Levier-Intellectuel-Allevy. Dedie aux peuples du XIXe Siècle. Nouvel enseignement applicable a toutes les sciences [Signed by Achille Allevy]
- Paris: Chez les Auteurs, 1849
Paris: Chez les Auteurs, 1849. Very Good. Paris: Chez les Auteurs, Rue de la Harpe, 90, 1849. First Edition. 32mo (10.5cm); contemporary crimson roan over orange moiré-patterned paper-covered boards; [10],72pp.; illus. throughout, text printed lithograph from pictorial manuscript. Margins quite worn, brief ink stain to spine foot, textblock a bit finger soiled and shaken in binding and starting to crack between pp. 6 and 7, title page soiled with closed tear coming from gutter edge affecting text without loss of meaning, contemporary ownership inscription to front pastedown of a G. Fourier of Dijon, noting that he was given this volume by his father, who got it by subscription. A Good to Very Good copy of this rare and bizarre little book. Signed by Achille Allevy on title page verso indicating that this is not a counterfeit copy.
Charming (and arguably unusable) little reference work published by the widow Emilie Allevy and her two eldest sons Achille and Alcide in honor of their late husband and father Pierre Louis Allevy (1784-1842). An indefatigable and idiosyncratic educator and inventor, Pierre Louis appears in the public record as having applied for a patent for a hydroponic mechanism for rescuing fire victims; wrote up a proposal to have Napoleon's tomb be encased in a crystal ball (it was quickly rejected); and devised a system for recalling the names and dates for all the kings of France using this system of phrases, illustrations, and symbols--for example the number 1 is represented by a tower, number 2 by a waterbird, number 3 by a camel, etc.
This system, called the Levier Intellectuel Allevy, was expanded upon by his wife and two eldest sons, the noted daguerreotype photographers Achille and Alcide Allevy following Pierre Louis' death. We have not entirely mastered the system, but will simply say that Merovée, crowned in 448, is represented by a camel that has just emerged dripping from a body of water, while Charlemagne is represented by a bird hiding from a big cat on top of a mirror.
OCLC locates a single copy as of April, 2025, at the BNF.
Reference: See the Portrait Sepia website for additional information on the Allevy family and their photographer descendants.
Charming (and arguably unusable) little reference work published by the widow Emilie Allevy and her two eldest sons Achille and Alcide in honor of their late husband and father Pierre Louis Allevy (1784-1842). An indefatigable and idiosyncratic educator and inventor, Pierre Louis appears in the public record as having applied for a patent for a hydroponic mechanism for rescuing fire victims; wrote up a proposal to have Napoleon's tomb be encased in a crystal ball (it was quickly rejected); and devised a system for recalling the names and dates for all the kings of France using this system of phrases, illustrations, and symbols--for example the number 1 is represented by a tower, number 2 by a waterbird, number 3 by a camel, etc.
This system, called the Levier Intellectuel Allevy, was expanded upon by his wife and two eldest sons, the noted daguerreotype photographers Achille and Alcide Allevy following Pierre Louis' death. We have not entirely mastered the system, but will simply say that Merovée, crowned in 448, is represented by a camel that has just emerged dripping from a body of water, while Charlemagne is represented by a bird hiding from a big cat on top of a mirror.
OCLC locates a single copy as of April, 2025, at the BNF.
Reference: See the Portrait Sepia website for additional information on the Allevy family and their photographer descendants.