Author: THOMPSON Benjamin (COUNT RUMFORD)
Title: An essay on chimney fire-places : with proposals for improving them, to save fuel ... Illustrated with engravings
Description: London? 1796 (3rd edition?) ii, 68pp, 14 bw illustrations on fold out plates 21x14, unbound Covers and title page missing, contents page missing substantial pieces only slightly impacting text, edges of plates rough, a couple of pencil marks. Damaged copy of Rumford's classic work. The pagination matches the description of the third edition, but without the title page and imprint it is difficult to be sure. Rumford (he became a Count of the Holy Roman Empire in 1791 in recognition of his work for the Prince-Elector of Bavaria) was a polymath, whose achievements ranged from furnaces to nutritious soup for the poor. Born in America, he was a Loyalist in the War of Independence, and ended up in London, then Paris and Munich. As well as solving the problems of inefficient fireplaces he helped to found the Royal Institute, and - apparently - invented thermal underwear. One of the great Enlightenment figures.

Keywords: BUILDING


See more books from our catalog: BUILDING