'One of the last really comprehensive physical surveys ever to be attempted' (PMM).

Friedrich Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) spent many of his early years travelling through South America and Russia, collecting data on almost every scientific field and collecting 60,000 natural history specimens. While his travel accounts were hugely popular it was his Kosmos, based on a series of lectures given at Berlin Singakademie in 1828-9, which would prove to be his magnum opus. In its attempt to connect all the sciences under a single unifying umbrella Humboldt 'laid the foundation of modern geography, meteorology and geography of plants'. He was also the first to suggest the idea of isothermal lines, that volcanoes directly corresponded to underground fissures, that terrestrial magnetic field strength weakens the closer it is to the Pole, to see the fertilisation uses of guano, to suggest the use of curare in Western medicine, and the first to scientifically describe the languages and cultures of the South American peoples. Small wonder Darwin described him as the 'the greatest scientific traveller who ever lived'.

Heinrich Karl Wilhelm Berghaus (1797-1884) produced his Physikalischer Atlas to accompany his friend Humoldt's great work, producing maps on seven themes: meteorology, magnetism, hydrography, geology, plant geography, animal geography, and ethnography. It was 'the first time in an atlas different physical aspects of Earth were represented graphically in maps, supported with tables of observed data'.

First editions; 5 vols 8vo (22 x 14 cm) and landscape 4to atlas (30 x 35.5 cm) [with] 2 4to atlases (38 x 25.5 cm); text in German, 39 hand-coloured lithographs and 3 engraved plates with one duplicate loosely inserted, text lightly spotted, large spot to plate 31, atlas with discreet ownership stamp and shelf mark to front endpaper [with] 90 engraved maps, of which 86 hand-coloured, a few text leaves toned; 8vos in contemporary half morocco, green pebbled boards, spine gilt in six compartments, all edges marbled, spines a little sunned, atlas in contemporary half calf, marbled boards, flat spine gilt, all edges marbled a little rubbed [with] original straight-grained brown cloth, upper boards lettered in gilt with embossed frame, spines lettered in gilt, touch of rubbing, in all a near fine set.

Norman 1112; PMM 320; Sparrow 106.