MANGIN, Arthur "L’Air et le monde aérien" [Alfred Mame et Fils, 1885]

MANGIN, Arthur. L’Air et le monde aérien.

Tours: Alfred Mame et Fils, 1885. Quatrième édition. 11.75" x 8.5", 392pp. Numerous wood-engraved illustrations in text, including scientific apparatus, meteorological phenomena, aeronautical scenes, birds, insects, and atmospheric landscapes; illustrated frontispiece. Publisher’s original red illustrated cloth, upper board richly decorated in gilt and black with birds, insects, and floral motifs within a double-rule border; spine lettered and decorated in gilt. Yellow endpapers. Binding worn at corners and headcaps, with surface rubbing and some fading to the spine; cloth remains structurally sound. Gilt decoration still bright and legible. Text block firm. Interior generally clean with scattered light toning and occasional minor spots; no loose plates noted. Overall Very Good.

A substantial popular-science work devoted to the study of air and the aerial world, encompassing meteorology, atmospheric physics, flight, ballooning, and the natural history of birds and insects. Mangin presents scientific principles alongside historical experiments and contemporary observations, illustrated throughout with detailed engravings that visually document both natural phenomena and human attempts to understand and navigate the atmosphere. Published by Alfred Mame et Fils as part of their well-known illustrated educational output, the volume exemplifies the late nineteenth-century French tradition of combining scientific instruction with elaborate visual presentation, intended for domestic libraries and general readers rather than specialists.