Although you can’t technically check out these volumes – ranging from medieval anthologies to mid-20th century how-to guides – they’re still worth ‘checking out’.
The University of Rochester’s River Campus libraries contain a few dozen carefully preserved rare books among the approximately three million volumes that explore astronomy and solar eclipses.
To celebrate the total solar eclipse of 2024 on April 8, Melissa Mead, John M. and Barbara Keel University Archivist and Rochester Collections Librarian, will display some of the works in the Rush Rees Library. Anyone who missed the performance may request to see the books at any time.
Published more than 500 years ago, these volumes cannot be verified, but are still worth checking out. Here are seven titles to give you a sense of what awaits.
introduction to astronomy By Ja’far ibn Muhammad Abu Mashar (AbuMassar) al-Balkhi (1489)
The astronomer and astrologer Abumasar, born in what is now Afghanistan, wrote this compilation of his observations of the universe between 849 and 850. This copy was printed in 1489 and is one of the oldest astronomy books in the archives.
introduction to astronomy ,Great Introduction to Astronomy) consists of eight books that deal with various topics such as how the planets in our solar system affect the Earth and the relationships between the zodiac signs.
The treasure was given to the university by alumnus William Harkness, who observed what astronomers considered a “historic discovery” during the solar eclipse in 1869.
astronomicalum caesareum by Petrus Apianus (1540)
Holy Roman Emperors Charles V and Ferdinand I commissioned the German humanist Peter Appian to complete this task, titled “Astronomy of the Emperor”. (The ego of a Holy Roman Emperor apparently knows no bounds.)
The University of Rochester copy is not the original, but a facsimile. However, it is worth a visit, because of its intricate and colorful volveles, a set of overlapping paper discs that the reader can rotate to calculate astronomical information. Volvalles are like a mix between a primitive computer and a pop-up book.
the volvelles astronomicalum caesareum Rely on the fragmented geocentric model of the universe, which places Earth at its center. But they are still worth a look.
Instituto Astronomica by Petri Gassendi (1653)
You will not be able to read this work by the French astronomer and mathematician Pierre Gassendi unless you know Latin. But you might be surprised by its depictions of solar eclipses at how far science and graphic design have come in the last 400 years.
Instituto Astronomica It was based on a series of lectures given by Gassendi in his time and is considered one of the first modern astronomy textbooks. very quiet.
This is also cool: Gassendi made many of his observations through telescopes given to him by Galileo, and was the first to observe and record a particular type of eclipse during the transit of Mercury across the Sun in 1631.
Young Women’s Astronomy Montgomery by Robert Bartlett (1825)
Opening this textbook is as much a journey into heaven as it is into history.
The basis of this learning tool – the full title of which is Young Ladies’ Astronomy: A Concise System of Physical, Practical, and Descriptive Astronomy Specially Designed to Aid Young Ladies in That Interesting and Excellent Study– It is the harsh reality that astronomy education in American classrooms in the early 19th century was generally reserved for boys.
The author writes in his introduction that he collected and organized the material while teaching a class of girls in “Preliminary Studies” in 1820.
The book, which was printed in Utica, New York, included strong endorsements from Governor De Witt Clinton and Theodore Strong, professor of mathematics and philosophy at nearby Hamilton College, who wrote: “I therefore very gladly recommend this work , not only for the young women of our country, but for all others, and especially for the instruction of our schools.”
Diagrams of Geology, History and Physical Geography by James Reynolds (1849)
Inside this simple, blue Victorian fabric folder are 18 hand-drawn illustrations splashed with color on cardstock for display in an educational setting.
“That was your PowerPoint of the day,” says Mead, the university archivist. “They would have been taped to the classroom wall.”
As the title of the section suggests, the diagrams cover topics in geology, history and geography, including the comparative sizes of the Solar System’s planets, the change of seasons and, of course, eclipses.
The best part? Four of them are so-called “transparent diagrams”, produced with cut-outs on translucent paper that illuminate the artwork when held up to light. However, you won’t need special glasses to safely view these spectacular images.
Is there a ring around the Earth? By Dr. Frank Gerald Beck (1955)
This heartfelt tribute to a friend is a must-read for any Albert Einstein enthusiast.
Author Frank Back, an optical engineer known as the “Father of the Zoom Lens” for his creation of zoom lenses widely used in television and film, dedicated the book to his close friend Einstein, Who had helped arrange the back-to-back “chase”. And in 1955, he photographed a total solar eclipse aboard a military jet.
Beck intended to tell Einstein all about his trip upon his return, but Einstein died just as Beck was flying to the Philippines to catch a plane that was scheduled to fly into the shadow of the eclipse. .
“This book is a factual report that would rather be printed than ascribed to Albert Einstein,” Beck wrote in the introduction. “It all began in Minneapolis at 5:08 a.m. on July 30, 1954, with a total eclipse of the Sun, which had no scientific significance.”
The book is illustrated with photographs of Beck and Einstein, giving the relationship an intimacy that Beck’s words alone cannot capture.
Solar eclipse photography for hobbyists By Eastman Kodak Company (1959)
The total solar eclipse covering parts of the United States on April 8 is an opportunity for amateur and professional photographers to capture an astronomical event.
Many websites offer advice on photographing the eclipse, perhaps the most reliable of which is the American Astronomical Society’s detailed guide to photographing the event with a standard camera or smartphone.
But before the Internet and smartphones, there was this useful six-page booklet published by the Eastman Kodak Company of Rochester. This booklet was once ubiquitous, but it was not built to last and went out of print years ago, making intact copies difficult to find today.
Looking carefully at this small number along with a table of exposure times provides a rare opportunity to see how previous generations of shutterbugs learned to properly and safely make eclipse images.
This booklet was gifted to the University of Rochester by the late Charles Carleton, longtime University Professor of French and Romantic Linguistics.