London, William Day, Lithographer to the Queen, and Queen Dowager, 1838. Tall folio (40.7 x 25.9 cm). Half-title, title page, [vii]-xii, 106, [i] pp.; nine double-sized, partially hand-coloured tables; a few hand-coloured text figures; mounted tabs. Contemporary half calf over marbled boards. Spine with triple gilt bands; front board with rectangular ruled morocco label with gilt ornamental borders and title. Edges speckled red.

An important work by the British mathematician Oliver Byrne (1810-1880). He "... was a civil engineer and prolific author of works on subjects including mathematics, geometry, and engineering. He is best known for his 'coloured' book of Euclid's Elements." (Wikipedia). The latter work (first published in 1847), renowned for its brightly coloured Mondrian-like illustrations, finds a predecessor in this work, which, although on an altogether very different, practical mathematical subject, already contains tables with typical hand-coloured squares. According to Byrne, this new work had seven superiorities over others of the kind, the first being: "When a number is given, to find a logarithm, the sheet in which it is, can be referred to instantly", and the last: "It is impossible, from the nature of the arrangement, for any mistake to be in the table unnoticed, as the slightest error in the calculation would leave the irregularity visible to the superficial observer." Provenance: Bookplate of Turner College Library, University of Keele, Presented by C. W. Turner, 1968, mounted on the front pastedown. One-page list of other publications by Byrne in the rear. Endpapers, blanks and half-title a bit spotted; two of the mounted tabs skilfully repaired. A very good, clean and complete copy. Hawes, S. M. and S. Kolpas (2015). Oliver Byrne: The Matisse of Mathematics - Biography [1810-] 1830-1839 [-1870].