London: Robert Baldwin, 1813. First edition of this interesting travel book by Thomas Thomson written after a several week trip throughout Sweden. It was written in an engaging conversational style that makes it quite readable today. Thomas Thomson FRS FLS FRSE (1773 – 1852) was a Scottish chemist and mineralogist whose writings contributed to the early spread of Dalton's atomic theory. His scientific accomplishments include the invention of the saccharometer] and he gave silicon its current name. He served as president of the Philosophical Society of Glasgow [Wikipedia]. He was also a member of The Geological Society, the Wernerian Society, and the Imperial Chirurgo-Medical Academy of Petersburgh. As a mineralogist, there is an emphasis in the book on the geology of Sweden, but he also writes extensively on all aspects of Swedish society, culture, history, and customs. The book has thirteen plates that include maps of Sweden, Gothland, and Stockholm, portraits of the Crown Prince and the late King Gustavus Adolphus, and others of geological interest. Bound in three quarter brown leather with marbled paper boards. Decorative gilt and title to spine. Leather and boards are scuffed and bumped. Joints are tender. Marbled page edges. Spotting and soiling to endpapers and offsetting to text pages from maps and plates. Otherwise the text is generally clean. Maps of Sweden and Stockholm have spotting and soiling. Ownership signature in ink to first page of text. A nice and sound copy of this rather scarce title. Small quarto. xii; 460 pages including two page publisher advertisements. TRAVEL/072021.

Item #35214

Price: $375.00