Photography.- Herschel (Sir John F. W.) On the action of the rays of the solar spectrum on vegetable colours, and on some new photographic processes, offprint from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, vol. 132 part II, first edition, title with ink presentation inscription 'with the author's respects' and the name Chevreul supplied in a different hand, folding engraved plate (some light marginal foxing), later morocco-backed boards by Honnelaitre, original drab wrappers bound-in, these bearing various ink inscriptions, folio, R. and J.E. Taylor, 1842.

*** A remarkable copy with a strong scientific association, of the rare first edition offprint of this seminal early work of photography. Herschel’s invention of the world’s first photocopying process, ‘cyanotype’ later called ‘blue-printing’, remained by far the most important reprographic process for more than a century after the publication of this paper.

Provenance: Michel-Eugène Chevreul, the renowned French colour theorist and chemist [presentation inscription to title as above, and ownership inscription to original upper wrapper ‘M. Chevreul Membre de l’Inst[itut] &c &c. Paris’ presumably in Chevreul's hand].