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Chymical processes of the Duke of Buckingham.
Kislak Center for Special Collections - Manuscripts Ms. Codex 1695
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- Format:
- Book
- Manuscript
- Author/Creator:
- Buckingham, George Villiers, Duke of, 1628-1687.
- Language:
- English
- French
- German
- Italian
- Latin
- Subjects (All):
- Alchemy--Early works to 1800.
- Alchemy.
- Chemistry--Early works to 1800.
- Chemistry.
- Genre:
- codices (bound manuscripts)
- diagrams
- drawings (visual works)
- manuals (instructional materials)
- Manuscripts, English.
- Manuscripts, French.
- Manuscripts, Italian.
- Manuscripts, Latin.
- Manuscripts, European.
- Penn Provenance:
- Formerly owned by Charles Rainsford (British army officer, fellow of the Royal Society, and alchemist); bequeathed by Rainsford to Hugh Percy, Second Duke of Northumberland.
- Owned by the 2nd through 12th Dukes of Northumberland, ms. 609, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014 (bookplate, inside upper cover; stamps throughout).
- Sold at auction at Sotheby's (London), 15 July 2014, as part of Lot 411.
- Physical Description:
- 142 leaves : paper ; 202 x 161 mm bound to 210 x 165 mm + 1 note
- Place of Publication:
- [England?], [between 1750 and 1799]
- Language Note:
- English, Latin, French, Italian, and German.
- Summary:
- Alchemical compendium that primarily discusses metals and minerals and includes instructions for chemical experiments and processes such as the transmutation of metals or making small pearls larger (p. 241) as well as practical applications such as remedies for the pox (p. 96).
- Notes:
- Ms. codex.
- Title from caption title (p. 1).
- Pagination: Paper, 140 leaves; [iv], 1-23, 23-84, 84-135, 126-262, [ii]; contemporary pagination in ink, upper outer corners.
- Script: Written in a cursive script in the hand of Charles Rainsford with a note laid into the manuscript written in a second hand.
- Decoration: Several pen and ink drawings of alchemical apparatus (p. 137, p. 153); alchemical symbols throughout.
- Binding: Contemporary parchment. Front and back pastedowns have come loose from boards. Paper is stained and deteriorating due to moisture damage.
- Origin: Written in England in the second half of the 18th century.
- Local Notes:
- Purchased with support from the B. H. Breslauer Foundation.
- Cited as:
- UPenn Ms. Codex 1695.
- OCLC:
- 917894897
- Online:
- Unique at Penn blog post
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