1796 – Canal Navigation – Robert Fulton | First Edition, Ships & Bridge Construction

Robert Fulton was a late 18^th-century American inventor best known for his invention of the steamboat. While his famed steamboat, the Clermont, wouldn’t sail until 1807, his engineering skills were prevalent through his many treatises. Perhaps his best and most important written work was his On the improvement of canal navigation. This book examines canal construction, river diversion, aqueduct engineering, bridge building, and specialized canal boats intended for commercial transport, all in a time before steamboats were prominent. Bound with Observations on the Various Systems of Canal Navigation, the work also includes discussion of cast iron railroads, wheel-boats, and early steamboat concepts for American waterways. The engraved plates depict canal machinery, structural engineering, and transportation designs associated with the Industrial Revolution.

The 21 full-page and folding engravings found in this two-part first edition make it highly desirable and valuable. The engraving of bridge construction is particularly noteworthy.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Treatise on the Improvement of Canal Navigation: Exhibiting the Numerous Advantages to be Derived from Small Canals and Boats; Together with Observations on the Various Systems of Canal Navigation
• Author(s): Robert Fulton
• Illustrator(s): Robert Fulton
• Publisher: London, I. & J. Taylor at the Architectural Library, High Holborn
• Edition: First edition, 1796.
• Binding: Full leather, professionally restored binding
• Format: (4to), single volume
• Size:  11 in x 8.5 in (28 cm x 22 cm)
• Collation: xvi, 144 pp.; [7], 2-104 pp.
• Illustrations: 21 engraved plates [17; 4]
• Contents Include:
  • Canal engineering and navigation systems
  • Aqueduct and bridge construction
  • River diversion methods
  • Canal boats and transport machinery
  • Cast iron railroad concepts
  • Steamboat concepts and wheel-boats for American rivers

Condition:

Very Good. Professionally restored full leather binding remains tight and secure with mild rubbing and corner wear. Pages are clean and complete without major loss. Engraved plates remain sharp and well preserved throughout.

Why Collect This?

• First edition by Robert Fulton
• Early work on canal engineering and transportation systems
• Complete with all 21 engraved plates

Item Number: #50460