Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Made at Philadelphia in

FRANKLIN, Benjamin

Publication Date: 1769

About this Item

FRANKLIN, Benjamin. Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Made at Philadelphia in America.To Which Are Added, Letters and Papers on Philosophical Subjects. The Whole Corrected, Methodized, Improved, and Now First Collected into One Volume, and Illustrated with Copper Plates. London: Printed for David Henry, and sold by Francis Newbery, 1769. [2],iv,[2],496[i.e. 510, accounting for mispagination, plus four extra pages where the page numbers have been duplicated, i.e. page numbers 112-113 and 416-417 appear twice],[16]pp. including leaf of errata and advertisement "concerning this fourth edition," plus seven engraved plates (two folding). Quarto. Modern three-quarter calf and marbled boards, spine ruled in gilt, gilt leather label. First signature tipped back in with title expertly mounted. Second signature has loosened over time but still holding. Text with light, even tanning, offsetting from the plates. About very good. Untrimmed. "America's first great scientific contribution" - Howes. This is the fourth, first collected, and by far most desirable edition, containing for the first time complete notes on all the experiments, as well as correspondence between Peter Collinson, Franklin, and other collaborators. Franklin began experimenting with electricity as early as 1745, demonstrating the electrical property of lightning and inventing the lightning conductor. This volume includes summaries of his work with Leyden jars, charged clouds, and lightning rods, as well as his famous kite and key experiment. In addition to the electrical experiments it contains the important discovery of the course of storms over North America and other important meteorological observations. The work caused a sensation in the scientific world when first published in 1751, and ranked in the eyes of many of Franklin's contemporaries as far beyond any of his political achievements. Harvard and Yale awarded him honorary degrees in 1753; he received the highest award of the Royal Society, the Copley Medal, the same year; and he was elected to the Society in 1756, the first American to be so honored. This fourth edition is the first complete edition of the original work. The earlier editions were issued in separately published parts. Franklin edited this new one-volume edition himself, significantly revising the text, adding for the.

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Made at Philadelphia in
• Publication Date: 1769
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Seller catalogs:
  • GENERAL AMERICANA