Published byEuropäischer Verlag der Wissenschaften Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 2006
ISBN 3-631-53868-5. 430 pages, 58.00 EUR
File jad12_7.pdf contains the review in pdf format.
On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of Vienna University Observatory, the authors present the second and final part of a catalogue that lists those Observatory library holdings which were published before 1800. While Part I presented 167 items published before 1700 (see my review in JAD 11,4), PART II lists 317 items published between 1700 and 1799.
A book entry contains the name of the author in a modern version and the year of publication. Then follow the title (short as well as extended version), author, place of issue, publisher, language, number or pages and book size, bibliographic information in several catalogues (like Lalande's Bibliographie astronomique of 1803, or J.C. Poggendorff's Biographisch-literarisches Handwörterbuch (written incorrectly Poggendorf in the catalogue, but not in the bibliography), and the catalogue number in theObservatory library. In addition, one, two, three (or rarely more) illustrations from the book are shown - at least the title page of each volume can be inspected.
As already done in the previous review, the reviewer could not refrain from identifying acquisition (or registration) stamps on the title pages. Often one notes the old, almost rectangular rubber stamp "Observatorium Universitatis Vindobonensis C: R:'', which seems to belong to the era of Maximilian Hell and his successors. It was replaced by a plain stamp "K.K. Universitäts-Sternwarte Wien'', covering the era 1867-1918. This was replaced by a round stamp showing a single-headed eagle in the centre, surrounded by the text "Universitäts-Sternwarte Wien'', and obviously used after 1918. Finally, there is one book (J. Cassini, Tabulae Planetarum, 1764) which carries a stamp where the eagle has exchanged its hammer and sickle by a swastika, thus dating the acquisition to the time of 1938-45. The editors note that there are no indications of a previous owner.
The first three types of stamps are also found on titlepages of the books printed before 1700 (again, the reader is referred to my review in JAD 11,4). According to the cursory census, 219 books published between 1700 and 1799 carry the rectangular, 38 the plain "Kakanian'', and 21 the round stamp; there are about 30 books without such a stamp. Some of the "rectangular'' books also carry a handwritten note that they belonged to the Jesuit College. Again, 4 of the post-1918 books also carry a rubber-stamped inscription "Vermächtnis Rudolf König''. Another major inheritage happened in the era 1867-1918: several books carry a seal and the note "Bibl. a Coll. Lewenburg Schol. Piar. Vienna'' or "Convictus Loevenburgici Scholarum Piarum''.
The majority (78%) of 18th century books was acquired by the Vienna observatory before 1867, 14% before the end of the monarchy, and 8% thereafter; for the pre-18th century books, the percentages are 58%, 29% and 13%. Thus, 18th century books were often acquired by the observatory library immediately after publication, while apparently a major percentage of 16th and 17th century books was integrated into the library in the early decades of the "New University Observatory'', i.e. after 1874.
I wish to draw attention to a few omissions, errors or confusions. Usually, in each entry the author's life span is given. There are a few omissions in the case of well-known authors - e.g. with Boskovic, where, however, the life dates are given in the commentary section. The dates of François Noël are wrong, they should be 1651-1729; Wenceslaus Johann Gustav Karsten lived from 1732-1787. The first names of Johann Hieronymus Schroeter are consistently, but wrongly given in the catalogue as Johann Heinrich. The Institutions astronomiques of 1746 are attributed to Pierre-Charles Le Monnier, but are just an updated translation of John Keill's Introductio ad veram astronomiam, seu lectiones astronomicae habitae inschola astronomica Academiae Oxoniensis of 1718. To conclude this (incomplete) list of errata: The book Apostata Copernicanus, issued in Brno in 1790, inscribed "at mentem R. P. Joannis Bap. Riccioli S.J. celeberrimi olim Philosophi & Astronomi institutum'' has, of course, not Riccioli as its author, but at most as its dedication bearer.
Summing up: More than the on-line version (http://www.univie.ac.at/hwastro/), this fine catalogue of old astronomical books offers many opportunities to the reader to start his or her own inquiries into various historical issues. It is warmly recommended to astronomical libraries and serious students in the history ofastronomy.