JF Ptak Science Books // Blog Bookstore

William Henry Fox Talbot and Michael Faraday,1833

JF Ptak Science Books

Michael Faraday, "Mr. Faraday's Experimental Researches in Electricity. — Third Series 161-170; Mr. Faraday's Experimental Researches in Electricity. — Third Series (continued) 253-267; Faraday's Experimental Researches in Electricity. — Third Series (concluded) 353-363" being papers found in The London, Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, London, printed by Richard Taylor, volume III, July-December 1833. The entire volume
offered: 8vo, viii, 472pp. Bound in full calf, with raised bands, and with red and black spine labels; the covers are impressed in gilt with the arms of the "Society of
Writers to the Signet".  Very nice copy. Very Good condition. $250

Also bound with:  

Faraday, Michael. “Mr. Faraday's Notice of a Means of preparing the Organs of Respiration, so as considerably to extend the Time of Holding the Breath; with Remarks on
its Application, in Cases in which it is required to enter an irrespirable Atmosphere, and on the Precautions necessary to be observed in such Cases”, 241-245;

And with:

“Mr. R. Potter's Particulars of a Series of Experiments and Calculations undertaken with a View to determine the Velocity with which Light traverses Transparent Media”,
333-342;

With these other interesting works, including four papers by/relating to William Henry Fox Talbot:

Herschel, J.F.W. “Sir John F. W. Herschel on the Absorption of Light by Coloured Media, viewed in connexion with the Undulatory Theory”, p 401-412;

William Henry Fox Talbot, “On a Method of Obtaining Homogeneous Light of Great Intensity" on p 35; 

Talbot, Henry Fox. “Mr. H. F. Talbot's Proposed Philosophical Experiments 81-3;

“T. R. F. on Mr. Talbot's Proposed Method of ascertaining the greatest Depth of the Ocean”, p. 352

Wheatstone, Charles. “Mr. C. Wheatstone's Remarks on one of Mr. Talbot's proposed Philosophical Experiments”, pp 204-5;

"Of other here is the article by one of the early and great leaders in the history of photography, William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877), showing his developing interest in optics, after having already established a reputation in mathematics: “The early nineteenth century witnessed the adoption and modification of new theoretical frameworks in chemistry and optics. The discovery of many new substances stimulated increasing concern with chemical composition and structure, while the wave theory of light posed problems with dispersion, absorption, photochemical reaction, and other forms of light-matter interaction. Although Talbot counted Wheatstone, Brewster, and Babbage among his scientific friends, he most closely followed the ideas of his friend John Herschel on light. Adopting the wave theory of light and a kinetic interpretation of light, heat, and matter, he pursued the problem of light-matter interaction through the study of optics, crystallography, and spectra. Intrigued by the similar optical characteristics of light and radiant heat as demonstrated by Melloni and Forbes, he sought to show the unity of the chemical rays with visible rays and heat rays. He also sought to use light and optical properties as analytical tools in order to determine the nature and structure of matter and to develop methods of chemical identification. Utilizing the vibratory theory of molecular behavior in gases, he suggested in 1835 a connection between spectral lines and chemical composition.”--Dictionary of Scientific Biography

 

William Henry Fox Talbot, “On a Method of Obtaining Homogeneous Light of Great Intensity" on p 35; 

Talbot, Henry Fox. “Mr. H. F. Talbot's Proposed Philosophical Experiments 81-3;

“T. R. F. on Mr. Talbot's Proposed Method of ascertaining the greatest Depth of the Ocean”, p. 352

Wheatstone, Charles. “Mr. C. Wheatstone's Remarks on one of Mr. Talbot's proposed Philosophical Experiments”, pp 204-5;

