On the best means for conducting meteorological observations in different places and climates, so as to produce some uniformity in the modes of obtaining and summing up the results 1821, The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, Volume 57, pp. 81-83, 1821
London: Richard and Arthur Taylor. Complete volume. FIRST EDITION OF A SHORT PAPER BY LUKE HOWARD WHO IN 1802 SEMINAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO METEOROLOGY. Howard was a British chemist and amateur meteorologist. “In 1802, Luke Howard (1772 – 1864) made a fundamental contribution to weather forecasting by proposing the first standard nomenclature for clouds, proposing Latin names that are still in use today such as “cirrus,” “cumulus,” “stratus,” and “nimbus,” and combinations such as “cumulostratus.” His insight was that clouds have many individual shapes but few basic forms. Howard’s nomenclature has been updated and improved many times since he first presented it, but it is still in use today” (History of Physics: The Wenner Collection). “After delivering his 1802 paper, Howard he became something of a sensation. Within a decade his classification was in general use throughout Western Europe and not only scientists, but poets like Shelley and Goethe were praising him for his contribution to language...Because of his many contributions to the emerging science of meteorology, in the same year that this paper was published, Howard was made a Fellow of the Royal Society, the highest honor his peers could confer” (Cloudman’s Cloud History).
Howard’s insight was that “clouds have many individual shapes but few basic forms” (Hamblyn, The Invention of Clouds). In addition to the Latin terms he selected, he also introduced intermediate and compound modifications, such as cirrostratus and stratocumulus – these to accommodate the transitions that occur between forms. As well, Howard identified the importance of clouds in meteorology: “Clouds are subject to certain distinct modifications, produced by the general causes which affect all the variations of the atmosphere; they are commonly as good visible indicators of the operation of these causes, as is the countenance of the state of a person's mind or body” (Howard).
ALSO INCLUDED: This volume also includes many mentions and responses of Oersted and Ampère’s 1820 work. The key role of Oersted's and Ampère's 1820 electromagnetic experiments in the construction of the concept of electric current marked the beginning of a revolution in the understanding of electromagnetism, providing the first connection between what had been thought to be two very different physical phenomena. Among the many related works: Hatchett, C. “On the Electro-Magnetic Experiments of MM. Oersted and Ampere”, Philosophical Magazine 1821, vol. 57, No. 273, p. 40-47. Item #1228
CONDITION & DETAILS: Complete. 8vo. 476pp. 4 plates and tables throughout. Original marbled paper boards are present, but have been reinforced at the spine and around to about 1.5 inches on the front and rear boards with tan buckram. While there are no interior ex-libris markings, the spine is hand-lettered and includes two call numbers at the foot. The hinges are reinforced inside and the volume is now tight and solidly bound. The interior, save for the endpapers, is very clean. Good + condition.
Price: $75.00