12th Mar, 2025 10:00
The Fine Collectors Sale
Hibbert, Samuel, History of Extinct Volcanos of the Basin of Neuwied, 1832
Hibbert, Samuel. History of the Extinct Volcanos of the Basin of Neuwied, on the Lower Rhine. With Maps, Views, and Other Illustrations. Edinburgh & London: W. and D. Lang; Treuttel and Wurtz ad Richter, 1832.
Octavo. Original brown silk moiré, printed paper label to spine. 2 hand-coloured maps, one being the double-page folding frontispiece, 6 lithographed plates of which 3 are double-page, 18 illustrations within the text. Table and directions to the binder at rear. Publisher's advert on the front pastedown, covered by a late-19th century Munden family bookplate. Splits at the head of the spine, some small worn spots at the extremities, joints cracked, some light offsetting affecting the maps, a few of the plates darkened, light spotting to the edges of the text block. Edges untrimmed. Very good condition.
First and only edition of this rare work on the effect of volcanic activity on the development of the Rhine Valley, in the original cloth. WorldCat locates only three copies, at Berlin, Göttingen, and the University of Manchester. Only two have appeared at auction in the last decade, this copy at Forum Auctions in 2017 and one in library cloth at Dominic Winter in 2013.
Samuel Hibbert was a Scottish geologist, antiquarian, and historian known for his research into geology and historical antiquities. Born in Manchester, he studied medicine and natural sciences at the University of Edinburgh, where he developed a deep interest in geology. Hibbert was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of London and was widely respected for his contributions to the understanding of volcanic formations, mineralogy, and historical topography.
His most significant works include A Description of the Shetland Islands (1822), which provided one of the earliest geological studies of the region, and History of Extinct Volcanos of the Basin of Neuwied (1832), which focused on the volcanic formations of the Rhine Valley. Hibbert’s observations and methodical approach to geological fieldwork made him an important figure in early 19th-century geology. His interdisciplinary work often blended geology with historical and archaeological insights.
Published in 1832, History of Extinct Volcanos of the Basin of Neuwied is a geological study of the extinct volcanic formations in the Neuwied Basin, located along the Rhine River in Germany. Hibbert’s research in this book offers a comprehensive analysis of the geological structure, mineral composition, and historical impact of these ancient volcanic features. His work contributed significantly to the understanding of past volcanic activity in Central Europe and its influence on the region’s landscape.
Hibbert’s study was among the earliest English-language works to explore the role of volcanism in shaping the geological features of the Rhine Valley. He combined firsthand field observations with scientific theory, providing detailed descriptions of lava flows, craters, and volcanic rock formations. His documentation helped solidify the emerging discipline of volcanology in the 19th century.
Hibbert, Samuel. History of the Extinct Volcanos of the Basin of Neuwied, on the Lower Rhine. With Maps, Views, and Other Illustrations. Edinburgh & London: W. and D. Lang; Treuttel and Wurtz ad Richter, 1832.
Octavo. Original brown silk moiré, printed paper label to spine. 2 hand-coloured maps, one being the double-page folding frontispiece, 6 lithographed plates of which 3 are double-page, 18 illustrations within the text. Table and directions to the binder at rear. Publisher's advert on the front pastedown, covered by a late-19th century Munden family bookplate. Splits at the head of the spine, some small worn spots at the extremities, joints cracked, some light offsetting affecting the maps, a few of the plates darkened, light spotting to the edges of the text block. Edges untrimmed. Very good condition.
First and only edition of this rare work on the effect of volcanic activity on the development of the Rhine Valley, in the original cloth. WorldCat locates only three copies, at Berlin, Göttingen, and the University of Manchester. Only two have appeared at auction in the last decade, this copy at Forum Auctions in 2017 and one in library cloth at Dominic Winter in 2013.
Samuel Hibbert was a Scottish geologist, antiquarian, and historian known for his research into geology and historical antiquities. Born in Manchester, he studied medicine and natural sciences at the University of Edinburgh, where he developed a deep interest in geology. Hibbert was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of London and was widely respected for his contributions to the understanding of volcanic formations, mineralogy, and historical topography.
His most significant works include A Description of the Shetland Islands (1822), which provided one of the earliest geological studies of the region, and History of Extinct Volcanos of the Basin of Neuwied (1832), which focused on the volcanic formations of the Rhine Valley. Hibbert’s observations and methodical approach to geological fieldwork made him an important figure in early 19th-century geology. His interdisciplinary work often blended geology with historical and archaeological insights.
Published in 1832, History of Extinct Volcanos of the Basin of Neuwied is a geological study of the extinct volcanic formations in the Neuwied Basin, located along the Rhine River in Germany. Hibbert’s research in this book offers a comprehensive analysis of the geological structure, mineral composition, and historical impact of these ancient volcanic features. His work contributed significantly to the understanding of past volcanic activity in Central Europe and its influence on the region’s landscape.
Hibbert’s study was among the earliest English-language works to explore the role of volcanism in shaping the geological features of the Rhine Valley. He combined firsthand field observations with scientific theory, providing detailed descriptions of lava flows, craters, and volcanic rock formations. His documentation helped solidify the emerging discipline of volcanology in the 19th century.
Auction: The Fine Collectors Sale, 12th Mar, 2025
