Author: [JOMARD, Edmé François].
Title: Arithmétique élémentaire ou tableaux d'arithmétique composés selon les principes et assujetis aux procédés de l'enseignement mutuel; par M. Jomard, secrétaire de la Societé pour l'enseignement élémentaire.[France?, ca. 1822]. Small folio (ca. 29.5 x 19 cm). With 6 folding text leaves. Contemporary quarter vellum.
Description: [1], 88, [1 blank] ll.Remarkable and well preserved manuscript on arithmetic, especially written as a schoolbook for the new educational system known as "mutual tuition". This system was popular all over Western Europe, and the author, Edmé-François Jomard (1777-1862) was one of its most fervent promoters in France. Together with his colleagues, he took the initiative to renew and improve the methods for learning basic knowledge, in particular reading, writing, arithmetic, and linear drawing. The present manuscript includes Jomard's arithmetic method. It was published under the same title in Paris in 1822, and is now exceedingly rare even in printed form, as only two copies have been recorded in libraries, and none in sales records.The present manuscript is a method for teaching the very basics of artithmetic. It is divided in 8 sections of "classes", which most likely correspond to the 8 groups of the mutual tuition method. The sections increase in difficulty and include exercises. Section 1 teaches the concept of numbers, with beautiful drawings of how to count to 10 on your hands. Section 2 teaches all the numbers higher than 10, and how to write them down properly. The other sections teach addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, and problems. The section on fractions is by far the longest and includes 6 folding leaves which explain the theory in more detail. The work was highly regarded in its own time, as the authors of the Bulletin général et universelles (1823) state: "Nous ne pouvons que conseiller la lecture de cet ouvrage à tous les professeurs chargés de donner des lecons d'arithmétique, même à ceux ci, dans leur cours, vont au delà des éléments; ils y trouveront une clarté, une précision que nous aimons à faire apprécier à nos lecteurs, et qu'on peut proposer comme modèle." The present manuscript is very neatly written in a contemporary hand. It possibly predates the printed work, and may have been the manuscript submitted to the publisher for publication. However, we have not been able to compare it to the printed version. We have also been unable to ascertain whether it was written by Jomard himself, as the manuscript is far more neatly written than other examples of his handwriting that we have found.With 5 leaves with mathematical calculations from a previous owner inserted. The edges and corners of the boards are somewhat scuffed and the boards have been rubbed. The front end paper has torn in the gutter, but the structural integrity of the binding is still intact, a small tear in the outer margin of the final text leaf, slightly affecting one word, fingerprints in the lower margin of some of the leaves, but otherwise internally clean. Overall in good condition.l Bulletin général et universelle des anonces et des nouvelles scientifiques I, p. 175, nr. 280; cf.: Nouvelle biographie générale 26, cols. 871-4; Quérard IV, p. 238 (printed version); WorldCat 912316462 (printed version, 2 copies).

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