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BORSON, Étienne Stefano.

(1758 – 1832)

(Born: St. Pietro d'Albigni, Savoy, Italy, 19 October 1758; Died: Turin, Italy, 25 December 1832) Italian cleric & naturalist.

Borson was an Abate and professor of mineralogy at the University of Turin. He also held membership in the Scientific Academy of the city.

Biographical references: ABI: I 189, 278-284. Biographie Universelle. Dizionario Biografico Italiani: 13, ??. Lambrecht & Quenstedt, Catalogus, 1938: 48. Torino, Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze: 37 (1834), ??. Nouvelle Biographie Générale (Hoefer). Poggendorff: 1, col. 244. Vegezzi, G., Nécrologie de M. Étienne Borson, Professeur de Minéralogie à Turin, 1832. 4 p. WBI.

1. French, 1806.
Substances Minérales exploitées dans les Départemens du Piémont et Employées aux Usages des Manufactures des Arts. Échantillons tirés du Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Turin et Envoyés à Paris pour l'Exposition du Mois de Mai 1806 par le Grand Conseil d'Administration de l'Université de Turin. (Catalogue rédigé par É. Borson.) Turin, Impr. de Bianco, 1806.

8°: 16 p.

Very rare. This work catalogs the mineral substances of economic importance found it the area of Piedmont together with descriptions of their uses in industry and art. As a source, Borson describes samples drawn from the large mineral collection of the Natural History Museum in Turin for which he was employed as curator. The text was prepared at the request of the administrators of the University of Turin for an exhibition held in Paris in May 1806.

Bibliographical references: BL [7002.e.1.(7.)]. CBN. LKG: XII 202. NUC [no copy listed].

2. Italian, 1825.
Osservazioni Intorno alle Sostanzi Minerali di cui sono Formati i Monumenti del Museo Egizio ... Torino, 1825.

4°: ?? p.

Very rare. These observations describe the mineral substances used in the creation of the artifacts, amulets, ornaments, jewelry, statuettes, etc. found in the Egyptian section of the University of Turin's collections.

Bibliographical references: Murray, Museums, 1904: 3, 222. NUC [no copy listed].

3. French, 1811 [Collection catalog].
Catalogue | Raisonné | Du | Musée D'Histoire Naturelle | De L'Académie De Turin. | Partie Minéralogique | selon le systeme de M.A. Brongniart | Par Étienne Borson, membre de l'Académie Italiano, | [...2 lines of titles and memberships...] | Tome Premier. | [tapered rule] | Turin, De L'Imprimerie De Vincent Masco | Au Palais De L'Academie. | 1811.

8°: [i]-xiv, [1]-314, [2] p.

Very rare. No more published. First catalog of the large mineral collection accumulated by the Museum of Natural History at Torino, Italy [see note below]. Borson writes in the historical introduction that he originally planned the classification of the minerals along the principles of Werner, but due to the progress of the science, he rearranged the collection according to the classification system of Bronginart. Other volumes were planned but none were published. The catalog was revised and completed in 1830, however [see next entry].

Turin (Torino), Italy. Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali. Italian museum. Founded 1730. The holdings of the mineral collection in Turin are the combination in 1800 of two earlier collections: (1) the University Natural History Museum (founded 1730) by Carlo Emmanuele III, Duke of Savoy and King of Sardina and (2) the Science Academy Museum (founded 1759). From 1805 until 1980 the mineralogical museum has been an autonomous institution operated by the University. In 1980, the collections have been the charge of the Piedmont Regional Council.

Bibliographical references: Burchard, Mineral Museums, 1986: 160 [reproduces the title page]. CBN. Jonathan Hill, Bookseller: cat. 37, no. 40. LKG: XV 53. Murray, Museums, 1904: 3, 223. NUC [no copy listed]. (Turin (Torino), Italy. Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali) Burchard, Mineral Museums, 1986: 160. Petersen, World Directory of Mineral Collections, 1994: 155.

Catalogue Raisonné, 1830

4. French, 1830 [Collection catalog].
Catalogue | Raisonné | De La Collection Minéralogique | Du Musée D'Histoire Naturelle | Par L'Abbé | Étienne Borson | [...7 lines of titles and memberships...] | [ornament] | Turin 1830 | Imperial Royale.

8°: [i]-xviii, [2], [1]-742 p.

Very rare. This work also appears to have been issued under the title: "Catalogue Raisonné de la Collection Minéralogique de l'Université Turin." It is a catalog of the large and important mineralogical collection of the Natural History Museum of Torino [see previous entry note]. The compiler had the duty of overseeing the collection and the responsibility for arranging the cabinet. In the preface he provides a short history of the collections formation. The classification chosen was based on the system of Brongniart.

Bibliographical references: BL [1255.e.9.]. BMC: 1, 204. CBN [no copy listed]. Jonathan Hill, Bookseller: cat. 18, no. 22. NUC [no copy listed].

5. French, 1796.
Lettre à M. Allioni sur les Beaux Arts et en Particulier sur le Cabinet d'Antiquités et d'Histoire Naturelle de Msgr. le Cardinal Borgia à Velletri ... Etienne l'Abbé Borson ... Rome, 1796.

8°: 53 p.

Very rare. This letter addressed to Carlo Allioni describes the items in the cabinet of antiquities and natural history of Cardinal Borgia of Rome.

6. Italian, 1820.
Saggio di orittografia Piemontese ... Stefano Borson ... Partie 1 ... Torino, 1820.

4°: Very rare.

Continuation, 1821: Continuazione del saggio di orittografia piemontese letta nell'adunanza delli 20 maggio 1821 ... Continuazione 1. Torino, 1821. 4°: pp. 297-364, 2 plates.

Continuation, 1825: Saggio di orittografia Piemontese ... Continuazione 2. Torino, 1825. 4°.

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