A Scientific/Industrial Vision of the Future City (1842)

JF Ptak Science Books  

 Amedee Couder wrote L'Architecture et l'industrie comme moyen de perfection sociale, a fine work that was published in Paris (by Brockhaus et Avenarius) in 1842.¹  The work presents Couder's rather stroing visionary plans for a perfect city of industrial and scientific harmony, laid out in suggestively-fractal harmony, with the suggestions of a Renaissance-laden snowflake design. Whatever it was, it was beautiful to look at, at least on paper, though I'm not so certain that I'd care to live in the canyonlands of stone and shadow on the other side of the garden wall of the perfect scientific-industrial conclave. 

Projet d'un palais des Arts et de l'industrie.  18x14 inches. 

 

The other images include:

"Projet d'un palais des Arts et de l'Industrie", 18 x 21 ½ inches

“Projet d'un palais des Arts et de l'Industrie”, large, on thick paper. 17 ½ x 31 inches

“Elevation d'une partie de la rue citculaire”

'Elevation de l'Edificee central

Coupe de l'Edifice cnetral (showing the main rotunda.

Facade des cours central

Two single-page engravings of statuary

Double-page engraing “L'Intelligence Offre a Dieu la Reconnaissance des Hommes”, ”Couronnement de l'édifice central") which is basically a presentation of the march of human intellect featuring several hundred figures.

Notes"

1. Amedee Couder, L'architecture et l'industrie comme moyen de perfection sociale, published by Brockhaus and Avenarius in Paris, 1842.   13 x 10 inches, 52 pp, 9 plates, including 4 large folding architectural plans.  Large-margin copy, signed presentation by Couder on the title page.  Bound with a decorated calf spine, pebbled cloth boards with tips.   There are a few old library markings on the title page, as well as two bookplates, plus an old (19th c) card holder at back.