About this Item
LARGE PAPER PRESENTATION COPY. First edition, first issue, of Huygens path-breaking exposition of his wave theory of light; this is an extremely rare large paper presentation copy inscribed by Huygens to Pierre Daniel Huet. Huygens had developed his theory of light in 1676 and 1677, and "completed the Traitéin 1678, but left it unpublished for twelve years, until stimulated by the appearance of Isaac Newton s Principia(1687) and by a visit with Newton in 1689. Huygens conceived of light as an irregular series of shock waves or pulses proceeding with very great but finite velocity through the ether, a medium consisting of uniformly minute, elastic particles pressed closely together. Using the ether as the medium of light wave propagation, he showed that all points of a wave front originate partial waves, and thereby generate further wave motion; light, therefore, consists not of a transference of matter, but rather of a tendency to move " (). Huygens was able to explain reflection and refraction using this theory, of which he became completely convinced in August, 1677, when he found that it explained the double refraction in Iceland spar. But he could not explain the phenomenon of polarization, which he discovered. In the second part of the work, the Discours de la cause de la pesanteur, written in 1669, Huygens expounded his vortex theory of gravity, a purely mechanistic theory that contrasted markedly with Newton s notion of a universal attracting force intrinsic to matter. Indeed, Huygens added to the original treatise of 1669 a review of Newton s theory, rejecting it out of hand because of the impossibility of explaining it by any mechanical principle or law of motion. Huygens work fell into oblivion during the following century, but his theory of light was confirmed at the beginning of the 19th century by Thomas Young, who used it to explain optical interference, and by Jean-Augustin Fresnel a few years later. Modern quantum physics has reconciled Newton s and Huygens theories in discerning both corpuscular and wave characteristics in the properties of light. There are two issues of the Traité, one with the author s initials C. H. S. Z. on the title, identified by Norman as the probable first issue, and another with Huygens name in full on the title. Most of the large paper presentation copies, including ours as well as those of Horblit and Norman and those given by Huygens to Newton and Locke, are in the first state. ABPC/RBH lists three large paper presentation copies of the first issue: Christie s New York, 9 June 1999, $74,000 (Honeyman); Christie s New York, 10 December 1999, $101,500; Sotheby s New York, 11 January 2001, $115,750 (Norman/Freilich). The Horblit copy of the first issue, presented to Locke, was not inscribed by Huygens himself. The Macclesfield large paper copy was of the second issue and was not inscribed. Provenance: Presented by Christiaan Huygens to Pierre Daniel Huet (1630-1721), French churchman and scholar (presentation inscription on title in Huygens hand, Pour Monsieur L Evisque de Soissons , bookplate of Huet on front pastedown and matching gilt medallions of Huet showing bishop s mitre on both boards). Huygens handwriting conforms to other examples of his presentation inscriptions and has been confirmed by the curator of the Huygens archive; purchased in 1764 by King Louis XV of France; Charles Fournerat (1780-1867), French politician (inscription on title Ex libris Caroli Fournerat and full page of notes on the book written and signed by Fournerat on recto of front free endpaper); purchased in 1904 by Prosper-René Blondlot (1849-1930), French physicist (invoice of antiquarian book dealer Mayer & Müller, Berlin). "Light, according to Huygens, is an irregular series of shock waves which proceeds with very great, but finite, velocity through the ether. This ether consists of uniformly minute, elastic particles compressed very close together. Light, therefore, is not an actual trans.
Seller Inventory # 5928
Contact seller
Report this item
