Lot 248: HUMBOLDT, Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von (1769-1859). Kosmos, Ent

HUMBOLDT, Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von (1769-1859). Kosmos, Entwurf einer physischen Weltbeschreibung. Stuttgart and Tübingen: J.G. Cotta, 1845- 1862 [text]; Stuttgart: Krais & Hofman (n.d.) [atlas]. First edition. 'One of the last really comprehensive physical surveys ever to be attempted' (PMM). Humboldt's last and most important work, which occupied the last 30 years of his life, and of which volume 5 was published posthumously from his notes. This ambitious work was intended, as Humboldt described it, to 'represent in one work the whole material world, everything we know today of the phenomena in the celestial spaces and of life on earth, from the nebulae to the geography of mosses on granite rocks...' Volumes 1 and 2 were extremely popular on publication, although Volumes 3 and 4, which contained the author's special research fndings, were less immediately successful. Volume 5 contains an index prepared to Humboldt's directions, citing over 9000 of the sources he drew upon, making the work an important reference for the history of science. PMM 320; Norman 1112. 5 text volumes, octavo (212 x 132mm), and atlas, oblong quarto (282 x 343mm). Atlas with 39 hand-coloured lithographic plates, 3 steel-engravings, text illustrations (some light spotting to text vols and frst few leaves of atlas). Contemporary brown half calf, not quite uniform (extremities lightly rubbed). Provenance: Jos. Vankey (ownership inscription on atlas title) – Bezirks-Lehrer Bibliothek, Vöcklabruck (stamps and classmarks on endpapers of vols 4 and 5). (6)