomon Soldin (1774-1837) as his first independently published work. S. Soldin became famous for his work as editor, between 1804-1825 (and publisher, after 1811), of the renowned biweekly magazine Nyeste Skilderie af Kjøbenhavn, which, in addition to his own numerous articles, contained contributions from well-known authors such as Rasmus Nyerup, K. L. Rahbek, N. F. S. Grundtvig, and others (Frøland 2026). It was one of the most important magazines during its lifetime, where many of the most important literary feuds were published.According to Sørensen (2016): ""The cult of Rousseau also reached Denmark, and it is well known how Johann Friedrich Sturensee raised Crown Prince Frederik, according to a literal interpretation of Émile. Nevertheless, Danish interest in Rousseau remained within a narrow cultural environment, and after the turn of the century, Rousseau's influence faded."" (original in Danish"" 2016: 5). Like Rousseau's ""Discourse on the Sciences and Arts "" from 1750, the ""Discourse on the Origins of Inequality"" was written as a response to an essay competition from the Academy of Dijon. This work is thus often referred to as the ""Second Discourse"". Unlike the first, this did not win him a prize, even though it is was also at the time considered a far more accomplished work and now counts as one of his three main works (together with the ""Contract Social"" and ""Émile""). It is in the present work that Rousseau begins to develop his theories of human social development and moral psychology and it is furthermore this work that for the first time clearly divides him from the Encyclopédiste mainstream of the French Enlightenment. The work is famous for Rousseau's portrayal of a multi-stage evolution of humanity from the most primitive condition to something like a modern complex society, which has gone down in history as one of the most important portrayal of man and society. But furthermore the work is famous for its long preface.When Rousseau had converted to Catholicism, he also lost his rights to the status of Citizen of Geneva. This right was regained in 1754, though, when he reconverted to Calvinism, and a large part of his ""Discourse on the Origins of Inequality"" consists in a dedication to the state of Geneva. This preface is probably one of the most famous prefaces in the history of modern thought as it constitutes, not only a highly ironical and satirical praise of his birthplace, but also a masterpiece of utopian political thought. Geneva is praised as the good republic worthy of admiration for the stability of its laws and institutions, the common spirit of its inhabitants, the well behaved women that inhabit it, and the good relations with neighbouring states. Not only is this piece of political fiction that provides us with an imminent insight into how a state should ideally be according to Rousseau an ironical description of what Geneva was not, it was also a fierce attack on Paris. According to OCLC, merely five libraries world-wide own a copy (two in Switzerland, and one in Denmark, UK, and Germany respectively). ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sources and further reading: Cranston, Maurice. ""The Social Contract"". Encyclopedia Britannica. 11 Mar. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Social-Contract. Accessed 1 July 2026.Frøland, Aleks. ""Salomon Soldin"". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. https://biografiskleksikon.lex.dk/Salomon_Soldin. Accessed 1 July 2026 Nygaard, B. (2011). Rousseau and Revolution in the Making of a Modern Political Culture: Denmark 1750-1850. I M. Thorup, & H. R. Lauritsen (eds.), Rousseau and Revolution (s. 114-129). Bloomsbury Academic. Sørensen, A. D. (2016). Opdragelsens filosofi: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, Søren Kierk. Aarhus Universitet. https://doi.org/10.7146/aul.133.116
