Description
Georgius Agricola De Re Metallica by Herbert Hoover and Lou Henry Hoover.
Folio, [iv], xxxi, 640pp. White vellum boards, title in black on spine. Front joint with small crack, no impact to text block or binding. Uncut, clean leaves throughout. From a limited edition printing of 3000 copies, individually number on the title page, this being 01711.
(Burns, 0142) (Colophon 14, June, 1933)
De Re Metallica was originally published in Latin in 1556. Rough translations were made into German and French, but lacked accuracy and specific mining terminology. Future President Herbert Hoover and his wife, Lou Henry, were intimately familiar with the book from their time together at Stanford University, but did not take up the translation until 1903, when they purchased a copy for themselves in Italy.
What made the translation difficult was not the Latin, but the words invented by Agricola. Their combined understanding of the principles of mining and basic Latin made the translation possible for the Hoovers. The full translation took them five years, working mostly on Sundays when they would devote themselves to the project. When the work was completed, the Hoover’s selected The Mining Magazine as a publisher, because they offered replicate the appearance of the original folio from 1556. While De Re Metallica was never a large commercial success, it marked the highlight of their academic careers (Colophon 14, William R. Castle, June 1933).
