748. SOLAR ECLIPSE A terrific 18th century imprint, a folio broadside entitled "Approaching Solar Eclipse." 1p. folio, [Philadelphia] printed by John Poulson, [1806], features a graphic of the phases of the expected solar eclipse of June 16, 1806. Portions extracted from a pamphlet published in Boston concerning the same event. Includes a quotation from Anson Allen's New-England almanac for the year of Our Lord 1806 (Hartford : Printed and sold by Lincoln and Gleason), "Eclipses for A.D. 1806" p.2-3. In small part: "...The lovers of Astronomical Science will perhaps be highly gratified with the opportunity which may on Monday be afforded them, of beholding this interesting celestial phenomenon. And although we shall not be favored, in this city and is neighborhood , with a view of a total obscuration of the solar disk, which, it will be perceived by the ensuing paragraph, may be observed by the inhabitants of some parts of New York, and of the Eastern States...". The description also notes, "This eclipse can be seen with most advantage by a good telescope; but as few persons are possessed of this instrument, perhaps the best substitute is one of the dark glasses of a common quadrant. By this means the sun can be viewed without any offence to the eye...". One just wonders how many people accidentally blinded themselves misinterpreting these vague instructions! OCLC identifies five extant institutional copies (OCLC# 39093802, 58783659) Shaw & Shoemaker, 50640. Several creases, bottom quadrant of sheet affixed to top. Expertly matted, not examined out mat. $2,500 - 3,500