The First Six Books of The Elements of Euclid. BYRNE (Oliver).

The First Six Books of The Elements of Euclid in which Coloured Diagrams and Symbols are Used Instead of Letters for the Greater Ease of Learners. By Oliver Byrne, Surveyor of Her Majesty's Settlements in the Falkland Islands and Author of Numerous Mathematical Works.

Coloured diagrams printed in red, blue and yellow on title and throughout.

First Edition. 4to. [242 x 194 x 25 mm]. xxix, [i], 268 pp. Bound in the original (c.1858) straight-grained red cloth, the covers blocked in blind and with a gilt lettering-block on the front, gilt spine, pale yellow endleaves, gilt edges. (Expertly rebacked preserving original spine, edges of the boards a little rubbed and tips of the corners worn). In modern red goatskin drop-over box.
London: [printed by C. Whittingham for] William Pickering, 1847

Printed in an edition of 1000 copies and one of the most revolutionary books of the 19th century. As Ruari McLean explains: "each proposition is set in Caslon italic, with a four line initial engraved on wood by Mary Byfield: the rest of the page is a unique riot of red, yellow and blue: on some pages letters and numbers only are printed in colour, sprinkled over the page like tiny flowers, demanding the most meticulous register: elsewhere, solid squares, triangles, and circles are printed in gaudy and theatrical colours, attaining a verve not seen again on books pages till the days of Dufy, Matisse and Derain".

There is some quite heavy foxing throughout, which is not unusual and adds a further geometric element. With the booklabel of John Stevenson of Glasgow. Bought from Donald Fraser of West Dulwich in August 1965 for £2-5-0.

Stock no. ebc8509