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The Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology at 25 Years The Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology at 25 Years: Celebrating a Collector's Vision and Its Legacy Copyright © zooj by Smithsonian InsHtuHon Library of Congress Cataloging-iivPublicatson Data Gingcrich. Owen. The Dibner Library of the History of Science and Techiiology at 25 years ; celebrating a collector's vision and its legacy / by Owen Cingcrieh ; with an essay by Roger Gaskcll and an introduction by Ronald S. Brash car. p, cm. — {Dibner Library lecture) 1, Dibner Library. 1. Libraries— Washington fD.C,) — Speeial collections — Scienccf — F;irly\vortstoi8cxi. 3. Dibner,Bern.4, Scicntifichterature — Collcctorsamlcollecting- LCaskelhRoger, IL Title, IIL Series, C56 zooz oz6',5 — dczi 2002004530 Published by the Smithsonian Institution Libra.He5 Design by Stephanie Kircstonc Design Funding provided by The Dibner Fund Printed in the United States of America w The paper used in this pnblicrtion meets the mini mum requirements of the American National Standard for Fennanencc of J^apcr for Printed Library Miitcrials Z39H4S-19S4, Photo Credits Frotit Cover iVIiL'haci Vcnhua Photography. All ri|Efhts rcseri'ed. Conttitutors Section Photo of Ronald S, Brashear: Harold Dorwin, Office of Imaging and Photographic Services, Smtthsonian Institution- Photo of David Dibner and Roger Gaskclb Hugh Talman, Office of Imaging and Photogr M>'iie Services, Smithsonian [nstitution. Photo of David Dibner and Owen Gingcrich I i (£;h Tiilnian, Office of Imaging and Photographic Services, Smitbsonian Inshtution. introdvcthn Photo of National Muscuni of American Mi^tor^-, Bcfinng Center: Office of Imaging and Photographic Services, Smithsonian Institution, Portrait of Bern Dibner, 1957 by Lucerne Roberts; Office of Imaging and Photographic Services, Smithsonian Institution, Photo of the Dibner Library of the History- of Science and Technology Reading Room; Sa^'Jinnah Schroll, Smithsonian Institution Libraries. Photo of Dr. Alberto Martinez.; Harold Dorwin, Office of Imaging and Photographic Services, Smithsonian Institution, From Cotkctor to Reader Figures 1 through iB: Harold Dorwin, Office of Imaging and PliHtographic Services, Smithsonian Instituhf^n, icons of Underntandlng Figure I & Figures ^ through fi; Owen Ginger ieh. Figure 2: David Holbcrl, Imaging Center, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, The Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology at 25 Years: Celebrating a Collector's Vision and Its Legacy Icons of Understanding: Celebrating Bern Dibner's Heralds of Science by Owen Gingerich Dibner Library Lecture October 3, 2001 with an essay by Roger Gaskell and an introduction by Ronald S. Brashear Sniithsoninn Institution Libraries WasliingtOTi, t^C The Dihner Library of the History of Science and Technology SMlTHSONfAW rMSTTTUTtON LIBRARIES Table of Contents Contributors vii Foreword Nancy E. Gwinn ix Introduction By Roudid S. Brashear xi From Collector to Reader: Bern Dibner and History of Science Collections By Roger Gaskell I Icons of Understanding: Celebrating Bern Dibner*s Heralds of Science By Owen Gingerich Dibner Library Lectures on the Histor)' of Science and Technology 46 I I I I vi Contributors Ronald S. Brashear Ronald Brashear is the head of special collections and curator of science and technology rare books in the SniiUisonian histitution Libraries' Dibner Libra r\' of the History of Science & Technology. Brashear came to the Smithsonian in 1998 from the Huntington Librar)% where he was curator of history of science, technology, and medicine, and institution- al archivist for ten years. Ron received his B.A. and Roiiiil J S. tkashcar M.S. from the University of Louisville and spent four years at Johns Hopkins Universit)' studying for his Ph.D. in the histor)- of science. He recently co-authored the book, Sf^r Struck: Om Thoimud Year^ of the Art and Science of Astrouomy (2001) and contributed articles for History of Astronomy (1997), Instmments of Science (199S), American National Biography (1999), and the Oxford Companion to United States Hisior)' (looi), Roger Gaskell After studying biochemistr}' at the University of Bristol, Roger Caskcll worked for nine years tor Bernard Quartich, Ltd, London's leading antiquarian t>ooksel]ers. He then moved to Pickering and Chatto Ltd, for which he commissioned editions of the complete works of Roger Gaskell (left) with David Dibner Mai thus, Babbage, Darwin, and Boyic, His field specialties arc science, medicine, and engineering. On leaving Pickering in 1979, he began his ovi'n business, producing a series of catalogs, which are widely regarded as the most scholarly in the field. In 1999, he took up A Short lerm Fellowship at Hie Clark Library in California to research the bibliography of engraved