Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Dibner Hall of Science, The Huntington Library






On November 1st, a new permanent exhibition opened at the Huntington Library. Called " ‘Beautiful Science: Ideas that Changed the World," the exhibition showcases highlights from the Burndy Library, one of the world's largest libraries of books on the history of science and technology, which was recently donated to the Huntington by the Dibner family. The foci of the exhibition are astronomy, natural history, medicine, and light.

Daniel Lewis, the curator of the exhibition, explains “we want people to think about the beauty of science in a historical context—the elegant breakthroughs, the remarkable discoveries, and the amazing people and stories behind them.”

For more information, visit the Huntington's website here. For a review of the new hall, see Ars Technica. For more on the Burndy Library, see this wikipedia entry. Found via SGV Tribune.

First image: SGV Tribune Caption reads "Dan Lewis, Dibner Senior Curator of the History of Science & Technology at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino. Thursday October 16, 2008." Staff Photo by Walt Mancini
Second image: From the Los Angeles Times. Photo by Mark Boster
Third image: The spine. From William Cheselden, Osteographia, or the Anatomy of the Bones, London, 1733
Fourth image: The “flayed angel.” From Gautier D'Agoty and Joseph Guichard Duverny, Myologie complete (Comprehensive Study of the Muscles), Paris, 1746.
Fifth image: Twins. From George Spratt, Obstetric Tables, London, 1841.

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