Oryctographie de Bruxelles ou Description des fossiles tant naturels qu'accidentels découverts jusqu'a ce jour dans les environs de cette ville.

Folio: engr. title-152 pp.; 32 pl. (lower corner of engr. title sl. soiled and underl., faint water stains on lower gutter on some quires at the beginning).

Mod. cardboard binding, renewed endpapers (edges frayed). Uncut copy.

First edition of this study on fossils by the medical advisor of Charles de Lorraine and member of several academies in Europe Fr.-X. de Burtin (1743-1818). He was famous for his cabinet of natural sciences and his important collection of paintings. Illustrated with an engr. title by A. Pris after M.J. Speeckaert and 32 engr. plates showing fossils and shells by A. Pris, J. Balconi, de la Rue and others, after Dareaux, M.J. Speeckaert, Balconi, and others; all but four printed in sepia and finished by hand. Including an interesting list of subscribers giving information on the scientific cabinets of various personalities in Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland a.o. Lomenie de Brienne, the Count of Robiano, Gigot d'Orcy, Joubert or the darling son of the Prince of Ligne, Charles ("Ce jeune seigneur commence à former un cabinet d'histoire naturelle et de physique expérimentale. Puisse son exemple être imité !").
Ref. Landwehr (Coloured plates) 49. - Nissen (ZBI) 769. - Opac KBR. - BnF.
Prov. "A. Grosjean" (ms. entry on dedication p.).