Sep 17, 2016
Plate LVIII. Ladders
Recueil d'ouvrages curieux de mathematique et de mecanique
(Curious collection of books of mathematics and mechanics)
Nicolas Grollier de Servière
1751
seen from Russia
seen from Germany
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Germany
seen from Kyrgyzstan
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Australia
seen from Australia
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Australia
seen from Australia
seen from Australia
Plate LVIII. Ladders
Recueil d'ouvrages curieux de mathematique et de mecanique
(Curious collection of books of mathematics and mechanics)
Nicolas Grollier de Servière
1751
Montblanc Julius II Limited Edition 888 on a Paperblanks Grollier notebook.
Look Ma, no hands!
From Rare Books in the collection of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum (1985), here's another view of the book wheel.
The Smithsonian Libraries actually has three copies of Recueil d'Ouvrages Curieux de Mathematique et de Mecanique, in which this book wheel is one of many fascinating contraptions. The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum Library's rare book collection holds a 1751 copy, while the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology holds another 1751 copy along with a first edition from 1719. Archive.org has a copy digitized from the University of Toronto. Definitely worth perusing!
Grollier's Reading Wheel, 1719. From BibliOdyssey: Dumpster Diving.