Firmin Didot, London, 1828. First edition. 74pp. + one facsimile plate of a Blaise Pascal autograph. 1 vols. 8vo. Pascal & the Origin of the Bus. Scarce treatise on the development of the omnibus in the 17th century, containing relevant documents and letters, including a facsimile letter in the hand of Pascal's sister, docketed by him. "The idea of a public transport service operating on fixed routes within a city was an invention of the fertile mind of Blaise Pascal. With associates who provided financial backing, he proposed such a service in 1658 and put it in operation in Paris in 1662 under the name "carosses à cinq sols." The innovation seemed successful, but lasted only a few years; the time was not yet ripe." - Foster M. Palmer, The Literature of the Street Railway, in "Harvard University Bulletin," Vol. XII, No. 1 (winter, 1958), p. 117. Barbier I: 503 Modern half cloth and boards, with the original printed wrappers bound in. Scattered light marginal foxing, else a fine copy 74pp. + one facsimile plate of a Blaise Pascal autograph. 1 vols. 8vo [Attributes: First Edition; Soft Cover]