THOMIN, Marc

Traite d'optique mechanique

Paris: Jean-Baptiste Coignard, Antoine Boudet, 1749

First edition.

8vo.

Contemporary green morocco, spine gilt, covers with gilt dentille border, centerpiece with the arms of Marie Leczinska, Queen of France (1725 - 1768) (binding by Nicolas Derome).

Marc Thomin was an 18th century French optical instrument maker. He is credited with inventing and popularizing the modern eyeglass frame. This book describes all of the basic principles and processes for fabricating lenses, microscopes, telescopes, and other optical devices.

This exceptional copy was owned by Marie Leczinska, wife of Louis XV and Queen of France from 1725 to 1768. It is remarkable that Queen Marie had a treatise on optics among her books, which were almost exclusively devotional works. The explanation is that she had poor eyesight and placed Thomin under her royal protection to provide "tous les instruments d'optique dont Sa Majeste aura besoin, et qu'elle vous permet, en consequence de prendre le titre de son ingenieur en optique." (Memoires de la societe archeologique et historique de l'Orleans, volume 19, Paris and Orleans 1883, page 434). So, he was the queen's personal optician; he undoubtedly presented her with this copy of his book.

The exquisite binding is a superb example of the work of Nicolas Derome (aka Derome le jeune). The corner dentilles have the fers a l'oiseau tool that was a signature design element of bindings by Derome le jeune. Queen Marie Leczinska employed the three most celebrated 18th century French bookbinders - Duboisson, Padeloup, and Nicolas Derome - to bind her books.

front cover of Thomin Traite d'optique, Paris 1749, with the arms of Queen Marie Leczinska of France.