Der Boden der Stadt Wien nach seiner Bildungsweise, Beschaffenheit und seinen Beziehungen zum bürglichen Leben. Eine geologische Studie.

Wien, Wilhelm Braumüller, 1862. 8vo. [vii], 326 pp., 19 text engravings, one large, folded chromolithographed geological and topographical map of Vienna in 1862. Slightly later half cloth over marbled boards. gilt title on the spine. A fine example of a work on "town geology" and in fact the first example of such a work. The Austrian geologist and palaeontologist Eduard Suess (1831-1914), who "discovered" Gondwanaland, is basically known for his studies on fossil molluscs and foraminifers, which shows in this work aimed at a broader public. Suess was one of the first to realize that the growing group of well-educated middle-class town citizens would spent their idle moments in exploring the local natural history. Actually he was the first to write a work on town geology and palaeontology. Others, mainly in Great Britain, but, for instance, also Angelo Heilprin (Philadelphia, PA), followed suit. In other words: this is the first example of what was to become a whole genre. The fine text figures mainly show shells. The large map is loosely inserted. Map with a few short tears along folds, otherwise a very good clean, and nicely bound copy.