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SINNER, Basilius (1745-1827). Beschreibung des Telegraphen. Füssen: Benedikt Mayr, 1795.
First edition, describing a major event in the history of telecommunications. Mathematician, scientist, linguist and Benedictine, Sinner began experimenting with telegraphy already as a young man. He built a private optical telegraph system independent from – and very likely earlier than – the French system invented by Claude Chappe and premiered in 1791. Sinner had contented himself with demonstrating his system at the Benedictine monastery of St. Mangen at Füssen for some time, and decided to write the present scientific description of telegraphy to satisfy widespread curiosity arising from news of the successful transmission of a message by telegraphy from Paris to Lille on 15 August 1794. Very rare on the market; no copy recorded at auction by ABPC or RBH, and WorldCat cites 9 institutional copies, only one (Strasbourg) outside Germany. VD-18 10697977.
Quarto (214 x 175mm). Engraved title vignette by Müller, 5 folding engraved plates. Contemporary blue-grey paper wrappers.
First edition, describing a major event in the history of telecommunications. Mathematician, scientist, linguist and Benedictine, Sinner began experimenting with telegraphy already as a young man. He built a private optical telegraph system independent from – and very likely earlier than – the French system invented by Claude Chappe and premiered in 1791. Sinner had contented himself with demonstrating his system at the Benedictine monastery of St. Mangen at Füssen for some time, and decided to write the present scientific description of telegraphy to satisfy widespread curiosity arising from news of the successful transmission of a message by telegraphy from Paris to Lille on 15 August 1794. Very rare on the market; no copy recorded at auction by ABPC or RBH, and WorldCat cites 9 institutional copies, only one (Strasbourg) outside Germany. VD-18 10697977.
Quarto (214 x 175mm). Engraved title vignette by Müller, 5 folding engraved plates. Contemporary blue-grey paper wrappers.
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