W. T. Suffolk — On Spectrum Analysis As Applied to Microscopical Observation

London, John Browning, 1873 . First edition. Cloth. A very scarce first edition of this educational microscopy work, featuring illustrations by the author. The first edition. Very scarce. In the publisher's original cloth binding. Illustrated with a colour frontispiece and six further monochrome plates. Collated, complete. A fascinating microscopy work on the application of spectrum analysis for contemporary microscope use. This work is an elaboration on a 1872 lecture delivered at the South London Microscopical and Natural History Club, initially published in Microscopical Manipulation, this edition featuring extensive appendices and the plates, as drawn by the author, William Thomas Suffolk. In the publisher's original cloth binding. Ex-libris copy with the bookplate of Wican Free Public Library to the front paste down and a further stamp and archival markings to the title page. Both endpapers are loose but present, the front free endpaper featuring a previous ownership remark, dated 1910. Externally, moderate to significant shelf wear with loss of cloth most prominent to the joints, spine head, tail and tips. Cracking also to the joints, leaving the boards particularly vulnerable, further marking to the boards, and an archival sticker to the spine tail. Internally, delicately bound, especially fragile to the hinges and to Plate II, which is loose but present. Tide mark to the bottom edge of the frontispiece and again, more faintly, to the fore edge of pages 32 through 39. Sporadic spotting throughout, noticeably heavier to the first and last few pages. Good Only . Ill.: W. T. Suffolk. Good Only .