Category Archives: Featured book

Earliest published microscopic study

Posted on June 28, 2010 by

Galileo’s Sidereus nuncius (Venice, 1610) created an international sensation as the first published record of observations made with a telescope. Yet many people do not realize that Galileo was also involved with the first published record of observations made with … Continue reading →

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Posted in Featured book, Images recently digitized, Who we are | 5 Comments

The Night Sky at Alamut

Posted on June 25, 2010 by

Today’s Astronomy Picture of the Day features a photo of the night sky at Alamut, in the Alborz Mountains of Iran, northeast of Tehran. Alamut Castle was for a while the home of the Persian mathematician and astronomer Nasir al-Din … Continue reading →

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Posted in Featured book, In the news

Saulnier (1822) on the Temple of Dendera

Posted on June 22, 2010 by

Recent acquisition: Sébastien Saulnier, Notice sur le voyage de M. Lelorrain, en Égypte; et Observations sur le zodiac circulaire de Denderah (Paris, chez lʼauteur, 1822). This is a story at the intersection of intrigue, thievery, French nationalism, Egyptian archaeology, politics, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Featured book, Recent acquisitions | 3 Comments

John Bulwer, Anthropometamorphosis

Posted on June 16, 2010 by

Recent acquisition: In 1653, an English physician, John Bulwer (1606-1656), published a curious work in comparative cultural anthropology entitled Anthropometamorphosis: Man Transform’d (London, 590 pages). Bulwer presented abundant woodcut illustrations of all manners known to him of decorating or transforming … Continue reading →

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Posted in Featured book, Recent acquisitions

Works of Leonardo

Posted on June 8, 2010 by

The current exhibit includes the first two printed works containing material produced by Leonardo da Vinci. Like someone today who avoids email and the web, Leonardo sat out the Printing Revolution. Despite Leonardo’s remarkable accomplishments and enduring interest, his manuscripts … Continue reading →

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Posted in Featured book, Recent acquisitions

Baroillet manuscript, Cryptography collection

Posted on June 3, 2010 by

This recently-acquired manuscript is a report to the French Ministry of War about methods of encryption, composed circa 1790: BAROILLET. Rapport du Comité des Fortifications, sur une méthode d’écrire en chiffres et sur l’instrument approprié à cet objet, proposés par … Continue reading →

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Posted in Featured book, Manuscripts, archives, photos, Recent acquisitions, Topical Collections | 2 Comments

Catherine Whitwell, An Astronomical Catechism (London, 1818)

Posted on May 26, 2010 by

Recent acquisition: This beautiful work, written as a dialogue between a mother and her daughter, offers a wonderful introduction to the night sky. Catherine Whitwell was a professor at Robert Owen’s school at New Lanarck in the 1820′s, who also … Continue reading →

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Posted in Featured book, Recent acquisitions | 1 Comment