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COLLINI, Cosimo Alessandro.

(1727 – 1806)

(Born: Florence, Italy, 14 October 1727; Died: Manheim, Germany, 22 March 1806) Italian naturalist.

Educated in the law, Collini was Voltaire's secretary in Berlin, before becoming home secretary, historian and director of the mineral cabinet at Manheim.

Biographical references: ABI: I 307, 333-336; II 150, 380. Benvenuti, Dizionario degli Italiani all'Estero, 1890. DBA: II 233, 35. Dizionario Biografico Italiani: 27, 63-5. Imperatori, Dizionario di Italiani all'Estero, 1956. NDB. Poggendorff: 1, col. 465 & 1551. WBI.

Journal d'un Voyage, 1776

1. French, 1776 [First edition].
Journal | D'Un | Voyage, | Qui Contient | Differentes | Observations | Mineralogiques; | Particulieremfnt [!] | Sur | Les Agates, Et Le Basalte. | Avec un detail sur la maniere de travailler les Agates. | Par M. Collini. | Sécrétaire intime, Direct. des Cabinets d'Histoire naturelle & Membre de l'Academie des Science. | de S.A. Electorale Palatine. | [ornament] | A Mannheim, | Chez C.F. Schwan, Libraire De La Cour. | [double rule] | M. DCC. LXXVI.

8°: )(6 A-Aa8; 198l.; [i]-xii, [1]-384 p., 14 folding plates. Page size: 176 x 104 mm.

Contents: [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; [iii]-viii, Dedication, signed C. Collini.; [ix]-xii, "Table | Generale." [=contents].; [1]-384, Text.

Plates: The plates are intersperced in the text. Tab. I (pg. 2), Fossils. Tab. II (pg. 14), Shells and teeth. Tab. III (pg. 16), Shells. Tab. IV (pg. 17), Shells. Tab. V (pg. 17), Shells. Tab. VI (pg. 23), Fossils. Tab. VII (pg. 26), Fossils. Tab. VIII (pg. 29), Factory. Tab. IX (pg. 109), Scenic view. Tab. X (pg. 143), Fossils. Tab. XI (pg. 191), Quartz crystals. Tab. XII (pg. 220), Quartz crystals. Tab. XIII (pg. 232), Lapidaires at work. Tab. XIV (pg. 239), Lapidaries at work.

Rare. The work describes the mineralogical and the geological wonders Collini saw on a trip through Europe. He includes descriptions of the mountains traversed, various agates he finds, mercury and copper mines, manufacturing processes, the working of agates in Oberstein, and observations on volcanoes, basalt and quartz. The plates depict shells, fossils, quartz crystals, cave formations, ancient lapidary methods and scenic views.

Bibliographical references: Beckmann P.Ö.B.: 7 (1777), p. 505. BL [990.c.21.]. Gatterer, Mineralogischen Literatur, 1798-9: 1, 77-8. Hoover Collection: no. 229. LKG: XIV 273. Roller & Goodman, Catalogue, 1976: 1, ??. Sinkankas, Gemology Bibliography, 1993: no. 1412. Ward & Carozzi, Geology Emerging, 1984: no. 496.

2. German, 1777 [German transl.].
C. Collini | Tagebuch einer Reise | welches | verschiedene mineralogische Beobachtungen | besonders über die Agate und den | Basalt enthält; | nebst einer Beschreibung der Verarbeitung | der Agate. | [rule] | Aus dem Französischen übersetzt | und mit Anmerkungen begleitet | von | J.S. Schroter. | [...3 lines of titles and memberships...] | [ornate rule] | Mannheim, | bei C.F. Schwan, kuhrfürstl. Hofbuchhändler. | 1777.

8°: )(8 A-Nn8 Oo4; 250l.; [16], [1]-582, [2] p. Page size: 180 x 108 mm.

Rare. Translation by Johann Samuel Schröter of Journal d'un Voyage (Mannheim, 1776).

Bibliographical references: Allgemeine Deutsche Bibliothek: Anhang, 25-36, p. 1160. BL [973.b.15.]. Friess, Johann Samuel Schröter, 1983: 93 [no. 6]. Gatterer, Mineralogischen Literatur, 1798-9: 1, 78. LKG: XIV 274a. Sinkankas, Gemology Bibliography, 1993: no. 1413.

3. French, 1781.
Considerations sur les Montagnes Volcaniques. avec une Table et une Carte ... Mannheim, Chez Schwan et Fontaine, 1781.

4°: 64 p., map. Very scarce.

Bibliographical references: Hoover Collection: no. 228. LKG: XIII 273.

4. German, 1783 [German transl.].
Betrachtungen über die vulkanischen Berge. Aus dem Französisch übersetzt. Nebst einer Tabelle über die Gebirge. Dresden, 1783.

8°:

Very scarce. Translation by A.T. von Gersdorf.

Bibliographical references: LKG: XIII 274a.

5. French, 1805.
Remarques sur la pierre elastique du Bresil et notices sur les marbres flexibles. Mannheim, 1805.

8°: Very scarce.

Bibliographical references: LKG: XVI 377.

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