[Sammelband of 16 offprints or other ephemeral items relating to magnetism, astronomy, meteorology, etc., collected by or inscribed to James Duncan Graham]

Various places, 1859. Quarto. (10 5/8 x 8 7/16 inches). Contemporary half calf and cloth covered boards.

Provenance: James Duncan Graham (inscriptions)

Sammelband of works relating to the earth's magnetism, astronomy and meteorology, collected by a noted American topographical engineer: includes four works with presentation inscriptions by Edward Sabine.

This sammelband of extracts and other material was collected by noted topographical engineer James D. Graham, who served in the U.S. Corps of Topographical Engineers for much of his military career. In 1839-40 he was astronomer of the surveying party that established the boundary-line between the U.S. and the then new Republic of Texas. In 1840 he was appointed commissioner for the survey and exploration of the northeast boundary of the United States, and was employed along the Maine and New York frontiers until 1843. In the same year he was ordered to duty as astronomer on the part of the United States for the joint demarcation of the boundary between the United States and the British provinces, under the treaty of Washington. In 1850 Colonel Graham was engaged by the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, to examine certain disputed questions regarding the intersection of the boundary line of those states. He made a thorough survey of the line originally made by Mason and Dixon, and published a voluminous report thereon. He was employed in the final settlement of the questions resulting from the War with Mexico, and during 1851 was United States astronomer in the survey of the boundary line between this country and Mexico. For the next ten years he was in charge of various harbor improvements on the northern and northwestern lakes, in which he discovered the existence of a lunar tide (1858-59). At the time of his death he was superintending engineer of the sea-walls in Boston harbor, and of the repairs of harbor works on the Atlantic coast from Maine to the capes of the Chesapeake. The sammelband is comprised of: 1) Sabine, Edward. Contributions to Terrestrial Magnetism. Nos. VII and VIII. London: R. and J. E. Taylor, 1846. Five folding maps. Presentation inscription from Sabine on blank front stiff wrapper. Extract from the Philosophical Transactions for 1846. The first part of the above contains the results of John Henry Lefroy's overland expedition to the Canadian Northwest to map the geo-magnetic activity of British North America from Montreal to the Arctic Circle. Sabin 74703. 2) Sabine, Edward. On the Annual Variation of the Magnetic Declination at Different Periods of the Day. London: Richard Taylor, 1851. Extract from the Philosophical Transactions for 1851. Two folding tables. Presentation inscription from Sabine on a blank sheet preceding the title. 3) Sabine, Edward. On the Periodic and Non-periodic Variations of the Temperature at Toronto in Canada, from 1841 to 1852 inclusive. [London: 1853]. Two plates. Extract from the Philosophical Transactions for 1853. Presentation inscription from Sabine on a blank sheet preceding the title. 4) Sabine, Edward. On the Evidence of the existence of the Decennial Inequality in the Solar-diurnal Magnetic Variations, and its non-existence in the Lunar-diurnal Variation, of the Declination at Hobart. [London: 1856]. One plate. Extract from the Philosophical Transactions for 1856. Presentation inscription from Sabine on a blank sheet preceding the title. 5) Moritz Ludwig Georg Wichmann. Erster Versuch zur Bestimmung der physischen Libration des Mondes aus Beobachtungen mit dem Heliometer. Np: 1847. Extract from Astronomische Nachrichten, Numbers 619, 621, 628, 630, and 631. Together, 5 parts. 6) Lee, Thomas J. On the use of the Zenith and Equal Altitude Telescope in determination of the Latitude. Washington: Topographical Bureau of the War Department, 1848. 7) Gilliss, J. M. On the Longitude of Washington, computed from the moon-culminations observed. Philadelphia: 1849. Extract from the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. Inscribed by the author on the upper wrapper. 8) Hansteen, Christopher. Beschreibung und Lage der Universitats-Sternwarte in Christiania. Christiania: 1849. 3 plates. Front wrapper bound in. 9) Davis, Charles Henry. A Memoir upon the Geological Action of the Tidal and other Currents of the Ocean. Cambridge: 1849. Extract from the Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Two plates. Inscribed by the author on the upper wrapper (partially trimmed). 10) Emory, W. H. Observations, Astronomical, Magnetic, and Meteorological, made at Chagres and Gorgona, Isthmus of Darien, and a the City of Panama, New Grenada. Cambridge: 1850. Extract from the Memoirs of the American Academy. Upper wrapper bound in. 11) Maclear, Thomas. Contributions to Astronomy and Geodesy. London: 1851. Extract from the Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society. 12) Alexander, Stephen. Suggestions relative to the Observation of the Solar Eclipse of May 26, 1854. Cambridge: 1854. Extract from The Astronomical Journal. Original wrapper bound in, inscribed in pencil by the author. 13) Alexander, Stephen. Observation of the Annular Eclipse of May 26, in the suburbs of Ogdensburgh, N.Y. Cambridge: 1854. Extract from The Astronomical Journal. One plate. Manuscript corrections to the title. 14) Gilliss, J. M. [Printed 2pp. letter to Dr. C. L. Gerling protesting his forced retirement]. Washington: November 1, 1855. 15) Gilliss, J. M. Origin and Operations of the U.S. Naval Astronomical Expedition. [Washington: 1854]. Extract from the U.S.N. Astronomical Expedition. 16) Gilliss, J. M. An Account of the Total Eclipse of the Sun on September 7, 1858, as observed near Olmos, Peru. Washington: 1859. Extract from the Smithsonian Contributions of Knowledge. One plate. Inscribed by Gilliss on the title.