Physics - Technology Della Porta, Giovanni Battista I tre libri de' spiritali (...) cioe d' inalzar acque per forza dell'aria. With woodcut printer's mark on title and numerous woodcuts in the text. Naples, Gio. Iacomo Carlino, 1606. 98 p., 2 vols. 4°. Central paperback with autograph title (somewhat rubbed and stained). SBN locates only three copies. DSB XI, 97 - Middleton 5th - Osler 3722 - BL/STC 17th-century Italian Books II, 701 - Riccardi I(ii) 310 - Wolf, History of Science I, 544 - Wellcome I, 5208 - Sotheran Cat. 682, 3717 ("Rare" in 1908). - Rare. - Extensive translation of Della Porta's work of 1601, a commentary and a critique of Hero's works. This work draws heavily on Hero's concepts of pneumatics and hydraulics to propose various technical innovations. - "On page 75 is the famous woodcut of the machine for raising a column of water by steam pressure, the condensation of the steam producing a vacuum into which the water flowed. The machine used steam pressure of expanding air. Porta's machine was not made use of often, and it remained for Guericke and Boyle in the mid-seventeenth century to reinvestigate the means for producing vacua, using air suction pumps. As in Porta's other books, the woodcuts in this work achieve a high degree of clarity and artistic excellence." (Neville Historical Library II, 325). - Endpapers with a few worm marks, some minor soiling and small (foxing) stains, F1-2 with small losses in lower w. margin, overall good copy. Overall a good copy. Physics - Techinique. - First illustration of steam engine. - With woodcut printer's device on title and numerous woodcut textillustrations. - Contemp. cardboard with ms. title to spine (somewhat rubbed and stained). - Flyleaves with small worm marks, partially minor staining and foxing, 2 leaves with small defects in the lower white margin, overall good copy.