POETRY OF SCIENCE, OR STUDIES OF THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF NATURE.
Boston: Gould, Kendall, and Lincoln, 1850. Daguerre. First American edition. 12mo., 388 pp., [24] pp. adverts. Decoratively blind-embossed cloth; gilt-titled spine is lacking the top and bottom inch and been laid-down on new cloth. Ex-library and withdrawn from an academic library with their bookplate affixed to the front pastedown and ink stamp on the title page, tips worn. Text block is very good. Item #13305
Robert Hunt [1807-1887] was the librarian and keeper of mine records at the Museum of Practical Geology and professor of mechanical engineering of the Royal School of Mines at London. He carried on numerous photographic and chemical experiments and was one of the greatest contributors to the early literature of photography. In 1841, Hunt published the first English treatise on photography, POPULAR TREATISE ON THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY. In 1853, he was one of the founders of the Photographic Society of London. His experiments with organic and inorganic light-sensitive substances were most influential in the development of photo-chemistry. In this volume, Chapter VII "Light" discusses the theories and nature of light, both natural and artificial, mechanisms of the eye, etc.; Chapter VIII "Actinism - Chemical Radiations" is devoted to actinism, the property of light that causes chemicals to combine and decompose, i.e. darkening of horn silver; Niepce's discovery, Daguerre's discovery, photography, phenomena of the daguerreotype, light products from chemical change, etc. See Gernsheim INCUNABULA No. 684; Eder HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY p. 326; Sipley PHOTOGRAPHY'S GREAT INVENTORS p. 23.
Price: $250.00 save 50% $125.00