[ELECTRICITY AND BATTERIES]. ZAMBONI, Giuseppe (1776-1846). L'Elettromotore Perpetuo. Verona: Societa Italiana delle Scienze, 1820, 1822.

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Summer Fine Books & Manuscripts

By Potter & Potter Auctions

Jul 9, 2026

Set Reminder 2026-07-09 11:00:00 2026-07-09 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Summer Fine Books & Manuscripts https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/potter-potter/summer-fine-books-manuscripts-22825
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• Lot Description

  [ELECTRICITY AND BATTERIES]. ZAMBONI, Giuseppe (1776-1846). L'Elettromotore Perpetuo. Verona: Societa Italiana delle Scienze, 1820, 1822. 8vos. Two volumes in one. 298, [1]; [3]-361, [1] pp. Twenty-four full page diagrams in Vol. II; numerous diagrams and text illustrations in both volumes. Original green pastepaper over boards with red leather spine label lettered in gilt, edges sprinkled red. FIRST EDITION OF THIS PUBLICATION DESCRIBING THE DEVELOPMENT AND USES OF THE ZAMBONI PILE, THE "DRY" BATTERY. 

  Condition

  Spines sunned, bindings a bit worn, Light foxing, the occasional minor tear. Offsetting to pp. 108-115 from a previously laid-in object, likely a flower or small plant. Small bookplate on upper corner of front pastedown of both volumes. Contemporary ink signature on front pastedown of first volume. A very good, clean, and remarkably attractive set. 

• Provenance

  Zamboni first published his findings in the 1812 "Dissertation on the dry electric battery," then elaborated on them in short papers in 1814 and 1816. In the introduction, Zamboni writes that the present work is intended to significantly expound upon his earlier writings, explain the utility of his invention, and introduce his research to students. OCLC records eight copies in the United States. The most important aspect of the Zamboni pile was the drastic improvement in longevity over previous models, leading Zamboni to hypothesize about a perpetual motion machine utilizing his batteries in the 1814 paper "Description and Use of the Perpetual Motor" (hence the title of the present work). Zamboni's hypothesized invention was not, in fact, a perpetual motion machine, as the zinc in the batteries would eventually oxidize and cause the machine to stop functioning. However, the Zamboni pile is certainly capable of remarkable longevity: as Kevin Desmond writes in Innovators in Battery Technology (2016), "In the Oxford Electric Bell experiment at the Clarendon Laboratory at Oxford University, the terminals of what is believed to be [a Zamboni pile] are fitted with bells that have been continuously ringing since the device was set up in 1840..." (p. 247). Desmond, Kevin. Innovators in Battery Technology (2016), pp. 246-248. 

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