Antiquarian science books
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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.)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Vesalius_Fabrica_p184.jpg/100px-Vesalius_Fabrica_p184.jpg)
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
- 16th century
- Fuchs, Leonhart. De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes. Basel, 1542. Botany.
- Copernicus, Nicolaus. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium. Wittenberg, 1543. Copernican heliocentrism.
- Vesalius, Andreas. De humani corporis fabrica (On the Structure of the Human Body). Basel, 1543. Anatomy.
- Cardano, Gerolamo. Artis magnae sive de regulis algebraicis (The Art of Solving Algebraic Equations). Nuremberg, 1545. Algebra.
- Brunfels, Otto. Kreuterbüch, '1546. Botany.
- Bock, Hieronymus. Kreutterbuch. Strasbourg, 1552. Botany.
- Paracelsus. Theil der grossen Wundartzney. Frankfurt, 1556. Medicine.
- Agricola, Georgius. De re metallica. Basel, 1561. Mineralogy.
- Regiomontanus. De triangulis planis et sphaericis libri quinque. Basel, 1561. Trigonometry.
- Bombelli, Rafael. Algebra. 1569/1572. Imaginary numbers.
- Viète, François. In artem analyticam isagoge (Introduction to the Analytical Art). Tours, 1591. Algebra.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Principia_Page_1726.jpg/100px-Principia_Page_1726.jpg)
- 17th century
- Gilbert, William. De Magnete London, 1600 Magnetism
- Galilei, Galileo. Sidereus Nuncius (The Starry Messenger) Frankfurt, 1610. Astronomy
- Napier, John. Mirifici logarithmorum canonis descriptio, 1614. Logarithms
- Kepler, Johannes. Harmonices Mundi Linz, 1619. Celestial mechanics
- Bacon, Francis. Novum Organum London, 1620. Experimentation
- Descartes, René. Discours de la Methode / La Geometrie Leiden, 1637 Analytical geometry
- Fermat, Pierre de. Methodus ad disquirendam maximam et minimam, 1637. Calculus
- Galilei, Galileo. Discorsi e dimostrazioni matematiche, intorno a due nuove scienze Leiden, 1638. Classical dynamics
- Desargues, Gérard, 1639. Projective geometry.
- Harvey, William. Anatomical Exercises, Concerning the Heart and Blood London, 1653. Circulatory system
- Wallis, John. Arithmetica infinitorum, 1655. Calculus
- Boyle, Robert. The Sceptical Chymist London, 1661. Chemistry
- Pascal, Blaise. Traitez de l'Equilibre des Liqueurs, et de la Pesanteur de la Masse de l'Air Paris, 1663. Fluid statics
- Gregory, James. Optica Promota, 1663. Optics
- Hooke, Robert. Micrographia London, 1665. Microscopy
- Steno, Nicolas. De Solido intra Solidum Naturaliter Contento Dissertationis Prodromus Florence, 1669. Stratigraphy
- Barrow, Isaac. Lectiones geometricae, 1670. Calculus
- Fermat, Pierre de. Ad locus planos et solidos isagoge, 1679. Analytic geometry
- Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm. Nova Methodus pro Maxima et Minimus, 1684. Calculus
- Newton, Isaac. Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica London, 3 Vol, 1687. Classical mechanics
- Huygens, Christiaan. Traité de la Lumière Leiden, 1690. Optics
- Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm. Specimen Dynamicum Vienna, 1695. Classical mechanics
- van Leeuwenhoek, Antonie. Arcana Naturae, Ope & Beneficio Exquisitissimorum Microscopiorum Leiden, 1696. Microbiology
- l'Hôpital, Guillaume de. Analyse des infiniment petits Paris, 1696. Calculus
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Systema_Naturae_cover.jpg/100px-Systema_Naturae_cover.jpg)
- 18th century
- Newton, Isaac (England). Opticks London, 1704. Optics
- Taylor, Brook (England). Methodus Incrementorum Directa et Inversa, 1715. Taylor series
- Linnaeus, Carl (Sweden). Systema Naturae Netherlands, 1735. Linnaean taxonomy
- Bernoulli, Daniel (Netherlands). Hydrodynamica Strasbourg, 1738, Fluid dynamics
- d'Alembert, Jean le Rond (France). Reflexions sur la cause general des vents, 1747. Complex numbers
- Euler, Leonhard (Switzerland). Introductio in analysin infinitorum Lausanne, 1748. Mathematical analysis
- Franklin, Benjamin (America). Experiments and Observations on Electricity London/Philadelphia, 1769. Electricity
- Smith, Adam (Scotland). An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations London, 2 Vol, 1776. Capitalism
- Monge, Gaspard (France). Sur la théorie des déblais et des remblais, 1781. Descriptive geometry.
