Beschreibung:

LORENTZ, Hendrik Antoon (1853-1928) Large collection of scientific publications by the Dutch Nobel laureate, H.A. Lorentz, from his own private library. This exceptional collection comprises 213 titles by Lorentz – of which over 200 are offprints – and 54 other related works; and includes works of Lorentz that laid the foundations for Einstein's theories of relativity. The highlights include: · a luxuriously bound copy of Lorentz’s doctoral dissertation on electromagnetic optics from 1875, Over de theorie der terugkaatsing en breking van het licht (‘On the theory of reflection and refraction of light’). ‘Apart from being the first systematic treatment of electromagnetic optics, … Lorentz’s dissertation was significant as a first step toward distinguishing the electromagnetic field from matter and thus clarifying the physical basis of Maxwell’s theory’ (DSB) · Lorentz’s inaugural lecture De moleculaire theoriën in de natuurkunde (‘The molecular theories in physics’), delivered when just 24 years-old, upon his appointment to the newly established chair in theoretical physics at the University of Leiden · a copy of Lorentz’s second major exposition on his theory of electricity, light and matter: Versuch einer Theorie der electrischen und optischen Erscheinungen in bewegten Körpern (‘A provisional theory of electrical and optical phenomena in moving bodies’; see PMM 378b), where he for the first time formulated his theorem of corresponding states ‘to deal with problems in optics in frames of reference moving through the ether’ (DSB) · a first edition of Einstein’s account of his theory of general relativity, Die Grundlage der allgemeinen Relativitatstheorie (PMM 408). Einstein was a close acquaintance of Lorentz and greatly admired him. Some phenomena predicted by Einstein’s theory of (special) relativity, such as the contraction of objects as they approach the speed of light, still known as the Lorentz-Fitzgerald contraction, and the notion that objects cannot be accelerated to the speed of light, had previously been predicted by Lorentz, though Einstein generalized them from charged particles to all matter and broke with the stationary ether theory that Lorentz still accepted · extremely rare offprint by Einstein of an article on Lorentz, H.A. Lorentz et la coopération international (1928), originally published in Grotius: annuaire international. It is dated January 1928, with Einstein’s own postscript of 9 February noting Lorentz’s death (on 4 February). We have been unable to find a copy of this offprint in libraries worldwide, and the article itself is not recorded in Einstein bibliographies such as Boni, Russ & Laurence’s Bibliographical checklist. The collection also includes several curious, more practical works not mentioned in Kox’s bibliography, such as: Rapporten uitgebracht door de gecomiteerden bij de in 1883 gehouden eindexamens der gymnasia (1883; ‘Reports released by the delegates at the 1883 final examinations of the gymnasiums’), Rapport over de plaatsing en inrichting der bliksemafleiders op het rijksmuseum van schilderijen te Amsterdam (1887; ‘Report on the placement and design of lightning conductors at the Rijksmuseum of paintings in Amsterdam’), and Verslag van de commissie tot onderzoek naar de mogelijkheid eener doeltreffende-opheffing of vermindering der gehoorigheid in cellulair ingerichte gevangenissen (1897; ‘Report of the committee studying the possibility of an effective elimination or reduction of noise transmission in prisons with cells’). Cf. Kox, ‘Bibliography of writings by Hendrik Antoon Lorentz’ in: The Scientific Correspondence of H.A. Lorentz volume 1 (2008), pp. 709-753 (a thorough bibliography, but only on a few occasions mentioning offprints); for Lorentz: DSB VIII, pp. 487-499; NDSB, pp. 333-336. BIOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND Lorentz was the son of Gerrit Frederik Lorentz, a nursery owner, and Geertruida van Ginkel). His mother died when Lorentz was 4 years old, and within a few years, his fa