{"product_id":"belidor-architectura-hydraulica-c1770-engineering-folio","title":"Bélidor — Architectura Hydraulica c.1770 (Engineering Folio, 2 Vols.)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBélidor — Architectura Hydraulica c.1770 (Engineering Folio, 2 Vols.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo folio volumes of one of the foundational works of modern engineering — richly illustrated with folding copper engravings of hydraulic machines, waterworks, harbors, fortifications, and locks. The folding plates cover the full scope of Baroque-era waterworks: pumping stations, aqueducts, fire engines, fountains and water features, harbor and canal construction, dredging equipment (including shovel and bucket dredgers), bridge and lock building, dry docks, and windmill-powered drainage. Bélidor was the first to apply the then-novel differential and integral calculus to practical engineering problems.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEdition note:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is the first German edition (Augsburg: Eberhard Klett, 1764–1770), translated from the original French (Paris, 1737–1753). The text is in German Gothic (Fraktur) script. All folding plates are original copper engravings from the German edition. English-language buyers can use the text as a historical document and refer to modern editions for translation; the value of the work lies primarily in its extraordinary engineering plates, which are universally readable regardless of text language.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFolio, 34 × 22.5 cm. Two volumes, contemporary bindings.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAbout Bernard Forest de Bélidor (1697–1761)\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBernard Forest de Bélidor was a French military and civil engineer — a professor at the École royale d'artillerie at La Fère and the foundational figure in the establishment of hydraulic engineering as a scientific discipline. He was the first engineer to apply differential and integral calculus to practical engineering problems.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAbout the Work\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArchitecture hydraulique\u003c\/em\u003e was published in four volumes (Paris, 1737–1753); the first German edition followed at Augsburg (Eberhard Klett, 1764–1770). The folding plates illustrate pumping stations, aqueducts, fire engines, fountains, harbor and canal construction, dredging equipment, bridge and lock building, dry docks, and windmill-powered drainage. Described in \u003cem\u003eBibliotheca Mechanica\u003c\/em\u003e as \"one of the earliest scientific books in the field of engineering.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eScarcity \u0026amp; Market Context\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst French editions sell in the $3,000–$8,000+ range at specialist dealers (Antiquariat Tresor am Roemer, Eric Chaim Kline Bookseller, Antiquariat Peter Petrej); first German editions in the $1,500–$4,000 range. Bélidor is a benchmark work for collectors of engineering history, industrial Americana, and 18th-century scientific illustration. References: Jordan 223; Roller-Goodman I, 97; Roberts-Trent, Bibliotheca Mechanica 29f.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eInstitutional Holdings\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eComplete copies at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the Deutsches Museum (Munich), the Smithsonian Libraries, the Linda Hall Library (Kansas City), and major engineering history collections worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eDimensions\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo folio volumes, each approximately 13.5 × 9 × 2 inches (34 × 22.5 cm)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a \u003cstrong\u003ebound book\u003c\/strong\u003e (not framed). Dimensions above refer to the book's physical size. Individual plates or pages cannot be separated without damaging the binding.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eShipping Terms\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShipping costs vary by product, packaging requirements, destination, carrier, and insurance value.\u003c\/strong\u003e We do not use flat-rate shipping because antique prints, maps, paintings, and books each require different packing — some ship flat between archival boards, some ship rolled, some require custom-built crates with shock absorption, and framed pieces need extra protection for glass and corners.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow our shipping process works:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou place your order (shipping is calculated as $0 at checkout)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWe prepare a custom shipping quote for your destination — typically within 24 hours\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWe contact you to confirm carrier options (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL), insurance value, and delivery timeline\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOnce you approve the shipping quote, we send a separate invoice for shipping\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWe pack with archival-grade materials and insure at full value\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuestions on shipping before you buy? Contact us with your zip code (or international address) and we'll provide a quote before you commit to purchase.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eImportant Buyer Notice\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese pieces are \u003cstrong\u003eantique originals\u003c\/strong\u003e, ranging from approximately 100 to over 400 years old. Each piece will show varying degrees of age-appropriate condition: paper toning, foxing, edge wear, fold marks, minor restoration, light staining, and other natural signs of age are common and expected for works of this period. Condition varies from piece to piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt is the buyer's responsibility to confirm that the piece is in the condition they require before purchase.\u003c\/strong\u003e We are always happy to answer any questions about the state of the work, provide additional photographs of specific areas, describe any flaws or repairs in detail, or arrange a video review before you buy. Please contact us at any time with questions — we believe an informed buyer is the best customer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll pieces are guaranteed \u003cstrong\u003eauthentic originals\u003c\/strong\u003e (not reproductions, facsimiles, or modern prints). We offer a full refund if authenticity is ever disputed by a qualified third party.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\/\",\"@type\":\"Book\",\"name\":\"Architecture Hydraulique\",\"sku\":\"EC-BEL-001\",\"productID\":\"EC-BEL-001\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/eldrickco.com\/products\/belidor-architectura-hydraulica-c1770-engineering-folio\",\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Bernard Forest de Bélidor\",\"birthDate\":\"1697\",\"deathDate\":\"1761\",\"nationality\":\"French\"},\"dateCreated\":\"1770\",\"datePublished\":\"1770\",\"description\":\"Bélidor — Architectura Hydraulica c.1770 (Engineering Folio, 2 Vols.). Original antique book from c.1770. 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