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HERON DE VILLEFOSSE, Antoine Marie.

(1774 – 1852)

(Born: Paris, France, 21 June 1774; Died: Normandy, France, 6 June 1852) French mining engineer.

From 1801 to 1807, Héron de Villefosse was an engineer ordinary of mines, then Napoléon appointed him General-Inspector of all mines and manufacturing from the Rhein to the Weichsel. As such, he moved to Clausthal in Austria in 1809. After the restauration he became an advisor to the new government in a number of positions. In 1816, he was elected to the Academy of Science in Paris.

Biographical references: ABF: I 515, 248-255. Nouvelle Biographie Générale (Hoefer). Poggendorff: 1, cols. 1085-6. WBI.

De La Richesse Minérale, 1819

1. French, 1819 [First edition].
De La | Richesse Minérale. | [wavy rule] | Considérations | Sur Les Mines, Usines Et Salines Des Différens États, | Présentées Comparativement, | 1.° Sous le raport des produits et de l'admininistration, dans une première | division, intitulée Division Économique; | 2.° Sous le rapport de l'état actuel de l'art des mines et usines, dans une | seconde division, intitulée Division Technique; | (Avec un Atlas in-folio de 65 planches.) | Par A.M. Héron De Villefosse | [...4 lines of titles and memberships...] | [rule] | [...one line of quotation, signed Tacit...] | [rule] | Tome Premier. | Division Economique, | Paris, | Se trouve chez Treuttel et Würtz, Libraires, rue de Bourbon, n.° 17; | dans la même maison de commerce, à Strasbourg, rue des Serruriers; | et à Londres, 30, Soho square. | [rule] | 1819.

[Title of atlas reads:]

Atlas | De La Richesse Minérale, Recueil De Faits Gèognostiques Et De Faits Industriels. | Statant l'état actuel de l'art des mines et usines, par des exemples authentic | rés de célèbres établissemens, et rendus sensibles à l'œil, au moyen de | présentation géomètrique des objets; | Par A.M. Héron De Villefosse, | [...3 lines of titles and memberships...] | Longum per præcepta, breve per exemplum, item. | [Vingette: an underground mining scene] | Paris, 1819.

3 vols. [Vol 1] π6 a-c4 d3 1-744 752; 317l.; [10], [i]-xxix, [1], [1]-593, [3] p. Folding tables at pages 27, 50 (2), 102 (3), 114 (4), 116, 120 (3), 129 (4), 133, 153, 156, 168, 192, and 240. [Vol 2] π2 a-b4 1-704; 290l.; [4], [i]-xvi, [1]-559, [1] p. [Vol 3] a-c4 1-674 681; 281l.; [4], [i]-xx, [1]-538 p. [Atlas] 2°: [2] p., 65 large engraved plates (some folding, some partly hand-colored and some double-page), engraved vignette of a mine on the title page. Page size: Text 258 x 188 mm.; Atlas 440 x 560 mm.

Contents: [Vol 1] [2 pgs], Half title page, "De | La Richesse Minérale," verso blank.; [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; [1 pg], "Avis Des Librarires."; [1 pg], Blank.; [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank (repeated!).; [1 pg], "Avis." (repeated!).; [1 pg], Blank.; [2 pgs], Title page dated 1810.; [i]-xiv, "Avant Propos."; [xv]-xxix, "Table Des Matières."; [1 pg], "Nota. Les Tableaux..."; [1]-593, Text.; [3 pgs], "Errata."; [At end], Large folding colored map, "Carte Du Royaume De Westphalie.";

[Vol 2] [2 pgs], Half title page, "De | La Richesse Minérale," verso blank.; [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; [i]-ii, "Avertissement."; iii-xvi, "Table Des Matières."; [1]-559, Text.; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 3] [2 pgs], Half title page, "De | La Richesse Minérale," verso blank.; [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; [i]-xx, "Table Des Matières."; [1]-526, Text.; 527-538, "Table Alphabétique."

[Atlas] [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; Plates 1-65.

Rare. The most significant work on the mines and the metallurgy at the beginning of the 19th century. The first volume describes the mines and the factories of Germany and other countries of Europe. The second, techniques of exploitation of the mines. The third, techniques of ore processing and metallurgy. A very large folio Atlas supplements the work. It is illustrated by a beautiful engraved title and 65 plates engraved by Weiss and Baltard and 3 double-page maps. A great number of these plates have extendible and moving parts attached. The title page of the atlas says that it describes the mineral richness, collection of geognostic and industrial facts, noting the current state of art of the mines and the factories. The work was begun in 1810 and lasted for nine years.

A superbly produced atlas which belongs to Héron de Villefosse very scarce work 'De la richesse minérale, considérations sur les mines, usines, saline etc. Paris 1810-1819. The first large double-page map has the following title 'Carte des pays entre l'Elbe et le Rhin suivant le cours du Weser, indiquant la situation des mines, usines, salines, carrières et autres atéliers relatifs à la richesse minérale; the second large double plate 'Carte des montagnes du Hartz (Bergmännische Karte vom Harz)', the third large double-plate 'Carte des montagnes métallifères qui séparent la Saxe de la Bohème (Bergmännische Karte vom Erzgebirge)', the other plates show plans of mines, machinery etc.

