Kepler, Johannes | Dioptrice …, Augsburg, 1611, first edition, the birth of modern optics

Kepler, Johannes

Dioptrice seu Demonstratio eorum quae visui & visibilibus propter Conspicilla non ita pridem inventa accidunt. Augsburg: typis Davidis Franci, 1611

First edition, the birth of modern optics.

The present volume is dedicated to Ernest, Archbishop of Cologne, who, in 1610, presented Kepler with a telescope. Within the space of just a few weeks, the scientist "composed a book tracing basically once and for all the laws governing the passage of light through lenses and systems of lenses. It is called Dioptrice, a word which Kepler himself coined and introduced to optics. The substance of this book has since become the common property of science and the possession, as a matter of course, of everyone who has examined optical questions to any extent" (Caspar). The lengthy preface includes Kepler's commentary on Galileo's telescopic discoveries.

Small 4to (194 x 157 mm). Small woodcut printer's ornaments to title-page and large woodcut ornament to verso of final leaf, numerous in-text woodcut diagrams; library markings: small perforation affecting 4 letters of title-page, Crerar deaccession stamp to verso of title and accession number at foot of following leaf. Old vellum; slightly split at head of spine and upper joint starting, adhesive sticker with shelfmark on upper cover

REFERENCES

USTC 1701038; Caspar 40; Honeyman 1788; Zinner 4320

PROVENANCE

John Crerar Library, Chicago (bookplate and deaccession stamp) —Christie's South Kensington (sale of duplicates from the University of Chicago/John Crerar Libraries, 2 July 1994, lot 230)