Atlas of the Milky Way by E. E. Barnard Leads Christie’s Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts Sale

A first-edition set of Edward Emerson Barnard’s scientifically advanced and visually spectacular Atlas of the Milky Way will soon be auctioned by Christie’s. A prominent observational astronomer of the 19th and 20th centuries, Barnard’s atlas in two volumes marks a significant milestone in astrophotography. It was completed and published after Barnard’s death in 1924. Due to the limited number of prints (700 copies) made in 1927, mainly for scientific libraries, this rendering of the atlas takes on a greater prominence. Photographs, descriptive text, charts, and data accompanied these volumes, providing an abundance of information about the Milky Way. The mosaic of 51 photographs included in this atlas continues to be useful for the study of the star clouds, open clusters, and the Milky Way, particularly Barnard dark clouds.  

A rare copy of Erhard Ratdolt’s Euclid’s Elements is another notable lot in the sale. A German printer, Ratdolt lived and worked in Venice from 1476 to 1486. Euclid’s Elements, a seminal work by Euclid, was published for the first time in May 1482 by Ratdolt’s workshop. The first printed edition included over 400 geometrical figures, which was the first comprehensive collection of its kind. Bidders can also consider a copy of the first Italian translation of Euclid’s Elements. Also of note in this auction is John Lindley’s The Pomological Magazine, complete with illustrations and descriptions of British fruit varieties. View the full catalog of the Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts including the Americana auction by visiting Christie’s.