(Born: Lyon, France, 26 January 1732; Died: Clermont, France, 26 August 1769) French metallurgist & mineralogist.

Jars was educated at school of Pont and Chausses, becoming a mining engineer. He prospected for coal in eastern France, and at the invitation of the French government visited Holland, Germany, Scandinavia in 1766. In 1768, a year before his death, Jars was elected member of the Académie des Sciences de Paris. In 1775 Jars developed process for refining copper which consumed less wood.

Biographical references: ABF: I 539, 242-245. • DBA: I 601, 432-437. • DSB: 7, 78. • Hirsching, Historisch-literarisches Handbuch, 1794-1815. • ISIS, 1913-65: 1, 643. • Jöcher, Gelehrten-Lexikon, Supplement. • Nouvelle Biographie Générale (Hoefer). • Poggendorff: 1, col. 1192. • WBI. • World Who's Who in Science: 874.

Voyage Métallurgiques,1774

1. French, 1774-81 [First edition].
Voyages | Métallurgiques, | Ou | Recherches Et Observations | Sur les Mines & Forges de fer, la Fabrication de l'acier, celle | du fer-blanc, & plusieurs mines de charbon de terre, faites | depuis l'année 1757 jusques & compris 1769, en Allemagne, | Suéde, Norwege, Angleterre & Ecosse. | Suivies | D'un Mémoire sur la circulation de l'air dans les Mines, & d'une | Notice de la Jurisprudence des mines de charbon dans le Pays | de Liege, la Province de Limbourg & le Comté de Namier. | Avec Figures. | Par seu M. Jars, de l'Académie Royale des Sciences de Paris, de celle de | [...2 lines of titles and memberships...] | Dédiés a l'Académie Royale des Sciences de Paris, | Et publiés par M.G. Jars, Correspndant de l'Académie Royale des Sciences | de Paris, & Associé à celle de Lyon. | [rule] | [...2 lines of quotation...] | [rule] | [ornament] | A Lyon, | Chez Gabriel Regnault, Libraire, rue Merciere. | [double rule] | M. DCC. LXXIV. | Avec Approbation Et Privilege.

3 vols. and atlas. (Text) [Vol 1] 4°: [i]-xxxii, [1]-416 p. [Vol 2] 4°: [i]-xxviii, [1]-612 p. [Vol 3] 4°: [i]-viii, [1]-568 p. (Atlas) 2°: 52 engraved plates (some folding).

Contents: [Vol 1] [i-ii], Half title page, "Voyages | Métallurgiques," verso blank.; [iii-iv], Title page, verso blank.; [v-vi], Dedication.; [vii]-xx, "Préface."; xxi-xxviii, "Eloge | De M. Jars."; xxix-xxxii, "Table | Des Matieres."; [1]-416, Text.

[Vol 2] No copy examined.

[Vol 3] [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; iii-viii, "Table | Des | Matieres | Du Tome Troisieme."; [1]-548, Text.; 549-568, "Explication | Des Figures."

Rare in complete copies. First appearance of this comprehensive and well illustrated treatise on theoretical and practical metallurgy, published posthumously by Gabriel's brother, M.G. Jars, who had accompanied him on his journey through Belgium, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, England and Scotland. The French government commissioned Antoine Gabriel Jars to visit mines in these countries, studying their techniques and methods. In this way Jars observed the use of coke in melting iron, and he was the first French metallurgist to apply this technology in an experiment, melting copper with coke in 1769. At first his reports to the French government remained unpublished for fear that foreign governments would profit from this specialist knowledge. However in 1769 after his sudden death Jars's brother began to publish the writings in this first French edition. "Ce livre très estimé, offre, non un itinéraire, mais divers mémoires sur les mines des pays visités par l'auteur: elles sont décrites avec beaucoup d'exactitude; Jars donne leur histoire, les réglements et la forme de leur administration, le mode de leur exploitation ..." (Quérard). The text gives descriptions of mines producing all kinds of metals, the manufacture of azure, white lead, zinc, minium, brass, sulfur, alum, salt, vitriol, bricks, pottery, tiles, coins, etc. The plates show accurate layouts and cross-sections of mines, furnaces, iron and steel works, shafts, mining equipment, plans, and some maps with mining veins indicated.

Bibliographical references: BL [457.b.9-11.]. • Brunet, G., France Litteraire au XVe siecle. Paris, 1865: 3, col. 516. • DSB: 7, 78. • Hoefer, Histoiré de la Chimie, 1866-9: p. 468-469. • Honeyman Sale: no. 1755. • Hoover Collection: no. 452. • Jackson, Bird Etchings, 1985. • Raoul Jagnaux., Histoire de la chimie. Paris, 1891: p. 242-244. • Koch, Geschichte bergmännischen Schrifttums, 1963: p. 223. • LKG: XIV 2* & 3. • NUC. • Partington, History of Chemistry, 1961-70: 3, 101. • Quérard, France Littéraire, 1964: 4, p. 210. • Roller & Goodman, Catalogue, 1976: 2, 8. • Zeitlinger & Sotheran, Bibliotheca Chemico, 1921-52: suppl. 1, no. 6495.

2. German, 1777-85 [German transl.].
Gabriel Jars | [...one line of titles...] | Metallurgische Reisen | zur | Untersuchung und Beobachtung | der vornehmsten | Eisen=, Stahl=, Blech= und Steinkohlen=Werke in | Deutschland, Schweden, Norwegen, England, und | Schottland, vom Jahr 1757 bis 1769. | [ornament] | Aus dem Französisichen übersetzt und mit Anmerckungen begleitet | von | D. Carl Abraham Gerhard | [...one line of titles...] [rule] | Erster Band. | [double rule] | Berlin, 1777 | bey Christian Friedrich Himburg.

4 vols. [Vol 1] 8°: [32], [1]-384 p. [Vol 2] 8°: [2], 385-812 p. [Vol 3] 8°: [14], [1]-484 p. [Vol 4] 8°: [2], 485-1040 p., 31 folded engraved plates and 2 folded tables.

Rare. German tranlation by Carl Abraham Gerhard of Voyage Métallurgiques (Paris, 1774-81).

Bibliographical references: BL [1255.e.1-4.]. • Ferchl: p. 258. • LKG: XIV 4a.

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