"Of other here is the article by one of the early and great leaders in the history of photography, William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877), showing his developing interest in optics, after having already established a reputation in mathematics: “The early nineteenth century witnessed the adoption and modification of new theoretical frameworks in chemistry and optics. The discovery of many new substances stimulated increasing concern with chemical composition and structure, while the wave theory of light posed problems with dispersion, absorption, photochemical reaction, and other forms of light-matter interaction. Although Talbot counted Wheatstone, Brewster, and Babbage among his scientific friends, he most closely followed the ideas of his friend John Herschel on light. Adopting the wave theory of light and a kinetic interpretation of light, heat, and matter, he pursued the problem of light-matter interaction through the study of optics, crystallography, and spectra. Intrigued by the similar optical characteristics of light and radiant heat as demonstrated by Melloni and Forbes, he sought to show the unity of the chemical rays with visible rays and heat rays. He also sought to use light and optical properties as analytical tools in order to determine the nature and structure of matter and to develop methods of chemical identification. Utilizing the vibratory theory of molecular behavior in gases, he suggested in 1835 a connection between spectral lines and chemical composition.”--Dictionary of Scientific Biography

 

William Henry Fox Talbot, “On a Method of Obtaining Homogeneous Light of Great Intensity" on p 35; 

Talbot, Henry Fox. “Mr. H. F. Talbot's Proposed Philosophical Experiments 81-3;

“T. R. F. on Mr. Talbot's Proposed Method of ascertaining the greatest Depth of the Ocean”, p. 352

Wheatstone, Charles. “Mr. C. Wheatstone's Remarks on one of Mr. Talbot's proposed Philosophical Experiments”, pp 204-5;

"Of other here is the article by one of the early and great leaders in the history of photography, William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877), showing his developing interest in optics, after having already established a reputation in mathematics: “The early nineteenth century witnessed the adoption and modification of new theoretical frameworks in chemistry and optics. The discovery of many new substances stimulated increasing concern with chemical composition and structure, while the wave theory of light posed problems with dispersion, absorption, photochemical reaction, and other forms of light-matter interaction. Although Talbot counted Wheatstone, Brewster, and Babbage among his scientific friends, he most closely followed the ideas of his friend John Herschel on light. Adopting the wave theory of light and a kinetic interpretation of light, heat, and matter, he pursued the problem of light-matter interaction through the study of optics, crystallography, and spectra. Intrigued by the similar optical characteristics of light and radiant heat as demonstrated by Melloni and Forbes, he sought to show the unity of the chemical rays with visible rays and heat rays. He also sought to use light and optical properties as analytical tools in order to determine the nature and structure of matter and to develop methods of chemical identification. Utilizing the vibratory theory of molecular behavior in gases, he suggested in 1835 a connection between spectral lines and chemical composition.”--Dictionary of Scientific Biography

 

Antique Chemistry Prints--Rees Cyclopedia, 1802-1920

JF Ptak Science Books  Quick Post

The following images relating to chemistry were found in the illustration volumes of Abraham Rees' (1743-1825) great work, Cyclopædia; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature. This was a massive undertaking for Rees, but his leadership and editorial skills were up tot eh task--in the end, 39 volumes were published containing nearly 40 million words, plus another six thick volumes contained the engraved illustrations to the monograph-length articles.  This section (below) displays some of the chemistry-related items.  Elsewhere in this blog Rees' images relating to logic, math, and geography are displayed--just search under "Rees" in the Google search box at left.)

All of the Rees images are original engravings, and measure 8 1/4 x 10 1/4 inches. 

 

Rees, WIlson Lowry, London, 1802. $35

Rees, Wilson Lowry, London, 1805.  $125

 

Rees, Wilson Lowry, London, 1811. $25

 

Rees, Wilson Lowry, London, 1810.   $25

 

Rees, Wilson Lowry, London, ca. 1810. $25

 

Rees, Wilson Lowry, London, 1812. $25

 

Rees, WIlson Lowry, London, 1803Rees, WIlson Lowry, London, 1803 $25

 

Rees, Wilson Lowry, London, 1805  $25

 

Oh, and a couple of bonus images, not from Rees:

