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1 AGNESI, Maria Gaetana. Instituzioni analitiche ad uso della gioventu’ Italiana. Milan: Nella Regia-Ducal Corte, 1748 2 volumes, quarto (245 × 185 mm), pp. 1,020. Contemporary mottled calf, twin red and green morocco spine labels, compartments elaborately tooled in gilt with floral and scrollwork motifs, raised bands tooled in gilt, mar- bled endpapers, edges red, green cloth book markers. Engraved vignette title pages, historiated headpieces and initials, decorative tailpieces. With 59 engraved folding plates, plus 2 folding tables to vol. II (not included in pagination, at pp. 705 and 708). With the errata leaves. Contemporary paper library labels to front pastedown of each volume, inscribed in ink “S T[o] mo 41” and “S T[o]mo 42” respectively. Extremities worn with a little loss to spine ends and a single puncture to foot of vol. I, front joints partly split but still firm, a few very faint marks to boards, discreet paper repair to tear at bottom edge of vol. I title leaf, small tear to plate mark of engraved head- piece of vol. I p. 1, some dampstains throughout. In all a very good copy, the contents crisp and bright. first edition of the author’s best-known work, “believed to be the first advanced mathematics book by a woman. The text is one of the earliest by anyone to provide a comprehensive introduction to alge- bra, geometry, differential calculus, integral calculus, and differen- tial equations” (Grolier, p. 73). It is also notable for supplying the first formal presentation of calculus terminology in the Italian language. Relatively well-held institutionally, it is far scarcer in commerce. A native of Milan, Agnesi (1718–1799) quickly distinguished her- self as a prodigy in the subjects of natural philosophy and math- ematics, growing up in a household filled with contemporary scientific works and instruments. The present work, completed after a decade of preparation, was the culmination of her mathe- matical studies. Agnesi dedicated it to Empress Maria Theresa, whose reforms had recently aided the opening of Italian culture to Enlightenment ideas. “To produce the book, a printing press was installed in the family house so that Agnesi could supervise the typesetting—a challenge because of the mathematical symbols and equations. Agnesi’s special interest was the characteristics of plane curves, which are depicted on fifty-eight folding plates” (p. 75). A later mistranslation of the name of one of the cubic curves, which confused the correct “versiera” with “versicra” (meaning witch), led to one particular curve becoming known as the “Witch of Agnesi”.
Analytical Institutions enjoyed great popularity and was praised for its accessibility, particularly in presenting young scholars with more advanced material than that found in other contemporary Europe- an mathematics treatises. In recognition of this, in 1750 Agnesi was awarded the chair of Mathematics and Analytical Geometry at the University of Bologna by Pope Benedict XIV, making her the second woman ever to be granted professorship at a university. Grolier, Extraordinary Women in Science & Medicine , 68. £5,500 [131473] 2 ALLEN, Mary S. The Pioneer Policewoman. London: Chatto & Windus, 1925 Octavo. Original blue cloth, titles to spine in silver, top edge blue, bottom edge untrimmed. With the dust jacket. Photographic portrait frontispiece and 10 photographic plates. A little fading to spine, touch of wear to tips, faint fox- ing to endpapers, tiny mark to head of plates; a very good copy in the scarce, soiled, jacket with loss to spine ends and tips, sticker residue to spine, scuffs to edges and folds, small puncture to rear cover. Together with autograph note on Women’s Auxiliary Service-headed postcard (88 × 140 mm). first edition, presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “with every good wish, from Mary S. Al- len”, and with an autograph note by her loosely inserted: “Hoping you will accept this—If in your part of the world I will certainly let you know. M. S. Allen”. The Pioneer Policewoman was Allen’s (1878– 1964) first published work and details her role as commandant of the Women’s Auxiliary Service from 1920 onwards. It is dedicated to her predecessor in the role, and sometime lover, Margaret Dam- er Dawson, who founded the service in 1914 as the Women Police Volunteers, an independent organisation whose members were trained, uniformed, and prepared to work full time, and which was funded by subscriptions and private donations. Allen was a pio- neering figure in the introduction of women into the British police force. Prior to her role in the WPV Allen was an active suffragette, serving three prison terms in 1909 for her militant activities. While imprisoned she took part in a number of hunger strikes and was repeatedly force-fed. She first “envisaged the idea of women police,
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