John Herschel, 1833

HERSCHEL, John Frederick William (1792–1871). Observations of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars, made at Slough, with a Twenty-Feet Reflector, between the years 1825–1833 ... from The Philosophical Transactions [Bound after:] Notices of the Elliptic Orbits of [xi] Boötis and [eta] Coronae; with a second Approximation to the Orbit of [gamma] Virginis … from the Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society. [And:] Fifth Series of Observations with a Twenty-Feet Reflector; containing the Places, Descriptions, and Measures of 2007 Double Stars … from the Memoirs of the Royal AstronomHis pffprinical Society. London: Richard Taylor (Philosophical Transactions) and printed by J. Moyes (R.A.S.), 1833.

First edition, very rare offprint issue, of Herschel’s great “Slough Catalogue,” which comprises 2306 nebulae and star clusters, 525 of which were newly discovered by Herschel. Bound with two other Herschel offprints.

Three offprints bound together, quarto (273 x 215 mm). Each offprint with a separate title page. With eight engraved plates illustrating the Slough Catalogue (some foxing). Contemporary diced calf, black morocco lettering piece. Provenance: Edwin R.W. Wyndham-Quin[?], 1821-1871, Irish peer, acquaintance of Herschel, and student of astronomy under W.R. Hamilton (early shelf-mark “C76”; a pencil note below the shelf-mark identifies it as Wyndham-Quin's at notes its purchase at the Adare Manor sale, which was held by Christie’s in 1982, though this volume was not individually itemized).