HUGGINS, William. On the Results of Spectrum Analysis applied to the Heavenly Bodies. A Discourse Delivered at Nottingham, Before the British Association, August 24, 1866. London: W. Ladd, [1866].

HUGGINS, William. On the Results of Spectrum Analysis applied to the Heavenly Bodies. A Discourse Delivered at Nottingham, Before the British Association, August 24, 1866. London: W. Ladd, [1866].

Small 8o. Advertising slip for latern slides illustrating Huggin's lecture and 2-page advertisement at end. 18 ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS MOUNTED IN TEXT and one additional photograph (of stereoscopic apparatus) laid-in. (Occasional pale spotting.) Original plum embossed flexible cloth, gilt-lettered on front cover (joints tender, spine a little faded). Provenance: J. Parnell (signature on front free endpaper).

FIRST EDITION OF HUGGINS'S SCARCE PHOTOGRAPHICALLY ILLUSTRATED WORK, explaining his pioneer use of the spectroscope and his method of analysing the results gained from his observations. A number of the illustrations show spectroscopic representations of Huggins's observations, two show his equipment, seven show various different nebula and the last shows the spectrum of Comet I. The publisher, W. Ladd, was a manufacturer of microscopes and other scientific instruments; the leaf of advertisements offers eight different sorts of spectroscopic instruments and "The Complete Set of Photographs on Glass... Suitable for the Lantern" designed to compliment the work. SCARCE: no copies appear in ABPC in the last quarter century.