Antiquarian science books

Antiquarian science books are original historical works (e.g., books or technical papers) concerning science, mathematics and sometimes engineering. These books are important primary references for the study of the history of science and technology, they can provide valuable insights into the historical development of the various fields of scientific inquiry (History of science, History of mathematics, etc.)

Vesalius, Fabrica, 16th century

The landmark are significant first (or early) editions typically worth hundreds or thousands of dollars (prices may vary widely based on condition, etc.).[1] Reprints of these books are often available, for example from Great Books of the Western World, Dover Publications or Google Books.

Incunabula are extremely rare and valuable, but as the "scientific revolution" is only taken to have started around the 1540s, such works of Renaissance literature (including alchemy, Renaissance magic, etc.) are not usually included under the notion of "scientific" literature. Printed originals of the beginning scientific revolution thus date to the 1540s or later, notably beginning with the original publication of Copernican heliocentrism. Nicolaus Copernicus' De revolutionibus orbium coelestium of 1543 sold for more than US$2 million at auctions.[2]

List of notable books

Copernicus, De revolutionibus, 1500s

16th century

Newton, Principia, 1600s

17th century

Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, 1700s

18th century

Lyell, Principles of Geology, 1800s

19th century

Einstein, The Principle of Relativity, 1900s

20th century (pre-Cold War)