- Lagrange, Joseph (Italy). Analytical Mechanics Paris, 1788. Dynamics
- Hutton, James (Scotland). The Theory of the Earth Edinburgh, 1788. Geology
- Lavoisier, Antoine (France). Traité Élémentaire de Chimie (Elements of Chemistry) Paris, 2 Vol, 1789. Chemistry
- Galvani, Luigi (Italy). Dell' Uso e dell' Attiva dell' Arco Conduttore nelle Contrazioni dei Muscoli Bologna, 1794. Electricity
- Legendre, Adrien-Marie (France). Essai sur la théorie des nombres. Paris, 1798. Number theory
- Wessel, Caspar (Norway). Om directionens analytiske betegning Copenhagen, 1799. Imaginary numbers
- Volta, Alessandro (Italy). Observations on Animal Electricity London, 1799. Electricity
- Ruffini, Paolo (Italy). Teoria generale dele equazioni, in cui si dimostra impossibile. La soluzione algebraica delle equazioni generali di grado superiore al quatro Bologna, 1799. Algebra
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Lyell_Principles_frontispiece.jpg/200px-Lyell_Principles_frontispiece.jpg)
- 19th century
- Gauss, Carl Friedrich (Germany). Disquisitiones Arithmeticae Leipzig, 1801. Number theory
- Young, Thomas (England). Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics, 1803. Light
- Argand, Jean-Robert (Switzerland). Essai sur une maniere de representer les quantities imaginaries dans les constructions geometriques, 1806. Imaginary numbers.
- Dalton, John (England). A New System of Chemical Philosophy London, 1808. Atomic theory
- Berzelius, Jöns Jacob (Sweden). Läroboken i kemien, 1808. Chemistry
- Cayley, George (England). On Aerial Navigation. Brompton, 3 Vol, 1809. Aeronautics.
- Ørsted, Hans Christian (Denmark). Experimenta circa effectum conflictus electrici in acum magneticam Copenhagen, 1820. Electromagnetism.
- Fourier, Joseph (France). Théorie Analytique de la Chaleur Paris, 1822. Fourier series.
- Ampère, André-Marie (France). Recueil d'observations electrodynamiques (Collection of Observations on Electrodynamics), 1822. Electromagnetism
- Fresnel, Augustin-Jean (France). Mémoire Sur Un Nouveau Système D’Éclairage Des Phares Lu À L’Académie Des Sciences Paris, 1822. Wave optics
- Babbage, Charles (England). Mr. Babbage's invention: Application of machinery to the purpose of calculating and printing mathematical tables. London, 1823. Computing
- Lobachevsky, Nikolai (Russia). Geometriya. 1823. Non-Euclidean geometry
- Cauchy, Augustin-Louis (France). Le calcul infinitesimal. Paris, 1823. Mathematical analysis
- Carnot, Sadi (France). Reflexions sur la Puissance Motrice du Feu et sur les machines propres a developer cette puissance Paris, 1824. Thermodynamics
- Laplace, Pierre-Simon (France). Traité de Mécanique Céleste Paris, 1827. Classical mechanics
- Ohm, Georg (Germany). Die Galvanische Kette mathematisch bearbeitet Berlin, 1827. Electricity
- Lyell, Charles (Scotland). Principles of Geology London, 1830. Geology
- Poisson, Siméon Denis (France). Theorie Mathematique de la Chaleur Paris, 1835. Heat transfer
- Hamilton, William Rowan (Ireland). On Quaternions London/Edinburgh/Dublin, 1844. Quaternions.
- Faraday, Michael (England). Experimental Researches in Electricity London, 1852. Electricity.
- Boole, George (England). An Investigation of the Laws of Thought London, 1854. Boolean algebra
- Maury, Matthew Fontaine (America). The Physical Geography of the Sea New York, 1855. Oceanography
- Darwin, Charles (England). On the Origin of Species. London, 1859. Evolutionary biology
- Pasteur, Louis (France). Memoire sur les corpuscules organises qui existent dans l'atmosphere Paris, 1861. Microbiology.
- Lejeune Dirichlet, P. G. (Germany). Vorlesungen über Zahlentheorie. Braunschweig, 1863, Number theory.
- Mendel, Gregor (Czech Republic/Austria). Experiments on Plant Hybridization Brno, 1866. Genetics
- Riemann, Bernhard (Germany). Ueber die Hypothesen, welche der Geometrie zu Grunde liegen Göttingen, 1868. Riemannian geometry
- Beltrami, Eugenio (Italy). Essay on an interpretation of non-Euclidean geometry, 1868. Hyperbolic geometry
- Galton, Francis (England). Hereditary Genius: An Inquiry into Its Laws and Consequences London, 1869, Statistics
- Cohn, Ferdinand (Poland). Untersuchungen ueber Bacterien Breslau, 3 Vol, 1870. Bacteriology.
- Darwin, Charles (England). The Descent of Man London, 1871. Evolutionary biology.
- Marx, Karl (Germany). Das Kapital St. Petersburg, 1872. Economics.
- Maxwell, James Clerk (Scotland). A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism Oxford, 2 Vol, 1873. Classical electromagnetism.
- Koch, Robert (Germany). Untersuchungen uber die aetiologie der wundinfectionskrankheiter Leipzig, 1878. Bacteriology.
