Euclid and the History of Mathematics.
- BC6
- Book Collection
- 1557-1981
The nucleus of this collection, begun by the University of Waterloo's first dean of Graduate Studies, Dr. R. Stanton and the University's first librarian, Mrs. Doris Lewis, during the 1960's, is 45 editions of Euclid's Elements of Geometry. The collection has continued to be developed as a special collection. A collection of 110 nineteenth century mathematics books was acquired in 1981.
The earliest edition of Euclid's Elements of Geometry is dated 1505 (D0128). Another early Latin edition (D1029) is dated 1510. This unique work is also bound in a palimpsest parchment, which shows traces of effaced Hebrew text. This particular edition is also a so-called "ghost edition" where for many years bibliographies listed it as having been printed in the year 1515, a mistake in reading the date in the colophon.
The collection includes the first translation of the Elements into a modern language (1543, D0126), and the first edition printed in France (1516, D0272).
The first English language edition (1570, D0127) is an important edition that features pop-up figures of polyhedrons to help learners visualize Euclidean shapes. It is also includes the most comprehensive notes on Euclid to that point, also written by translator Henry Billingsley. The preface is also of note, as it was written by John Dee, alchemist and more to Queen Elizabeth I. The printer was John Daye, one of the preeminent printers of Post-Reformation England. At some point in the lived history of the book conservation work was done and binder's waste in the form of 14th century mss were discovered.
One of the most famous forays into pedagogical experimentation is the Byrne edition, using coloured printing (1847, G1947). Created by mathematician Oliver Byrne, it covers the first 6 books of Euclid's Elements of Geometry, and attempts to present Euclid's proofs in terms of pictures using only primary colours. It was published by William Pickering and printed by Chiswick Press. Although it was, and still is, considered an important item in the history of printing, it unfortunately directly contributed to the bankruptcy of the firm six years later.
The collection includes 9 of the 46 editions listed by Thomas-Stanford in his Early Editions of Euclid's Elements (which lists editions published prior to 1600), some of which are of "great rarity" according to Thomas-Stanford. The collection is particularly useful in showing the transmission and teaching of the Elements from almost the earliest printed form to modern texts.