plates. He Ls currently engaged in revising F\i] ton's Bibliography ot Robert Royle, VII Owen Gingerich Owen Gingerich holds a joint appointment as a senior astronomer emeriius at the Smithsonian A.strophysica] Oixservatory and research professor nf astronomy and the history of science at Harvard University, In tlie past three decades, IVofessor Ke\Tiolc speaker Owen Cirgcrich (left) with Gingerich has become a David Dibner, President: of the Dihner Fund leading authorit>' on the lyth-eentun' German astronomer Johannes Kepler and on NicJ)o]as Copernicns. the 16th-century cosmologist, wlio composed the hehocentric system. He has undertaken a persona! survey of the fnst two editions of Copernicus' great book, De revoiutiombus (1543; 1566 J and has now seeji 580 i6di-centiiry copies all over the world. His annotated census of these books will soon be pnbKshed as a 434-page monograph, in recognition of these studies, he was awarded the Polish government's Order of Merit in i(^8i, and more recently, an asteroid has been named in his honor. Gingerich has given the George Darwin Lecture {the most prestigious lecture of the Royal Astronomical Societ)')- I wo anthologies of his essays have appeared. The Crecii Copernicus Chase and Other Adventureii in Astronomical Hiatory from Cambridge University Press, and The Eye of Heaven: Ptolemy^ Copemicm, Kfipler in the American Institute of Physics, part of the Masters of Modern Physics series. Professor Gingerich has been vice president of the American Philosophical Society (America's oldest scientific academy), and he has sen'ed as chairman of the U.S. National Committee of the International Astronomical Union. He has been a councilor of the American AstroTiomieal Society iind helped organize its Historical Astronomy 13i vision. In 2000, he won its Doggett Prize for his contributions to the history of astronomy. vni Foreword n October 1976, the Dibner Librarj' of the History of Science and Technology' opened its doors in what was known AS the National Museum of History' and Technology, now the National Museum of American History, Behring Center. This event celebrated the most generous gift of collector Bern Dibner. through the Burndy Library; to the Smithsonian on the occasion of the nation's Bicentennial. The collection of 10,000 books and 1,600 manuscript groups, which had previously traveled to Washington, D.C., from the Burndy Librae}' in Norwalk, Connecticut, has grown in breadth and depth [o form one of the cornerstones of the Smithsonian Libraries' collections, hi October 2001, the Dibner Library' celebrated a quarter century of providing vital primary sources to scholars, curators, researchers, and members of the history' of science communitv'. To mark this anniversar\', on ^5 October 2001, the Smitjisonian Libraries held a series of lectures and an afternoon symposium at the National Museum of American Histor)-, Behring Cciitcr. hi his opening remarks, the Libraries' Head of Special Collections, Ronald Brashear, charted tJie development of science and technology research at the Smithsonian and detailed the transformation of Bern Dibner's bequest into die Dibner Library of the History of Science and 'lechnology. The symposium that tollowed, titled Kxploriug the Pmt, Shaping the Futme: The Dibner Library' of ihe History of Science and Technohgy at 25 Years, speculated on the course of research in tlie new niillenninm and appraised the library's continued value to tliis scholarsliip. Th e sympo- sium panel comprised a cross-section of intellectuals, who have benefited directly from Bern Dibner's gift and subsequent aequifiitions that further enhanced l^ibner's collecting acumen. This group included former Dibner Librar}' Resident Scholars, SmiUisonian curators, independent scholars, and academicians. Two distinguished speakers, whose reflections on Rem Dibner's life and the impact of his collecting practices on his contemporaries are reproduced in the following pages, came to the Smithsonian Libraries to join in the celebrations. Eminent book dealer and scholar, Roger Gaskell, delivered a lecture titled, *'Krom Collector to Reader: Bern Dibner and ix History of Science Collections," which dovetailed wonderfully with the topic of the annual Dibner Library Lecture, delivered by Harvard Professor and Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Senior Astronomer EmentuSy Owen Gingerich. His "Icons of Understanding: Celebrating Bern Dibncr's Heralds of Science" provides evidence of the quality and breadth of Bern Dibncr's collections and offers vital insight into com para- ble hbrary histories. I hope that you enjoy the fascinating narratives that unfold within these pages. The Smithsoni^in Libraries is deeply grateful to The Dibner Fund for supporting the lecture series, its publications, and the successful Resident Scliolar
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