Engraving, ca. 1840. 4x7"  $45

London, 1820, 8x4"  $20

The Discovery of Radioactivity of Thorium, 1898

Curie, Marie (Sklodowska).  "Rayons émis par les composés de l'uranium et de thorium. Presentée par M. Lippmann. Séance du Mardi 12 Avril 1898".  Paris, Gauthier-Villars, 1898. In: Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de L'Academie des Sciences, volume 126, No 15. We offer the weekly issue, comprising pp. 1059-1110, with Curie's paper appearing on pp. 1101-1103.  $950

With a 19th Century Dust jacket

Lord Rayleigh and William Ramsay.  Argon, a New Constituent of the Atmosphere.  The Hodgkins Fund. City of Washington, Smithsonian Institution. 1896.  Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge. 1033. 4to., [4], 43 pp., 5 text figures. Brilliant copy in the original green cloth with blind stamping and gilt stamps.  Also: this copy comes with the rare, original, dust jacket.  (There are few scientific works published in the 19th century issued with dust jackets.)  Condition:  book, very fine; dust jacket has some dusting, some tears and chips around edges, but is fresh, and Very Good.  $750

First edition, announcing the discovery of the first inert gas, the work (largely) leading to the Nobel Prize in physics for Rayleigh and the Nobel for chemistry for Ramsay in 1904.

And from "The Discovery of Argon: a Case of Learning from Data?", by Aris Spanos in Philosophy of Science  ,Vol. 77, No. 3, July 2010:

"In 1904, Lord Rayleigh (1842–1919) and his collaborator Sir William Ramsay (1852–1916) were awarded the Nobel Prize in physics and chemistry, respectively, primarily for their role in the discovery of argon, an inert gas in the atmosphere. The averse reaction to this discovery by Mendeleev (1834–1907) might have been the main reason for his not being awarded the Nobel prize in chemistry in 1906."

"The discovery of argon resulted from a careful unraveling of an empirical discrepancy, initially detected by Rayleigh when measuring the density of nitrogen gas produced by two different procedures. After a long trial‐and‐error process based on a carefully designed sequence of experiments and guided by an informal (by today’s standards) analysis of the resulting data Rayleigh and Ramsay reached the conclusion that the atmospheric air contains argon, a hitherto unknown element."

And this:

"Rayleigh and Ramsey  had noted that nitrogen obtained from the air had a density greater than that of nitrogen liberated from its compounds by about one-half percent. This led to the isolation of the first of the inert gases which they called argon. In the following year Ramsay found another, helium, in the mineral clevite, altho this had been noted in the sun’s spectrum by Lockyar  in 1868. In four years, 1894-8, five new gases, including neon, krypton and xenon had been discovered. These form a distinct group in the periodic table; all have zero valency.” [Dibner]. Dibner, Heralds of Science 50.

 

Linus Pauling.  "Rotational Motion of Molecules in Crystals."  In: The Physical Review, volume 36, number 3, 1 August 1930.  Pauling's article occupied pp 430-434 in the issue of pp 383-607.  In the original green wrappers. $350

[Lavoisier]  Oeuvres de Lavoisier puliees par les soins de son excellence le Ministre de l'insrtuction publique et des cults.  Paris, Imprimerie Imperiale, 1864-1868.  Volume 1-4. 

Includes volumes:

1) Traite Elementaire de Chimie, portrait, (2), xi, 728 pp, portrait, 16 plates.

2) Mémoires de Chimie et de Physique, (2)-828 pp, 8 plates.

3) Memoires et Rapports sur Divers Sujets de Chimie et de Physique Pures ou appliquees a l'histoire naturelle générale et à l'hygiène publique, (2)-795 pp, 12 plates.

4) Mémoires et Rapports sur Divers Sujets de Chimie et de Physique Pures, (2)-774 pp, 4 plates.