Prospectus, 1811: De la Richesse minerale, par Mr. Heron de Villefosse. Extrait par M. Patrin. Paris, J.-B. Sajou, 1811. 8°: 44 p. Rare.

Bibliographical references: BL. Ferchl: 231. LKG: XIV 5 & 6a.

2. German, 1822-39 [German transl.].
Heron de Villfosse, | [...4 lines of titles and memberships...] | über den | Mineral=Reichtum. | [tapered rule] | Betrachtungen | über | die Berg=, Hütten= und Salzwerke verschiedener Staaten, | sowohl hinsichtlich ihrer Production und Verwaltung, als | auch des jetzigen Zustandes der Berbau= und | Hüttenkunde. | Deutsch bearbeitet | von | Carl Harmann. | [ornament] | Erster Band. | Oekonomischer Theil. | [rule] | Nebst einem Atlas mit 40 lithographirten Tafeln. | [tapered rule] | Sondershausen, 1822, | bey Berhard Friedrich Voigt.

5 vols and atlas. [Vol 1: 1822] 8°: *8 **6 1-278 282; 232l.; [i]-xxvi, [2], [1]-436 p. [Vol 2: 1822] 8°: *8 **2 1-418 424; 343l.; [i]-xx, [1]-663, [3] p. [Vol 3: 1822] 8°: 1-438; 344l.; [1]-688 p. [Vol 4: 1839] 8°: π1 16 218 2-388 391 408; 320l.; [i]-xiv, [1]-624, [2] p. [Vol 5: 1839] 8°: π6 1-578; 462l.; [i]-xii, [1]-910, [2] p. [Atlas] [4] p., 36 plates (partially colored, some folding). Page size: Text, 202 x 120 mm.; Atlas, 425 x 272 mm.

Contents: [Vol 1] [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; [iii]-viii, "Verzeichniß | der resp. Herren Subscribenten auf dieses Werk."; [ix]-xii, "Vorwort des Uebersetzers."-signed C. Hartmann, August 1822.; xiii-xiv, "Vorwort des Verfassers."; xv-xxvi, "Inhalt | des ersten Bandes."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1 pg], "Zur Nachricht."; [1], Sectional title page, "Ueber | den Mineral=Reichtum | [rule] | Oekonomischer Theil. | ..."; [2], Blank.; [3]-432, Text.; 433, "Verbesserungen im ersten Bande."; 434-436, "Bücher=Anzeigen."

[Vol 2] [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; [iii]-xx, "Inhalt | des zweyten Bandes."; [1], Sectional title page, "Ueber | den Mineral=Reichtum | [rule] | Technischer Theil. | ..."; [2], Blank.; [3]-663, Text.; [1 pg], "Erfurt, 1822 | ..."; [1 pg], "Verbesserungen im zweyten Bande."; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 3] [1-2], Sectional title page, "Ueber | den Mineral=Reichtum. | ..."; [3]-688, Text.

[Vol 4] [i-ii], Blank, verso series title page.; [iii-iv], Title page, verso blank.; [v]-viii, "Vorwort."-signed Hartmann, 24 June 1839.; ix-xiv, "Inhalt des vierten Bandes."; [1], Sectional title page.; [2], Blank.; [3]-618, Text.; [619], "Anhang."; [620], Blank.; [621]-624, Text of the supplement.; [1 pg], "Berichtigungen und Druckfehler."; [1 pg], Publisher's list.

[Vol 5] [i-ii], Blank, verso series title page.; [iii-iv], Title page, verso blank.; [v]-xii, "Inhalt des fünften (oder zweiten Supplement=) | Bandes."; [1], Sectional title page, "Ueber | der Mineral-Reichtum. | ... | Fünfter Band. | ..."; [2], Blank.; [3]-908, Text.; [909]-910, "Nachschrift."-signed Hartmann, December 1839.; [2 pgs], Publisher's list.

[Atlas] [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; [2 pgs], Listing of the 36 plates.; 36 double-size plates folded at the center, partly colored.

Very rare. Translation by Carl Harmann of De La Richesse Minérale (Paris, 1819). The rare text volumes consist of translations of Héron de Villefosse's text, together with two volumes of supplements published 1839-40. According to the register, only 117 copies of this translation were ordered in advance. The exceptional atlas illustrates the main volumes and provides extraoridnary and faithful plates. These renderings show mining insturments, profiles of silver mines, mills, crushers, various steam engines, mercury distilling furnaces, etc. With the supplements 20 additional plates were prepared which are almost always missing.

Bibliographical references: BL.

3. German, 1808.
Nouvellement des Harzgebirges mit dem Barometer. Aus dessen Papieren gezogen von L.W. Gilbert. With a profile of the Harz moutains. Halle, 1808.

8°: Very scarce.

Bibliographical references: LKG: XIV 179.

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