Sold for:
$1,968
$1,968
Hero of Alexandria (c. 10-70 AD) Spiritalium Liber . Urbino: [Frisolino], 1575. First edition, quarto, collated, complete, illustrated with numerous woodcut diagrams in the text, minor spotting, in contemporary Italian limp parchment; surface worming confined to the exterior of the back cover. Hero's pneumatic inventions, working mainly due to atmospheric pressure, include many ingenious passive pumps that operate fanciful fountains, and other devices. With the addition of steam to the mix, he designs an automatic door-opener. Once he adds a piston, things get more complicated and ambitious, including his invention of the first reactive steam turbine.
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2012-11-18