Very sturdily rebound in block cloth. Title pages all have a few library stamps, and there is a gilt-stamped call number on the spine (bottom).  This is a very sturdy, tight set, with the text in VG condition. The plates are all very crisp.  Nice copy for the working library.  $500

The Foundations of Electrochemistry, 1808

Davy, Humphrey. "Ueber die chemischen Wirkungen der Electricität. (Vorgelesen in der königl. Societät zu London, als Bakerian Lecture am 20sten Novemb. 1806)". In: Annalen der Physik, (Halle, Rengerschen Buchhandlung, 1808) , Series I/band 28, parts 1+2 with1 engraved plate. Davy's paper occupies pp 1-43. and pp. 161-202.

We offer the entire issue for the full half-year, with all four original front and rear wrappers bound in, and as such is quite rare. Very good condition. $750

First German edition.
"Humphrey Davy...was among the first to investigate the decomposition of water. In 1806 he delivered a Bakerian Lecture (the paper offered here in the German version) before the Royal Society of London "On some chemical agencies of electricity" (1807), which pointed out several fallacies in the theory of electrolysis. Davy's experiments on the chemical effects of electrical currents on substances, causing their decomposition, led to his discovery of several new elements: potassium (1807), sodium (1807), barium (1808), calcium (1808), and boron (1808)" (Milestone of Science No. 52) Partington vol. IV 42; PMM No 255 (note).

Condition:  Ex-libris Deutsche Akademie der Luftfahrtforschung, then Wright Patterson Field Library (USAF), then Library of Congress.  Library markings:  small gilt-stamped "Akademie der Luftfahrtforschung", page edges stamped "Wright Field Library/Dayton, Ohio" on top and bottom. Contents quite nice.

 

Background to Kirchhoff and Black Body Radiation: Bunsen & Kirchhoff, 1860

Bunsen, Robert & Gutav Kirchhoff.  "Chemische Analyse durch Spectralbeobachtungen", in Annalen der Physik volume 110, no. 6, pp 161-189 (1860)   First edition.  The discovery of cesium by Bunsen via spectroscopic analysis led to Kirchhoff's "black-body" radiation (and otherwise at this time known as black radiation) discovery.  Very nice copy. [Hold]  We offer the entire volume of 660pp (with 8 engraved plates).  $500

The Importance of Mistakes: Kircher's Table of Transformations

ITEM:  original engraving, "Tabulosa Combinatoria", from Athanaseus Kircher's Mundus Subterraneus, 1664.  14 3/4 x 8 3/4 inches.  Very nice condition. SOLD

Ref: JF Ptak Science Books   Post 1325

The great semi-mystifying polymath Athanaseus Kircher (1602-1680) lived for a long time and filled his life with ideas and words,  producing dozens of books during his time on Earth, some of which were never published even though written, some manuscripts lost forever. His was a massive output of extraordinary breadth.  He wasted little time what I can see, writing on a spectacul;ar range of subjects, enlightening people, confusing people, generating great theories and some bad ideas. 

The image below comes from his Mundus Subterraenus, published in 1664, and which was concerned mainly with geology and the theory of the Earth.  He postulated the structure of the interior of the Earth, the origin of heat, the source of the tides, the composition of light, and of course the existence of the Virgin Mary in amber.  There was also a fair amount of work on one of his side interests that populated a number of hs works, alchemy and the search for the organization of materials. 

This image, "Tabula Combinatoria" (combinatory table or table of combinations) was an attempt to classify the alchemical transformation of metals and nonmetals via solve and coagula (mediante igne solvuntur et coagulatur),  of solution and coagulation, a Curiosi Lectoris of  Chymicas operationes, in a search for the key to all transformations, the prima materia.

Kircher as I said exceeded his learning and logic all throughout his life, usually with positive results to us here in his future; but in this case, his alchemical quest--like the million words and countless hours and lead-based brain damage undertaken by Sir Isaac--proved to be a dry hole.  But dry holes like mistakes in general are not necessarily without importance--they are valueless if and only if nothing comes of them, or nothing is recognized in i n the method of leading to the mistake, or if by our using the mistake it didn't allow you to pursue something else.  Science life is filled with almost nothing but error to the observer--it is our job to do something with the stuff that doesn't work. 

 [the image is continued but trailed off of my scanner.]