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Rare books

Model of a floor

  • Part of A Voyage to England: Containing Many Things Relating to the State of Learning, Religion, and Other Curiosities of that Kingdom
  • 1709

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No Copyright Public Domain

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This plate from A Voyage to England: Containing Many Things Relating to the State of Learning, Religion, and Other Curiosities of that Kingdom. It depicts a floor plan Samuel Sorbière (1615-1670) saw during his visit to Oxford. The plan is a model of a floor that could "bear a great weight, and make a very large hall, [even though] it consisted of only several short pieces of timber joined together, without any mortises, nails, and pins, or any other support than that they gave one another." He explains that this makes them seem as if they are "but one board and the floor all of a piece." He expresses his admiration for the professors at Oxford who are working on this experiment.

This book is an English translation of the French original, written in 1664. Written after Monsieur Sorbière spent three months in 1663 in England, this book details his thoughts on several different topics. During his travels he had the opportunity to meet with many well-known scientists and physicians. The first section includes a memoir of his life, written by Mr. M. Graverol. The second section is that of Sorbière's observations on his travels through England. This section contains a plate of a mathematical representation of a "Model of a Floor." The third section is Thomas Sprat, the Royal Society's historian's, thoughts on Sorbière's observations, written to Dr. Wren, Professor of Astronomy at Oxford University. The final section is a letter from Monsieur Sorbière to Monsieur de Courcelles at Amsterdam regarding the Anglo-Dutch War of 1652-1654. The book also contains several one to two page sections of letters to the reader.

The original observations were adressed to King Louis XIV with an aim to influence him to support a French academy of science. It is an often critical account that gives a view into England's intellectual life at the time. Thomas Sprat's observations show his sensitivity to Sorbière's work and attacks the thoughts Sorbière presents. This edition notably contains a mistake in the printing: page 109 is printed as 190. The entire work has been digitized.

Property Value
Author
  • Sorbière, Samuel, 1615-1670
  • Graverol, M.
  • Sprat, Thomas, 1635- 1713
Printer
  • Woodard, J.
Place of publication
  • England--London
Format
  • Image
  • Text
Genre
  • Rare books
Extent
  • 20 cm H
  • 190 pages
  • Fold out plate: 16.5 cm H x 19 cm W
Language
  • English
Subject
  • England
  • Floor plans
  • Great Britain
  • Science--Study and teaching
  • Sorbière, Samuel, 1615-1670
  • Travel
  • University of Oxford
  • Voyages and travels
Rights Public Domain Mark 1.0
Credit line
  • Courtesy of Science History Institute

Physical location

Department
  • Library
Collection
  • Roy G. Neville Historical Chemical Library
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Cite as

Sorbière, Samuel, M. Graverol, and Sprat, Thomas 1713. “Model of a Floor.” In A Voyage to England: Containing Many Things Relating to the State of Learning, Religion, and Other Curiosities of That Kingdom. London, England: J. Woodard, 1709. https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/jtwg8ml.

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Model of a floor

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Rights

No Copyright Public Domain

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The Science History Institute recognizes there are materials in our collections that may be offensive or harmful, containing racist, sexist, Eurocentric, ableist, or homophobic language or depictions. The history of science is not exempt from beliefs or practices harmful to traditionally marginalized groups. The Institute is engaged in ongoing efforts to responsibly present and address the evidence of oppression and injustice inextricable from the history of science. If you would like to learn more about our ongoing efforts or if you encounter harmful, inaccurate, or insufficient descriptions, please contact us at digital@sciencehistory.org.

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