References

  1. ^ Prices quoted were collected using sources such as "International League of Antiquarian Booksellers". Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2018. "ABAA". Archived from the original on 1 July 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2018. http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchEntry http://www.sothebys.com http://www.christies.com
  2. ^ US$2,210,500 at a Christies auction in 2008.
  3. ^ De revolutionibus orbium coelestium Archived 13 July 2006 at the Wayback Machine, from Harvard University.
  4. ^ De Humani Corporis Fabrica online — translated with full images, from Northwestern University
  5. ^ Rare Fish Books (ed.). "HISTORIAE ANIMALIUM liber IIII (first edition)". Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  6. ^ First edition: "Theil der grossen Wundartzney". ILAB. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  7. ^ Polybiblio: Regiomontanus, Johannes/Santbech, Daniel, ed. De Triangulis Planis et Sphaericis libri quinque. Basel Henrich Petri & Petrus Perna 1561. First edition: De triangulis planis et sphaericis libri quinque Archived 3 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Giordano Bruno, De l'infinito, universo e mondi, a cura di Giovanni Aquilecchia, Sansoni, Firenze, 1985.
  9. ^ First edition: "Introduction to the analytical art". Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  10. ^ De Magnete at Project Gutenberg. "De Magnete (first edition)". JONATHAN A. HILL, BOOKSELLER, INC. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  11. ^ Mirifici logarithmorum canonis descriptio (Edward Wright's English translation was published in 1616). "Mirifici logarithmorum canonis constructio (early edition)". Antiquariat Gerhard Gruber. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Harmonices Mundi (first edition)". Milestones of Science Books. (Ritterhude, Germany). Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  13. ^ First written in a letter to Mersenne in 1638, the first printed publication of the method is in the fifth volume of the "Supplementum Cursus Mathematici" (1642) written by Herigone, and only in 1679 it appears in Fermat's "Varia opera mathematica". Electronic version in latin. First edition of "Varia opera mat." at Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc.
  14. ^ "De motu cordis et sanguinis in animalibus (early edition)". LIBRERIA BRIGHENTI. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  15. ^ "The Sceptical Chymist (first edition)". Sophia Rare Books. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  16. ^ "Traitez de l'équilibre des liqueurs (first edition)". Librairie Hatchuel. 58 rue Monge 75005 Paris - France. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  17. ^ Works by Isaac Barrow at Project Gutenberg. "Lectiones opticae & geometricae (first edition)". Milestones of Science Books. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  18. ^ First editions of Experimenta Nova available at ILAB
  19. ^ "Principia - Second edition, 1713". James Cummins Bookseller (member ABAA/ILAB). New York. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  20. ^ "Arcana naturae (first edition)". Milestones of Science Books. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  21. ^ First editions at ILAB
  22. ^ Taylor, Brook (1715a), Methodus Incrementorum Directa et Inversa, London: William Innys
  23. ^ "Reflexions sur la Cause generale des Vents (first edition)". Jonathan A. Hill. Bookseller, Inc. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  24. ^ "Experiments and Observations on Electricity (early edition)". Joseph J. Felcone Inc. Bookseller. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  25. ^ "An Essay Towards Solving a Problem in the Doctrine of Chances (first edition)". Manhattan Rare Book Company. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  26. ^ De vi attractiva ignis electrici (in latin)
  27. ^ Mémoire sur la théorie des déblais et des remblais De l'Imprimerie Royale.
  28. ^ "Theory of the Earth (first edition)". Milestones of Science Books. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  29. ^ "Traité élémentaire de chimie (first edition)". Librairie Alain Brieu. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  30. ^ De viribus electricitatis, 1791. The International Centre for the History of Universities and Science (CIS), Università di Bologna
  31. ^ Essai sur la Théorie des Nombres (Paris: Duprat, 1798). First edition Archived 1 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine at Sophia Rare Books
  32. ^ A digitized copy Archived 26 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine of An inquiry into the causes and effects of the variola vaccine (1798), from the Posner Memorial Collection at Carnegie Mellon
  33. ^ "An inquiry into the causes and effects of the variola vaccine (first edition)". Jeff Weber Rare Books. Retrieved 8 August 2018.[permanent dead link‍]
  34. ^ Wessel, Caspar (1799). "Om Directionens analytiske Betegning, et Forsog, anvendt fornemmelig til plane og sphæriske Polygoners Oplosning" [On the analytic representation of direction, an effort applied in particular to the determination of plane and spherical polygons]. Nye Samling af det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskabs Skrifter (in Danish). 5. Copenhagen: Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters: 469–518.
