(Born: Madrid, Spain, 10 November 1764; Died: Mexico City, Mexico, 23 March 1849) Spanish mineralogist.

Del Río was educated in theology and classical languages at San Isidro, Spain. Because of his excellent scholarship he was sent to study at the Freiberg Bergakademie under A.G. Werner. On his travel back to Spain, he made excursions throughout the mining districts of Europe, learning as much as possible. In France, he became associated with A. Lavoisier in Paris, but when the French chemist was seized, Del Río was forced to flee to England. In 1793, he was appointed the first professor of mineralogy at the newly formed Colegio de Minería (School of Mines) in Mexico City. While there he was the first to recognize in the mineral vanadinite a new element he named erthronium. Samples he sent to Europe for confirmation were wrongly said to contain only chromium, and it was not until later that it was shown Del Río was the first discover of the element now know as vanadium.

Biographical references: ABE: I 799, 325-336; II 767, 237-241; III 390, 173-175. • Alessio Robles, V., El ilustre Maestro Andrés Manuel del Río. Mexico, 1937. 31 p., portrait. • Arnáiz y Freg, A., "Don Andrés del Río, descubridor del Eritrono (Vanadio)", Rev Historia de América, 25, (1948), 27-68. • DSB: 11, 464-5 [by W.T. Hosler]. • ISIS, 1913-65: 1, ??. • Maffei & Rua Figuera, Bibliografía Mineral, 1871-2: 3, 88-93. • Poggendorff: 2, col. 647. • Ramírez, S., Biografia del Sr.D. Andrés Manuel del Río Primer Catedrático de Mineralogiá del Colegio de Minéria. Mexico, Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, 1891, 56 p., one plate. • Sarjeant, Geologists, 1980: 3, 1985 & Suppl. 2 (1986), 2, 572-3. • WBI. • Weeks, Discovery of the Elements, 1934: 225-35. • Wilson, History of Mineral Collecting, 1994: 141-2. • World Who's Who in Science: 440.

Elementos de Orictognosia, 1795

1. Spanish, 1795 [First edition, part 1].
Elementos | De | Orictognosia, | ò del conocimiento de los fósiles, | dispuestos, | segun los principios de A.G. Wérner, | para el uso | Del Real Seminario | De Mineria De México, | Por Andrés Manuel del Rio | [...4 lines of titles and memberships...] | Primera Parte, | que comprehende | Las Tierras, Piedras Y Sales | [rule] | con superior permiso. | [ornate rule] | Impresos en México: por Don Mariano Joseph de Zú- | ñiga y Ontiveros, calle del Espíritu Santo, | Año de 1795.

4°: vi, 28, xl, 172 p. Page size: 200 x 142 mm.

Very scarce. The first textbook of mineralogy to be published in North America, this important Mexico City imprint is also the first critical exposition of Werner's theories to be written in Spanish. It was authored and used by Del Río in the mineralogy courses he taught at the newly founded Colegio de Minería (School of Mines) in Mexico City. This course in mineralogy was probably the first formal instruction in the subject in the Americas, and it was Del Río's leadership and excellence as a teacher that brought modern scientific and engineering methods into the mining industry of Mexico. The book reflects Del Río's methods by not simply repeating his former teacher's ideas. Instead the author introduces critical remarks when research as shown other explanations for a particular phenomena, he uses Lavoisier's chemical theories to explain physical qualities, and he includes accounts of his own discoveries. It is a work important in the history of mineralogy in Mexico and the introduction of European scientific methods to the New World. This volume describes the earths, stones and salts. A second remarkably rare volume published in 1805 completes the descriptions by covering the combustibles, metals and rocks.

The Colegio was the first institution of technical education founded in the Americas. Graduates of its comprehensive four-year curriculum, were then assigned to a two-year apprenticeship in one of the many mining districts of the Spanish colonies. Later, they would be promoted to inspectors of mines and given opportunities to work in Spain, Mexico, Central America, and the Philippine Islands.

