On Sound and Atmospheric Vibrations with the Mathematical Elements of Music ... Second Edition
London: MacMillan and Co 1871. xvi, 279 pages plus addendum (1 page) and 2 folding plates. Small 8vo. Original green pebbled cloth with gold lettering on spine. Front and rear hinges cracked but still sound. Spine sunn darkened but still readable. Corners bumped, minor wear overall to the binding. From the library of bibliophile Sydney Ross with his ticket on the front pastedown. Occasional foxing, most prevalent on the first few and last few pages. Good. Cloth. [13838]
Author "Sir George Biddell Airy (27 July 1801 – 2 January 1892) was an English mathematician and astronomer, as well as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics from 1826 to 1828 and the seventh Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881. His many achievements include work on planetary orbits, measuring the mean density of the Earth, a method of solution of two-dimensional problems in solid mechanics and, in his role as Astronomer Royal, establishing Greenwich as the location of the prime meridian." (Wikipedia)
"Sydney Ross, leading chemist and bibliophile, was a former Professor of Colloid Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, and founder, and until his death, and president of the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation...From early in life Ross had developed a deep interest in the history of science, a notable publication being Nineteenth-Century Attitudes: Men of Science (Kluwer, 1991). This comprised erudite essays on the word “scientist”, Volta potential, electro-magnetic induction, electro-chemistry, and work of Faraday and Herschel. Using their example, also that of Babbage, Davy, Dalton, Darwin, Cavendish, Leslie, Whewell, Maxwell and others, Ross added knowledge and provided a masterly demonstration of the transition to professionalism in science....Another history publication in 2001, one that evoked an inspiring lecture to the Edinburgh Bibliographical Society, was his 590-page annotated Catalogue of the Herschel Library of astronomers William and John Herschel, many of the books which he had bought at auction in 1958....Ross’s main interest latterly was in promoting the life and work of James Clerk Maxwell and in 1977 he became founder chairman of the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation which in 1987 acquired and developed Maxwell’s birthplace at 14 India Street, Edinburgh, as a mathematical study centre." (obituary in the Scotsman, 21st Feb 2014)
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING:
Herschel, Isabella, Ross, Sydney (editor). "The catalogue of the Herschel Library : being a catalogue of the books owned by Sir William Herschel, Kt. and by his son Sir John F.W. Herschel, Bart." Troy, NY : Printed for the editor, 2001
Price: $125.00