Haüy - Traité Elémentaire de Physique - 1806

BETWEEN THE FORCES OF MATTER: THE BIRTH OF MODERN PHYSICS
Two-volume edition of Traité élémentaire de physique by René-Just Haüy, one of the foundational texts of physics and crystallography between the 18th and 19th centuries. The work situates itself at a crucial moment in the post-Enlightenment scientific systematization, combining didactic clarity, experimental rigor, and a rich iconographic apparatus intended for the visual comprehension of natural phenomena. A coherent and representative corpus of European scientific culture at the beginning of the 19th century.
MARKET VALUE
The original editions of Traité élémentaire de physique attract steady interest on the market for ancient scientific books, especially when complete with folded plates and in contemporary bindings. For a two-volume copy as the present one, a realistic bulk sale estimate lies approximately between 600 and 800 euros, varying according to the condition of the bindings, the completeness of the plates, and the freshness of the interiors.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Contemporary bindings in marbled calf, board inlaid with a frame of gold-rolled tooling; to the spine red and green morocco labels with author and title in gold. Present are gaps and wear to the bindings. Ownership stamp on the title pages. Illustrated with 12 folded copper-engraved plates. Occasional browning and some stains. In old books with a multi-century history there may be some imperfections, not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 2nn; 30; 448; (2). (2); 2nn; (2); 426; 2nn; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Traité élémentaire de physique.
Paris, Chez Courcier, 1806.
René-Just Haüy.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
René-Just Haüy is regarded as the founder of modern crystallography. In this work he proposes an organic vision of physics, founded on experiments, direct observation, and geometric representation of natural structures. The Traité élémentaire de physique is not merely a didactic manual, but a instrument for disseminating the scientific method, intended for both scholars and academic training. The engraved plates play a central role in transmitting knowledge, translating into images the physical and mineralogical principles laid out in the text.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
René-Just Haüy (1743–1822) was a French physicist, mineralogist, and abbot. Professor at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle and at l’École normale, he is famous for formulating the laws of geometric crystallography and for introducing a systematic classification of crystals. His works achieved European diffusion and deeply influenced the development of physical and natural sciences in the 19th century.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The Traité élémentaire de physique enjoyed wide circulation in France and abroad, with several reissues and new editions in the early decades of the 19th century. The 1806 edition represents one of the first mature arrangements of the text, aimed at an academic and scientific audience.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
BnF, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Haüy catalog
WorldCat, record for Traité élémentaire de physique
DSB – Dictionary of Scientific Biography, entry Haüy