  35. ^ "Disquisitiones arithmeticae (first edition)". WP Watson Antiquarian Books (in Abebooks). London. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  36. ^ Young, Thomas (1804). "Bakerian Lecture: Experiments and calculations relative to physical optics". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. 94: 1–16. Bibcode:1804RSPT...94....1Y. doi:10.1098/rstl.1804.0001. S2CID 110408369.. First edition at Abebooks
  37. ^ Essai sur une manière de représenter des quantités imaginaires dans les constructions géométriques, 2e édition, Gauthier Villars, Paris (1874) BNF
  38. ^ Dalton, John (1808). A new system of chemical philosophy. London. ISBN 978-1-153-05671-7. Retrieved 8 July 2008.. First edition at Sophia Rare Books Archived 5 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  39. ^ "Läroboken i kemien (early edition, in swedish)". Antikvariat Röde Orm (in www.antikvariat.net). Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  40. ^ "On Aerial Navigation (first edition)". Milestones of Science Books. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  41. ^ Electronic version in archive.org
  42. ^ "Experimenta circa effectum...(H.C. Oersted; first edition)". Milestones of Science Books. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  43. ^ "Theorie analytique de la chaleur (first edition)". Milestones of Science Books. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  44. ^ First edition at Abebooks - Jeremy Norman's historyofscience Bookseller (Novato, CA, U.S.A.)
  45. ^ "Géométrie imaginaire (first edition in french)". Sophia Rare Books. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  46. ^ Œuvres complètes d'Augustin Cauchy Académie des sciences (France). Ministère de l'éducation nationale.
  47. ^ Early edition at Abebooks (Jeremy Norman's historyofscience, Bookseller (Novato, CA, U.S.A.))
  48. ^ "Traité de Mécanique Céleste (first edition)". Jonathan A. Hill Bookseller. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  49. ^ "Die galvanische Kette, mathematisch bearbeitet (first edition)". Jonathan A. Hill Bookseller. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  50. ^ Principles of Geology (first ed.). Retrieved 3 August 2018. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  51. ^ Electronic version in archive.org
  52. ^ "Experimental Researches in Electricity (first edition, 8vo, 3 volumes)". Rulon-Miller Books. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  53. ^ Ada Lovelace's notes: "Sketch of the Analytical Engine invented by Charles Babbage [by L.F. Menabrea, translated, and appended with additional notes, by Augusta Ada, Countess of Lovelace]". Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  54. ^ "On the calorific effects of magneto-electricity, and on the mechanical value of heat (first edition)". Jeremy Norman & Co., Inc. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  55. ^ In June 1845, Joule read his paper "On the Mechanical Equivalent of Heat" to the British Association meeting in Cambridge (Joule, J.P. (1845) "On the Mechanical Equivalent of Heat", Brit. Assoc. Rep., trans. Chemical Sect, p.31)
  56. ^ "Über die Erhaltung der Kraft (first edition)". Oak Knoll Books. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  57. ^ "Ueber die bewegende Kraft der Wärme (first edition)". Bookshop Herman H. J. Lynge & Søn. Archived from the original on 1 July 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  58. ^ "On the dynamical theory of heat...(first edition)". Sophia Rare Books. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  59. ^ "An Investigation of the Laws of Thought (first edition)". Blackwell's Rare Books. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  60. ^ The Physical Geography of the Sea (1858 ed.). Harper & Brothers. 1855 – via Google Books.
  61. ^ First editions of Die cellularpathologie at ILAB
  62. ^ "On the Origin of Species (1859 edition, 8ov)". John Windle, Antiquarian Bookselle. San Francisco, CA. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  63. ^ "Mémoire sur Les Corpuscules organisés qui existent dans L'Atmosphère (early edition)". Herman H. J. Lynge & Søn A/S. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  64. ^ First editions of Introduction à l'etude de la médicine at ILAB
  65. ^ Mendel, J. G. (1866). "Versuche über Pflanzenhybriden", Verhandlungen des naturforschenden Vereines in Brünn, Bd. IV für das Jahr, 1865, Abhandlungen: 3–47, [1]. For the English translation, see: Druery, C. T.; Bateson, William (1901). "Experiments in plant hybridization" (PDF). Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society. 26: 1–32. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  66. ^ "Mendel's paper "Versuche über Pflanzenhybriden", was read at meetings of the Brunn Natural History Society on 8th February and 8th March 1865, and was published in the Verhandlungen des naturforschenden Vereines in Brünn, 4, 1865, which appeared in 1866" (Gregor Mendel, Experiments in Plant Hybridisation, Cosimo, Inc., 2008, p. 7).
  67. ^ "On The Hypotheses which lie at the Bases of Geometry (first English translation)". Herman H. J. Lynge & Søn A/S. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  68. ^ Study, E. (1909). "Review: Opere matematiche di Eugenio Beltrami". Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 16 (3): 147–149. doi:10.1090/s0002-9904-1909-01882-8.
  69. ^ "Untersuchungen ueber Bacterien (first edition)". Milestones of Science Books. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  70. ^ "The Descent of Man (first edition)". Milestones of Science Books. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  71. ^ "A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism (first edition)". Sophia Rare Books. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  72. ^ Georg Cantor (1883). "Ueber unendliche, lineare Punktmannichfaltigkeiten (5)". Mathematische Annalen. 21 (4): 545–591. doi:10.1007/bf01446819. S2CID 121930608. Published separately as: Grundlagen einer allgemeinen Mannigfaltigkeitslehre.
