Lot 137
Pryce, William
Mineralogia Cornubiensis
Auction: 16 June 2026 from 10:00 BST
Description
a Treatise on Minerals, Mines, and Mining. London: James Phillips, 1778. Folio (36cm x 22cm), 20th century tan calf, engraved portrait frontispiece, 7 engraved plates, 2 folding press tables, portrait frontispiece offset onto title page, closed tear on plate IV along the stub, occasional light spotting [ESTC T123497; Duveen p. 488; Ward and Carozzi 1820; Challinor 36]
Provenance
From the collection of the late Professor Roland Paxton MBE FICE FRSE (1932-2025), 'Britain's foremost historian of civil engineering' (Telegraph, obituary, 12th November 2025); Professor Paxton was also a leading conservationist of Britain's engineering heritage, and led successful campaigns to restore two of the world's most important railway structures, the Laigh Milton Viaduct in Ayrshire, the world's oldest surviving railway bridge, and the Union Chain Bridge, the world's oldest suspension bridge still carrying road traffic.
Footnote
An important account of Cornish mining in the 18th century. The appendix includes a discussion of the workings of Watt's steam engine. Watt is mentioned in the list of subscriber's to the book.