Details
GIBBS, Josiah Willard (1839-1903). On the equilibrium of heterogeneous substances. 2 parts. Offprints from Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences Vol. III, Parts 1 and 2 (1874-78). [N.p., n.d.].
8o (232 x 147 mm). Text illustrations (very minor spotting to front wrapper and a few leaves of Part I). Original gray printed wrappers (some losses to spines). Black half morocco cloth folding case, spine gilt. Provenance: Presentation copy (Part I inscribed "from the author").
FIRST EDITION, OFFPRINT ISSUE, OF THE FOUNDATION WORK ON CHEMICAL THERMODYNAMICS. Gibbs, the greatest American mathematical physicist, introduced in this work the "phase rule" to solve the intricate problem of the equilibrium of such mixtures as chemical solutions and metal alloys. Largely ignored both in America and abroad for more than ten years after this initial appearance, its impact upon modern industrial technology was enormous, leading directly to the modern manufacture of plastics, drugs, dyes and organic solvents. His mathematical equations relieved scientists of immeasurable numbers of experiments in order to ascertain the precise conditions for successful chemical processes.
Gibbs, working at Yale and publishing in relatively obscure scientific journals hardly read outside the United States, was isolated from the development of physics taking place in Europe. To compensate for this, he sent offprints of most of his works to many of his most significant scientific contemporaries in the United States and Europe. Gibbs maintained careful records of these distribution lists, which have been published as an appendix in Wheeler, Josiah Willard Gibbs, the history of a great mind (1952). 89 copies of the offprint of Part I, and 92 copies of Part II were distributed. EXTREMELY RARE SET OF OFFPRINTS. This set and the Horblit set (not in printed wrappers) are apparently the only sets to have appeared on the market in 40 years. Dibner Heralds 49 (journal issue); Grolier/Horblit 40 (journal issue); Norman 899.
8o (232 x 147 mm). Text illustrations (very minor spotting to front wrapper and a few leaves of Part I). Original gray printed wrappers (some losses to spines). Black half morocco cloth folding case, spine gilt. Provenance: Presentation copy (Part I inscribed "from the author").
FIRST EDITION, OFFPRINT ISSUE, OF THE FOUNDATION WORK ON CHEMICAL THERMODYNAMICS. Gibbs, the greatest American mathematical physicist, introduced in this work the "phase rule" to solve the intricate problem of the equilibrium of such mixtures as chemical solutions and metal alloys. Largely ignored both in America and abroad for more than ten years after this initial appearance, its impact upon modern industrial technology was enormous, leading directly to the modern manufacture of plastics, drugs, dyes and organic solvents. His mathematical equations relieved scientists of immeasurable numbers of experiments in order to ascertain the precise conditions for successful chemical processes.
Gibbs, working at Yale and publishing in relatively obscure scientific journals hardly read outside the United States, was isolated from the development of physics taking place in Europe. To compensate for this, he sent offprints of most of his works to many of his most significant scientific contemporaries in the United States and Europe. Gibbs maintained careful records of these distribution lists, which have been published as an appendix in Wheeler, Josiah Willard Gibbs, the history of a great mind (1952). 89 copies of the offprint of Part I, and 92 copies of Part II were distributed. EXTREMELY RARE SET OF OFFPRINTS. This set and the Horblit set (not in printed wrappers) are apparently the only sets to have appeared on the market in 40 years. Dibner Heralds 49 (journal issue); Grolier/Horblit 40 (journal issue); Norman 899.