  73. ^ List of Poincaré writings in English translation
  74. ^ First editions at ILAB
  75. ^ "Electric Waves (first edition in english)". Manhattan Rare Book Company. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  76. ^ "Ueber eine neue Art von Strahlen (first edition)". Jeremy Norman & Co., Inc. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  77. ^ "The science absolute of space : independent of the truth or falsity of Euclid's axiom XI (which can never be decided a priori)", The Neomon, Austin, 1896
  78. ^ "Sur une substance nouvelle radio-active dans la pechblende (first edition)". Bookshop Herman H. J. Lynge & Søn. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  79. ^ "Grundlagen der Geometrie (first edition)". Argosy Book Store. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  80. ^ "Textura del sistema nervioso del hombre y los vertebrados (first edition in Spanish)". Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018. Histologie du système nerveux, first edition in french, 1909
  81. ^ Planck, M. (1900b). "Zur Theorie des Gesetzes der Energieverteilung im Normalspectrum". Verhandlungen der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft. 2: 237. Translated in ter Haar, D. (1967). "On the Theory of the Energy Distribution Law of the Normal Spectrum" (PDF). The Old Quantum Theory. Pergamon Press. p. 82. LCCN 66029628. First edition: "Zur Theorie des Gesetzes der Energieverteilung im Normalspectrum". Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  82. ^ Radio-activity (1904), 2nd ed. (1905), ISBN 978-1-60355-058-1 First edition: "Radio-activity". Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  83. ^ Lorentz, Hendrik Antoon (1904), "Electromagnetic phenomena in a system moving with any velocity smaller than that of light" , Proceedings of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 6: 809–831, Bibcode:1903KNAB....6..809L
  84. ^ List of scientific publications by Albert Einstein.
  85. ^ Einstein, Albert (1905d). "Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper" [On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies]. Annalen der Physik (in German). 322 (10): 891–921. Bibcode:1905AnP...322..891E. doi:10.1002/andp.19053221004. hdl:10915/2786.
  86. ^ Annus Mirabilis papers
  87. ^ Einstein, Albert (1905e). "Ist die Trägheit eines Körpers von seinem Energieinhalt abhängig?" [Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?]. Annalen der Physik (in German). 323 (13): 639–641. Bibcode:1905AnP...323..639E. doi:10.1002/andp.19053231314.
  88. ^ Richardson, L.F. (1910). "The approximate arithmetical solution by finite differences of physical problems involving differential equations, with an application to the stresses in a masonry dam". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. 210 (459–470): 307–357. Bibcode:1911RSPTA.210..307R. doi:10.1098/rsta.1911.0009.
  89. ^ "The Mind of Primitive Man (first edition)". Herman H. J. Lynge & Søn A/S. Archived from the original on 1 July 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  90. ^ Bohr, Niels (1913). "On the Constitution of Atoms and Molecules, Part I" (PDF). Philosophical Magazine. 26 (151): 1–24. Bibcode:1913PMag...26....1B. doi:10.1080/14786441308634955.
  91. ^ Bohr, Niels (1913). "On the Constitution of Atoms and Molecules, Part II Systems Containing Only a Single Nucleus" (PDF). Philosophical Magazine. 26 (153): 476–502. Bibcode:1913PMag...26..476B. doi:10.1080/14786441308634993.
  92. ^ Bohr, Niels (1913). "On the Constitution of Atoms and Molecules, Part III Systems containing several nuclei". Philosophical Magazine. 26 (155): 857–875. Bibcode:1913PMag...26..857B. doi:10.1080/14786441308635031.
  93. ^ Link "Die Grundlage Der Allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie"
  94. ^ Recherches sur la théorie des quanta (Researches on the quantum theory), Thesis, Paris, 1924, Ann. de Physique (10) 3, 22 (1925).
  95. ^ Schrodinger, Erwin (1926). "Quantisierung als Eigenwertproblem". Annalen der Physik. 384 (4): 273–376. Bibcode:1926AnP...384..361S. doi:10.1002/andp.19263840404.
  96. ^ Heisenberg, W. (1927), "Über den anschaulichen Inhalt der quantentheoretischen Kinematik und Mechanik", Zeitschrift für Physik (in German), 43 (3–4): 172–198, Bibcode:1927ZPhy...43..172H, doi:10.1007/BF01397280, S2CID 122763326.
  97. ^ Ways to Spaceflight (1929) OCLC 255256956
  98. ^ Hubble, Edwin (1929). "A relation between distance and radial velocity among extra-galactic nebulae". PNAS. 15 (3): 168–173. Bibcode:1929PNAS...15..168H. doi:10.1073/pnas.15.3.168. PMC 522427. PMID 16577160.
  99. ^ First edition: Liquid-Propellant Rocket Development. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  100. ^ First edition: "A Note of the Entscheidungsproblem". Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  101. ^ First edition: "On computable numbers, with an application to the Entscheidungsproblem". Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  102. ^ Full text at MIT
  103. ^ "A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits". Manhattan Rare Book Company. First printing in: Transactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers 57 (1938). Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  104. ^ — (1939). The Nature of the Chemical Bond and the Structure of Molecules and Crystals. Cornell University Press.