17 June 2008
HUGGINS, William (1824-1910). On the Results of Spectrum Analysis applied to the Heavenly Bodies. A Discourse Delivered at Nottingham, Before the British Association, August 24, 1866. London: W. Ladd, .
Small 8o (180 x 120 mm). Advertising slip for lantern slides illustrating Huggin's lecture and 2-page advertisement at end. 17 ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS MOUNTED IN TEXT. Original plum flexible cloth, gilt-lettered on front cover (rebacked); modern quarter leather portfolio case. Provenance: Franklin Institute Library (library labels on front pastedown and free endpaper, perforated stamp on title-page and p. 49, ink stamp on title-page and a few leaves).
FIRST EDITION OF HUGGINS'S SCARCE PHOTOGRAPHICALLY ILLUSTRATED WORK explaining his pioneeringuse of the spectroscope and his method of analyzing the results of his observations. New discoveries in astronomic research in the 19th century necessitated the advancement of instruments used by scientists for observations. Working in collaboration with his friend William Allen Miller (1817-1870), a professor of chemistry at King's College, London, and an experienced spectroscopist and photographer, Huggins was able to perfect a spectroscope attached to his telescope that brought the spectral lines of bright stars into view. Huggins' developments pushed the boundaries of astronomical research and he is generally considered the founder of celestial spectroscopy. RARE: according to American Book Prices Current, only one other copy has sold in the last 30 years: the Plotnick copy, sold Christie's New York, 4 October 2002, lot 138.
Contact Client Service
New York +1 212 636 2000
London +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Asia +852 2760 1766
As Christie’s offers 178 works from his personal collection, the illustrator of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory offers us a glimpse of his creative process
Books and Manuscripts specialist Heather Pisani delves into intimate letters written by the sister of Orville and Wilbur Wright, offered in New York on 14 June
Mark Wiltshire, Associate Specialist in Science & Books, walks us through the history of Christianity’s most influential printed text
The Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale totals £128,081,750
Textile designer Neisha Crosland on why she was drawn to a Raoul Dufy advertisement for a Bianchini Férier fabric