Heralds of Science

illustration of two cherubs holding a crown over the title of the book Dialogo di Galileo Galilei

In 1955 Bern Dibner, the noted science book collector and founder of the Burndy Library, published Heralds of Science as Represented by Two Hundred Epochal Books and Pamphlets Selected from the Burndy Library. To construct the list, Dibner selected two hundred items he owned that “proclaimed new truths or hypotheses in science.” Two hundred titles, he felt, was an adequate number to represent the great achievements while not being too many to overwhelm the average layperson interested in science. More...

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A dynamical theory of the electromagnetic field

Maxwell, James Clerk; Royal Society (Great Britain)

The Royal Society

1865]

68. Electro-Magnetism and Light

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Cover of A new system of chemical philosophy

A new system of chemical philosophy v. 1; pt. 1

Dalton, John

Printed by S. Russell ... for R. Bickerstaff, ... London

1808-1827

44. The Atomic Theory

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A new system of chemical philosophy v. 1; pt. 2

Dalton, John

Printed by S. Russell ... for R. Bickerstaff, ... London

1808-1827

44. The Atomic Theory

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A new system of chemical philosophy v. 2; pt. 1

Dalton, John

Printed by S. Russell ... for R. Bickerstaff, ... London

1808-1827

44. The Atomic Theory

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A synopsis of the astronomy of comets

Halley, Edmond

Printed for John Senex

1705

12. Halley's Comet

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A treatise of the scurvy, in three parts

Lind, James,; W. Sands, A. Murray and J. Cochran

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Account of a comet v. 71, pt. 2 (1781)

Herschel, William; Watson, William, Sir; Royal Society (Great Britain)

13. A New Planet

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Cover of Ad clarissimum virum D. Ioannem Schonerum, De libris reuolutionum eruditissimi viri, & mathematici excellentissimi, Reuerendi D. Doctoris Nicolai Copernici ... per quendam Iuuenem, mathematicae studiosum Narratio prima

Ad clarissimum virum D. Ioannem Schonerum, De libris reuolutionu[m] eruditissimi viri, & mathematici excellentissimi, Reuerendi D. Doctoris Nicolai Copernici ... per quendam Iuuenem, mathematicae stud no.1

Rhäticus, Georg Joachim; Schöner, Johann; Zell, Heinrich

Per Franciscum Rhodum

MDXL [1540]

2. The "Narratio Prima" of Copernicus

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Aloysii Galvani De viribus electricitatis in motu musculari commentarius

Galvani, Luigi

Ex Typographia Instituti Scientiarium

1791

59. Animal Electricity

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An explanation of the observed irregularities in the motion of Uranus

Adams, John Couch; Royal Astronomical Society.; William Clowes and Sons,

Printed by W. Clowes and Sons

1846

16. Neptune Discovered

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Anleitung zur Analyse organischer Körper

Liebig, Justus, Freiherr von

Druck und Verlag von Friedrich Vieweg und Sohn

1837

46. Organic Analysis

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Apollonii Pergæi Conicorum libri quattuor

Apollonius, of Perga; Eutocius, of Ascalon; Pappus, of Alexandria; Commandino, Federico; Serenus, Antinoensis

Ex Officina Alexandri Benatii

1566

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Cover of Aratou Soleōs Phainomēna kai Diosēmeia. Theōnos scholia. Eratosthenous Katasterismoi. Metron tēs gēs Peripherias. Tou kubou diplasiasmos.

Aratou Soleōs Phainomēna kai Diosēmeia. Theōnos scholia. Eratosthenous Katasterismoi. Metron tēs gēs Peripherias. Tou kubou diplasiasmos. Koskinon. Tou Neilou pēgai. Tou kanonos tomē. Dionysiou hymnoi. Accesserunt annotationes in Eratosthe

Aratus, Solensis; Theon, of Alexandria,; Eudoxus, of Cnidus,; Eratosthenes.; Sheldonian Theatre

Read more about Aratou Soleōs Phainomēna kai Diosēmeia. Theōnos scholia. Eratosthenous Katasterismoi. Metron tēs gēs Peripherias. Tou kubou diplasiasmos. Koskinon. Tou Neilou pēgai. Tou kanonos tomē. Dionysiou hymnoi. Accesserunt annotationes in Eratosthe

Archimēdous tou Syrakousiou, Ta mechri nun sōzomena, hapanta =

Archimedes; Eutocius, of Ascalon.

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Astronomia nova aitiologetos [romanized]

Kepler, Johannes; Brahe, Tycho; Rudolph II, emperor of Germany

G. Voegelinus]

1609

5. First Two Laws

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Carl Wilhelm Scheele's d. Königl. Schwed. Acad. d. Wissenschaft. Mitgliedes, Chemische Abhandlung von der Luft und dem Feuer

Scheele, Carl Wilhelm; Bergman, Torbern

Verlegt von Magn. Swederus, Buchhändler, zu finden bey S.L. Crusius

1777

41. Oxygen Independently Discovered

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Christiani Hvgenii ... Horologivm oscillatorivm

Huygens, Christiaan

F. Muguet

1673

145. In this work Huygens finally explains, using his knowledge of mathematics and dynamics of bodies in motion, how the pendulum can be used to regulate the workings of a clock.