Louis de Launay - Monge fondateur de l'École Polytechnique - 1933

LAUNAY, Louis de (1860–1938).
A Great Frenchman. Monge, Founder of the École Polytechnique.
Paris, Éditions Pierre Roger, 140 boulevard Saint-Germain, 1933.
Large octavo, 280 pp., with 8 black plates outside the text, including the portrait of Gaspard Monge as frontispiece. Original illustrated publisher’s wrappers with flaps, featuring an elegant architectural design printed in brown and red, signed Jacques Aubert.
First edition. The work’s standard bibliographical collation is 280 pages with 8 plates outside the text, as confirmed by copies listed in public libraries and on the antiquarian market.
Special issue
Copy from the exceptionally rare issue on fine paper, as stated in the limitation notice:
“25 copies of this work have been printed on Lafuma laid paper, numbered”
Copy no. 20 of the only 25 numbered copies on Lafuma laid paper.

Copy complete with the eight plates outside the text called for in this edition:
1. Profil de Monge à soixante-cinq ans, by Naigeon – frontispiece;
2. L’École du génie à Mézières, facing p. 16;
3. L’habitation de Monge à Mézières, facing p. 32;
4. Départ de Rome d’un convoi d’objets d’art recueillis par Monge et ses collègues, facing p. 160;
5. L’arrivée à Paris du convoi des objets d’art provenant d’Italie, facing p. 176;
6. Portraits de Monge et de Berthollet, facing p. 208;
7. Le combat de Chebrérys et le jardin de l’Institut d’Égypte, facing p. 210;
8. Soldats français à dromadaire, facing p. 224.
The Table des planches included in this copy confirms the complete series of eight illustrations.

Contents and historical significance
A substantial biography of Gaspard Monge (1746–1818), mathematician, creator of descriptive geometry, and a central figure in the founding of the École Polytechnique.
Louis de Launay traces Monge’s scientific education, his work at the École du Génie in Mézières, his role during the French Revolution, his tenure as Minister of the Navy, his participation in the Italian mission to collect works of art, the Egyptian expedition, his relations with Bonaparte, and his scientific and teaching activities.
The work also includes appendices devoted to Monge’s writings and manuscripts and to his iconography.
The volume is of particular interest to collections devoted to the history of mathematics, geometry, the École Polytechnique, the French Revolution, and the history of French scientific institutions.

Condition
Very good to fine copy in the original publisher’s wrappers.
High-quality Lafuma laid paper, still bright and fresh, with generous untrimmed margins.
Of particular bibliophilic interest is the presence of numerous gatherings still unopened, with uncut leaves, evidence that the copy has been handled very little since publication.
All eight plates outside the text are present and well preserved. Text complete through p. 280.
Slight waviness and minor signs of age to the wrappers and leaves, small marginal flaws consistent with the untrimmed state of the copy; no serious loss or visible damage.