De Re Metallica.
London: The Mining Magazine, 1912. 1st English edition. Hardcover. Inscribed on front flyleaf by Hoover: "To the Lewis's from the Hoovers". Hoover was named Secretary of Commerce by President Harding, and Ernest I. Lewis was appointed to the Interstate Commerce Commission the same year. They served together in government for the next 12 years, until Hoover was defeated for reelection by Franklin Roosevelt in 1932.
Translated by Lou & Herbert Hoover, ex-US president, whose first career was as a mining engineer (entrepreneur) in West Australia and China. Folio. [4], xxi, 640 pp, indexes. Text illustrations throughout, including many of the lovely woodblock engravings of the early edition.
Original publisher's vellum binding, spine lettered in black. A tight, very clean copy; spine lightly foxed; offset from loosely inserted newspaper clipping to endpaper; title page with minor fox spotting. First published in 1556, this was the first work to give detailed descriptions of mining and metallurgical processes. It was the standard reference on the subject for 200 years. Very good condition. Item #24048
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