Foucault, Jean Bernard Léon | Sur divers signes sensible du mouvement diurne de la terre, Paris, 1852

Foucault, Jean Bernard Léon

Sur divers signes sensible du mouvement diurne de la terre. [Colophon: Paris, Bachelier, 1852]

First edition, second or early offprint issue of Foucault's demonstration of rotation of the Earth.

Though the theory of the rotation of the Earth had been largely accepted by the scientific community since Copernicus, Foucault's demonstration of the Earth's movements solidified its legitimacy. First conducted in private, Foucault's pendulum became a continuous public attraction after an iron ball was suspended from the dome of the Pantheon for its first public demonstration in 1851.

Originally published in the Comptes rendus de Seances de L'Académie des Science, the first edition of the offprint presented a few errors. Originally noting the date of Foucault's demonstration at the Académie des Sciences as August, this early offprint amended and reset text with the corrected date of publication and a few textual corrections.

11 pages, 4to (255 x 250 mm). Disbound; upper corners folded, light foxing and toning to margins. Green cloth folding-case.

REFERENCES

Dibner, Heralds 17; Printing and the Mind of Man 330 ; Norman 819