(Born:     ; Died:     ) Russian artist.

Wagner was the official painter for the Royal Society of Naturalist in Moscow. He held membership in the mineralogical societies of St. Petersburg and Jena.

Notizen über die Mineralien-Sammlung, 1818

1. German, 1818 [Collection catalog].
Notizen | über die | Mineralien-Sammlung | Sr. Excellenz Des Herren | D^r's Alexander's Von Crichton, | Wirklichen Staatsrathes, Kais. Russ. Leibartztes, General- | Stab- Doctor's Des Medicinal-Civil-Wesens, Ritters Des | Heil. Wladimir's Zweyter Classe, und Vieler Gelehr- | ten Gesellschaften Mitgliedes. | Von Joseph Friedrich Wagner, Akademischen Mahler'n, der Kaiserlichen Gesellschaft der Natur- | forscher zu Moskwa, der mineralogischen Gesellschaften zu St. | Petersburg und zu Jena Mitgliede. | [ornament] | Moskwa, | Gedruckt bey August Semen, | Buchdrucker der Kaiserlichen Medicinisch-Chirurgischen Akademie. | [ornate rule] | M. DCCC. XVIII.

4°: π⁸ 1-17⁴; 76l.; [8], [i]-v, [2], [1] blank, [1]-134, [2] blank p., frontispiece portrait, 18 engraved plates. Sinkankas (1993) gives the slightly different pagination, [4], v, [2], [1] blank, [4], 134 p., with the dedication following the errata. Page size: 258 x 210 mm.

Contents: [2 pgs], Half title page, "Notizen über Mineralien-Sammlung Sr. Excellenz des Herrn Dr's Alexander's von Crichton," verso blank.; [2 pgs], Title page, verso paragraph in Russian.; [Portrait of Gotthelf von Fischer.]; [1 pg], Dedication to Gotthelf von Fischer.; [1 pg], Blank.; [2 pgs], Preface, dated March 1818.; [i]-v, "Nöthiges Vorwort."-dated 26 April 1819.; [2 pgs], "Druckfehler."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-10, "Mineralogische Notizen."; [11]-97, "I. Klasse. Erd- und Stein-Arten."; [98]-134, "II. Klasse. Brennbare Wesen."; [2 pgs], Blank.; [At end], 18 plates.

Plates: The frontispiece and 18 plates are all finely engraved by Wagner. They consist of: Frontispiece portrait of D^r Gotthelf Fischer of Waldheimeiser. I. Topas (figs. 1-7). II. Topas (figs. 8-16). III. Beryll (figs. 1-13). IV. Beryll (figs. 14-18). V. Beryll (fig. 19). VI. Beryll (figs. 20-24). VII. Beryll (figs. 25-30). VIII. Beryll (figs. 31-35). IX. Grüner Feldspath (figs. 1-2). X. Grüner Feldspath (figs. a-b). XI. Šiberit Tourmaline Hauy (figs. 1-4). XII. Siberit (figs. 5-12). XIII. Baicalit (figs. 1-2) & Glimmer (figs. 3-4). XIV. Versteinerungen (1 fig.). XV. Krystallisirtes gediegenes Kupfer (1 fig.). XVI. Krystallisirten Malachit (2 figs.). XVII. Cuivre hydrate Hauy (2 figs.). XVIII. Bleyerze (5 figs.).

Rare. This book describes and realistically illustrates Sir Alexander Crichton's fine collection of Russian minerals. Crichton's collection was eventually sold at auction in April 1827 [for a description of this catalog, see under Crichton]. The volume begins with an historical introduction discussing the collecting of minerals in Russia, including brief sketches of the prominent collectors and their collections. Descriptions of Crichton's finest specimens follow, including numerous topaz, beryl, and tourmaline crystals. Complimenting many of the descriptions are the plates which contain the author's very good renderings of many of the discussed specimens. Wagner also executed the fine portrait of Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim that is used as a frontispiece.

Bibliographical references: Agassiz, Bibliographia Geologiæ, 1848-54: 4, 524. • BL [1254.i.20.]. • NUC: 644, 374 [NW 0014110]. • Partsch, Katalog der Bibliothek, 1851: no. 486. • Sinkankas, Gemology Bibliography, 1993: no. 6955 [gives the wrong year]. • Wilson, History of Mineral Collecting, 1994: 81-2 & 184.

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