Haller, Freiherr Albrecht von; Physikalische Betrachtungen von den Erdbeben und den Bewegungen der Daraus erfolgten auserordentlichen Gewässer wie auch von den anderen Natur-Begebenheiten, welche am 1ten Nov. 1755. den grösten Theil von Europa und andere Welt-Theile betroffen, besonders aber die Königl. grösten den Theil von Europa und andere Welt-Theile betroffen, aber besonders die Königl. Portugisische Haupt-Stadt Lisabon bis auf den Grund zerstöret haben...... Frankfurt und Leipzig, Heinrich Ludwig Bronner, 1756). Octavo, pp. 36, 2, 216, 3 folded engraved plates ( two showing views of Lisbon and the harbor prior to the earthquake and the last the conflagration during the earthquake.
This very rare work is complete and in the original binders wraps and never trimmed. The original wraps are tight and lightly soiled, the text has minor foxing to the first and last pages, the plates are very clean. The work is housed in a 20th century calf and cloth case with gilt titles and owners book plate on inside of case. An exceptionally nice copy of one of the earliest works on the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and tsunami.
This work is by far the most comprehensive early account of the Lisbon earthquake. While no author is named on the title page, the noted Swiss naturalist and physiologist, Freiherr Albrecht von Haller (1708-1777) wrote the introduction to the work and is credited with it. The work documents the earthquake and provides physical descriptions of the earthquake and resulting tsunamis, the destruction of Lisbon and loss of life and the possible causes of the earthquake. The three views of Lisbon are quite stunning with the view of Lisbon during the earthquake now quite famous and often reproduced in other works.