Facsimile reprint, 1992: Elementos de Orictognosia | 1795-1805 | Andrés Manuel del Río | [ornament] | Edición y estudio introductorio: | Raúl Rubinovich Kogan | [...4 organization logos...] | [rule] | Universidad Nacional Autónoma De México | México, 1992.

Reprints the first edition, parts one and two, of Río's Elementos de Orictognosia, together with a long introductory essay by Raúl Rubinovich Kogan on Río and his mineralogical work.

Bibliographical references: Amorós, Werner's Mineralogical Ideas in Spain, 1967. • Dana's 7th (Bibliography): 79. • LKG: XII 142. • Maffei & Rua Figuera, Bibliografía Mineral, 1871-2: 2, 92-3, no. 2114. • NUC: 495, 620-1 [NR 0288671]. • Palau, Manual, 1948-77: no. 268177.

2. Spanish, 1805 [First edition, part 2].
Elementos | De Orictognosia, | {�OD3;} Del Conocimiento De Los Fósiles, | Dispuestos, | Segun Los Principios De A.G. Wérner, | Para El Uso | Del Real Seminario | De Minería De México, | Por Don Andres Manuel Del Rio. | Segunda Parte, | Que Comprehende | Combutibles, Metales Y Rocas, | Seguidos | De La Introduccion A La Pasigrafía Geológica | Del Señor Baron De Humbolt | Inédita Hasta Ahora Con Tres Láminas. | [rule] | Con Superior Permiso. | [double rule] | México: | En la Imprenta de Don Mariano de Zúñiga y Ontiveros. | Año de 1805.

4°: π⁴ A-Z⁴ 2A-2B⁴ 2C³; 107l.; [2], I-XII, 1-200 p., 3 folding plates showing geological diagrams. Very rare.

Contents: [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; I-XII, "Introduccion" [reviews the system of Karsten].; 1-174, Text.; 175-192, "Adiciones Y Correcciones | Al Primer Tome."; 193-200, "Indice." [index to both parts].

Bibliographical references: Maffei & Rua Figuera, Bibliografía Mineral, 1871-2: 2, 92-3, no. 2114.

Elementos de Orictognosía, 1832

3. Spanish, 1832 [2nd edition, part 1].
Elementos | de | Orictognosía, | ó del | Conocimiento de los Fósiles, | segun el sistema de Bercelio; | y segun los | Principios de Abraham Góttlob Wérner. | Con la | Sinonimia | Inglesa, Alemana y Francesa, | para uso del | Seminario Nacional de Minería | de México. | [tapered rule] | Por el C. Andres del Rio, | [...2 lines of titles and memberships...] | [tapered rule] | Parte Práctica-Segunda Edicion. | [tapered rule] | Filadelfia: | Imprenta de Juan F. Hurtel. | 1832.

4°: π⁴ [A]-Z⁴ 2A-2Z⁴ 3A-3Z⁴ 4A-4P⁴ 4Q⁶; 346l.; [i]-vii, [1] blank, [1]-683, [1] p., 24 plates of crystal drawings.

Contents: [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; [iii]-vii, "Prologo."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-658, Text.; 659-670, "Indice Castellano."; 671-683, "Indice Ingles, Aleman y Frances."; [1], "Correcciones y Adiciones."; [At end], 24 plates.

Very scarce. This volume describes the practical part of mineralogy. The first portion titled, "Caractéres de las Géneros y de Algunas Especies," gives a synopsis listing of mineral species. The volumes remainder is a descriptive mineralogy of commonly encountered species. A second part was published in 1846 which contains a more thorough descriptive mineralogy.

Bibliographical references: Maffei & Rua Figuera, Bibliografía Mineral, 1871-2: 2, 92-3, no. 2114. • NUC: 495, 620-1 [NR 0288672]. • Palau, Manual, 1948-77: no. 268178.

