Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. Vol. I, January 1769-January 1771.

American Philosophical Society; David Rittenhouse; John Ewing; Owen Biddle; Edward Antill; John Ellis; Moses Bartram; William Smith, John Morgan, Benjamin Rush

Philadelphia : William & Thomas Bradford, 1771

[Early American Science: Governor Simon Snyder's copy, interesting Pennsylvania Provenance]   Quarto.  Bound in early American 1/4 calf over marbled boards. Rebacked, with modern leather spine, original spine label conserved. Snyder's leather name plate on front cover (but chipped at the end).  xxii, [3], xxiv-xxviii, xix, [1], 116, 72, [1], 118-340 pages.  Defective copy.  Illustrated with only 3 (of 7) engraved plates, lacking plates 3-5, 7.  Preliminary pages have old dampstaining, including title and laws of the society. Includes a list of members and subscribers.  Founded by Benjamin Franklin, the American Philosophical Society was one of the first scientific societies in America.  

Provenance: Simon Snyder (1759-1819) was the third Governor of Pennsylvania. This volume includes his morocco book plate on the front and his signature is on the title page.  Snyder led the Commonwealth during the War of 1812.  

Evans 11959; Sabin 1181.  

Contents in this volume: A Description of an Orrery executed on a new plan, finished by David Rittenhouse; Calculations of the Transit of Venus; Cultivations of the vine and the making and preserving of wine...suitable to North America by Edward Antill.