Fumifugium: or, The inconveniencie of the aer and smoak of London dissipated together with some remedies humbly proposed by J.E. esq. to His Sacred Majestie, and to the Parliament now assembled
by EVELYN, JOHN
- Used
- Very Good
- Condition
- Very Good
- Seller
-
New York, New York, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
First edition. Calf, marbled boards. Very Good. 1661 FIRST EDITION OF THE WHAT IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED THE WORLD'S FIRST BOOK ON AIR POLLUTION; A PROPHETIC LANDMARK WORK OF SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY, AND URBAN PLANNING. Widely recognized by scholars as one of the earliest and most important books in the history of environmentalism, Fumifugium lays out in excruciating detail the terrible effects of London's factories on air quality, along with the consequences for human health and the environment. It has been described as "the most extensive, sophisticated, and ambitious analysis of urban air pollution produced anywhere during the early modern period." The author, John Evelyn, was an avid gardener and a founding member of the Royal Society of London, the world's oldest scientific academy. His solutions to the problem involved relocating factories and planting trees to create urban green spaces, a strategy that remains influential today.
Written 300 years before Rachel Carson's environmental classic Silent Spring, Evelyn's work is a chilling reminder that the problems facing humanity today have been long known to us. He describes environmental threats and health consequences that are all too familiar: coal burning chimneys that belch smoke "from their sooty jaws," city inhabitants who "are never free from Coughs." A frightening book, but also an optimistic one, as the third part of Fumifugium describes a brighter future for London, free from factories and filled with parks and trees, "rendred one of the most pleasant and agreeable places in the world."
First issue: with "Published by His Majesties Command' on title".
London: Printed by W. Godbid for Gabriel Bedel, and Thomas Collins, 1661. Small quarto (150x193mm), late nineteenth century three-quarter calf over marbled boards. [xii; 1-26]. Bookplate ("Henry Davies") on front pastedown. Very faint dampstaining to margins of first and last few leaves; soiling to title; small wormholes on a1,a2 ("To the Reader"); occasionally closely cropped.
A MILESTONE OF SCIENCE THAT IS KEENLY RELEVANT TODAY.
Written 300 years before Rachel Carson's environmental classic Silent Spring, Evelyn's work is a chilling reminder that the problems facing humanity today have been long known to us. He describes environmental threats and health consequences that are all too familiar: coal burning chimneys that belch smoke "from their sooty jaws," city inhabitants who "are never free from Coughs." A frightening book, but also an optimistic one, as the third part of Fumifugium describes a brighter future for London, free from factories and filled with parks and trees, "rendred one of the most pleasant and agreeable places in the world."
First issue: with "Published by His Majesties Command' on title".
London: Printed by W. Godbid for Gabriel Bedel, and Thomas Collins, 1661. Small quarto (150x193mm), late nineteenth century three-quarter calf over marbled boards. [xii; 1-26]. Bookplate ("Henry Davies") on front pastedown. Very faint dampstaining to margins of first and last few leaves; soiling to title; small wormholes on a1,a2 ("To the Reader"); occasionally closely cropped.
A MILESTONE OF SCIENCE THAT IS KEENLY RELEVANT TODAY.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- The Manhattan Rare Book Company (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 2835
- Title
- Fumifugium: or, The inconveniencie of the aer and smoak of London dissipated together with some remedies humbly proposed by J.E. esq. to His Sacred Majestie, and to the Parliament now assembled
- Author
- EVELYN, JOHN
- Format/Binding
- Calf, marbled boards
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Keywords
- environmentalism, air pollution, John Evelyn, science, Royal Society
Terms of Sale
The Manhattan Rare Book Company
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
The Manhattan Rare Book Company
Biblio member since 2010
New York, New York
About The Manhattan Rare Book Company
The Manhattan Rare Book Company offers fine books in all fields, specializing in the important, beautiful, and hard-to-find.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Quarto
- The term quarto is used to describe a page or book size. A printed sheet is made with four pages of text on each side, and the...
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- Marbled boards
- ...
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...