- Gibbs, Willard (America). On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances New Haven, 1878. Physical chemistry
- Michelson, Albert A. (America). Experimental Determination of the Velocity of Light Annapolis, 1880. Speed of light.
- Abel, Niels Henrik (Norway). Oeuvres complètes, 1881. Mathematical analysis.
- Zhukovsky, Nikolai (Russia). O protchnosti dvizheniya (The Durability of Motion) Moscow, 1882. Aeronautics.
- Cantor, Georg (Russia/Germany). Grundlagen einer allgemeinen Mannichfaltigkeitslehre Leipzig, 1883. Set theory.
- James, William (America). The Principles of Psychology New York, 1890. Psychology
- Mendeleev, Dmitri (Russia). Principles of Chemistry London, 1891. Chemistry
- Newcomb, Simon (America). Astronomical Papers Prepared for the Use of the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac Washington, D.C., 1891. Astronomy
- Poincare, Henri (France). Les méthodes nouvelles de la mécanique céleste Paris, 1892. Celestial mechanics
- Tesla, Nikola (Croatia/America). Experiments with Alternate Currents of High Potential and High Frequency New York, 1892. Electricity
- Galois, Évariste (France). Oeuvres Mathematiques d'Évariste Galois Paris, 1897. Group theory
- Hilbert, David (Germany). Grundlagen der Geometrie (The Foundations of Geometry) 1899. Mathematics
- 20th century (pre-World War II)
- Planck, Max (Germany). Ueber Die Elementarquanta Der Materie Und Der Elekricitat Leipzig, 1901. Quantum mechanics
- Bolyai, János (Hungary). The Science of Absolute Space Budapest, 1902. Non-Euclidean geometry
- Tsiolkovsky, Konstantin Eduardovich (Russia). The Exploration of Cosmic Space by Means of Reaction Devices Kaluga, 1903. Rockets
- Rutherford, Ernest (New Zealand). Radioactivity Cambridge, 1904. Nuclear physics
- Lorentz, Hendrik (Netherlands). Electromagnetic phenomena in a system moving with any velocity smaller than that of light Amsterdam, 1904. Special relativity
- Einstein, Albert[3] (Germany). On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies Leipzig, 1905. Special relativity
- Einstein, Albert (Germany). Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content? Leipzig, 1905. Physics
- Richardson, Lewis (England). The Approximate Arithmetical Solution by Finite Differences of Physical Problems Involving Differential Equations, with an Application to the Stresses in a Masonry Dam London, 1910. Computational mechanics
- Bohr, Niels (Denmark). On the Constitution of Atoms and Molecules London, 1913. Quantum mechanics
- Einstein, Albert (Germany). Die Grundlage Der Allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie (Foundations of the General Theory of Relativity) Leipzig, 1916. Physics.
- Goddard, Robert Hutchings (America). A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes Washington, D.C, 1919. Rockets
- de Broglie, Louis (France). Recherches sur la théorie des quanta (Research on Quantum Theory), 1924. Wave-particle duality
- Whitehead, Alfred North (England) and Russell, Bertrand (England). Principia Mathematica Cambridge, 1925. Mathematics
- Heisenberg, Werner (Germany). Uber quantentheorestische Undeutung kinematischer und mechanischer Beziehungen. Berlin, 1925. Quantum mechanics
- Schrödinger, Erwin (Austria). Quantisierung als Eigenwertproblem Leipzig, 1926. Quantum mechanics
- Pavlov, Ivan (Russia). Conditioned Reflexes New York, 1928. Classical conditioning
- Oberth, Hermann (Romania). Wege zur Raumschiffahrt (Ways to Spaceflight) Munich/Berlin, 1929. Rockets
- Hubble, Edwin (America). A Relation between Distance and Radial Velocity among Extra-Galactic Nebulae Washington, D.C., 1929. Astrophysics
- Dirac, Paul (England). The Principles of Quantum Mechanics Oxford, 1930. Quantum mechanics.
- Gödel, Kurt (Czech Republic/America). On formally undecidable propositions of Principia Mathematica and related systems. Leipzig, 1931. Mathematical logic.
- Goddard, Robert Hutchings (America). Liquid Propellant Rocket Development Washington, D.C., 1936. Rockets
- Keynes, John Maynard (England). The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money London, 1936. Economics
- Church, Alonzo (America). A Note on the Entscheidungsproblem Ann Arbor, 1936. Computer science.
- Turing, Alan (England). On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem Cambridge, 1937. Computing
- Pauling, Linus (America). The Nature of the Chemical Bond Ithaca, 1939. Chemistry.
- von Neumann, John (Hungary/America) & Morgenstern, Oskar (Germany/America). Theory of Games and Economic Behavior Princeton, 1944. Game theory
References
- ^ prices quoted were apparently collected using sources such as http://www.ilab.org/services/searchform.php http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchEntry http://search.abaa.org/dbp2/searchform.php http://www.sothebys.com http://www.christies.com
- ^ US$2,210,500 at a Christies auction in 2008.
- ^ List of scientific publications by Albert Einstein.