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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Cover of De historia stirpium commentarii insignes

De historia stirpium commentarii insignes

Fuchs, Leonhart
In officina Isingriniana
anno Christi MDXLII [1542]

19. Celebrated Herbal

Cover of De la pirotechnia

De la pirotechnia

Biringucci, Vannoccio
C. Navò
1540]

38. Chemistry in the 1500s

Cover of De plantis libri XVI

De plantis libri XVI

Cesalpino, Andrea
Apud Georgium Marescottum
MDLXXXIII [1583]

20. Plant Classification

Cover of Die galvanische Kette

Die galvanische Kette

Ohm, Georg Simon
Bei T.H. Riemann
1827

63. Ohm's Law

Cover of Die mutationstheorie. Versuche und beobachtungen über die entstehung von arten im pflanzenreich,

Die mutationstheorie v. 1

Vries, Hugo de
Veit & comp.
1901-03

36. Mutation of Characters

This classic work describes de Vries' research in mutations and how it led him to the rediscovery of Mendel's laws of heredity. 

Cover of Die mutationstheorie. Versuche und beobachtungen über die entstehung von arten im pflanzenreich,

Die mutationstheorie v. 2

Vries, Hugo de
Veit & comp.
1901-03

36. Mutation of Characters

This classic work describes de Vries' research in mutations and how it led him to the rediscovery of Mendel's laws of heredity. 

Cover of Disquisitiones arithmeticae

Disquisitiones arithmeticae

Gauss, Carl Friedrich
In commiss. apud Gerh. Fleischer, jun
1801

Cover of Elements of vector analysis

Elements of vector analysis

Gibbs, J. Willard
Printed by Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor
1881- 1884

Cover of En tibi lector Robertum Valturium ... De re militari libris XII

En tibi lector Robertum Valturium ... De re militari libris XII

Valturio, Roberto
Apud Christianum Wechelum, sub insigni scuti Basiliensis
1532 Mense Iulio

Cover of Exercitatio anatomica de motv cordis et sangvinis in animalibvs

Exercitatio anatomica de motv cordis et sangvinis in animalibvs

Harvey, William
Sumptibus F. Fitzeri
1628

Harvey discovered the true nature of how blood circulates in the human body and presented it for the first time in this small book.

Cover of Experiments and observations on electricity

Experiments and observations on electricity

Franklin, Benjamin; Collinson, Peter
Printed and sold by E. Cave, at St. John's Gate
1751

57. Lightning is Electrical

Cover of Experiments upon vegetables

Experiments upon vegetables

Ingenhousz, Jan
Printed for P. Elmsly ... and H. Payne
1779

29. Photosynthesis Discovered

Cover of Études sur les glaciers text v.

Études sur les glaciers text v.

Agassiz, Louis
En commission chez Jent et Gassmann, libraires
1840
Cover of Francisci Vietæi Opera mathematica

Francisci Vietæi Opera mathematica

Viète, François
Apud Franciscum Bouuier
1589

105. This work is the first part of an uncompleted larger series on geometry.

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