4. Spanish, 1846 [2nd edition, part 2].
Elementos | De | Orictognosía | {�OD3;} Del | Conocimiento De Los Fosiles, | Sequn El Sistema Del Baron Bercelio, | Y Segun Los | Principios De Abraham Gottlob Werner, | Para Uso Del | Seminario Nacional De Mineria. | [ornate rule] | Por el C. Andres Del Rio, | [...7 lines of titles and memberships...] | [ornate rule] | Parte Preparatoria.-Segunda Edicion. | [ornate rule] | México. | [rule] | Imprenta de R. Rafael, calle de Cadena num. 13. | [rule] | 1846.

4°: π¹⁶ 3-18⁶; 113l.; [30], [i]-xxvii, [1], [1]-167, [1] p., 5 folding plates (numbered I-V; showing mostly crystal drawings and apparatus). Page size: 220 x 134 mm.

Contents: [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; [1 pg], Dedication to Don José Gomez de la Cortina.; [1 pg], Blank.; [3 pgs], "Prólogo."; [1 pg], Blank.; [21 pgs], "Characteres esteriores | -De- | Los Fósiles, | Dispuestos Sistemáticamente | Por Tablas."; [1 pg], Blank.; [i]-xxvii, "Caracteres De Los Fosiles Por Orden Alfabetico."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-158, Text.; [159]-160, "Indice De Lo Mas Principal."; 161-167, "Erratas."; [1 pg], Blank.

Rare. Second volume of the second edition of Elementos de Orictognosía (Filadelfia, 1832). This volume contains a descriptive mineralogy.

Bibliographical references: LKG: XII 142. • Maffei & Rua Figuera, Bibliografía Mineral, 1871-2: 2, 92-3, no. 2114. • NUC: 495, 620-1 [NR 0288673].

5. Spanish, 1848 [2nd edition, suppl.].
Suplemento | De | Adiciones Y Correcciones | De Mi Mineralogia, | impresa en Filadelfia en 1832; | Esto es, diez y seis años hace, en cuyo tiempo se han hecho en Europa y en los Estados-Unidos varios | descubrimientos que les importa saber á los alumnos de Minería | Por el ciudadano Andrés del Rio. | [...2 lines of titles and memberships...] | [ornament] | Mexico. | [wavy rule] | Tipografia de R. Rafael, calle de Cadena núm. 13. | [wavy rule] | 1848.

8°: *³ B-Q⁸ R⁴; 127l.; [8], [3]-247, [1] p., frontispiece (portrait of Del Rio), one folding plate (size, 210 x 250 mm.; showing crystal drawings and diagrams). Page size: 210 x 125 mm.

Contents: [Frontispiece].; [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; [1 pg], Dedication to D. Luis de la Rosa.; [1 pg], "Cui lecta potenter erit res | ..."; [4 pgs], "Introduccion."; [3]-217, "Lista Critica, | por {�OD3;}rden Alfabético."; [218], Blank.; [219]-240, "Errata | De | La Sequnda Parte | De Mineralogía."; [241]-243, "Apendice De Otros Fosiles."; [244], Blank.; [245]-247, "Errata De Este Suplemento."; [1 pg], Blank.

Rare. Supplemental volume to the second edition of Elementos de Orictognosía (Filadelfia & Mexico, 1832-46), containing some of the author's last researchs. The fine portrait shows the head and bust of del Río.

Bibliographical references: Maffei & Rua Figuera, Bibliografía Mineral, 1871-2: 2, 92-3, no. 2114. • NUC: 495, 620-1 [NR 0288678]. • Palau, Manual, 1948-77: no. 268183.

Nuevo sitema mineral del Sr. Bercelio, del año de 1825, traducido del francés, con algunas notas y adiciones por ... Don Andres Manuel Del Rio (México, 1827).
See under: Berzelius, Jöns Jakob.

Tablas mineralogicas dispuestas segun los descubrimientos mas recientes é ilustradas con notas por D.L.G. Karsten ... Traducida ... por Don Andres Manuel Del Rio (México, 1804).
See under: Karsten, Dietrich Ludwig Gustav.

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