The "Treasures
of the Library" album and collection has been developed to share
images from rare and unusual books that reside within the NOAA Central
Library. These
books and images have been waiting like a buried treasure to be discovered
and put on display for the world to see.
Within
the 1,000,000 or so documents that reside in the NOAA Central Library
are tens of thousands of jewels produced prior to the early Twentieth
Century. The oldest of these is a translation of a treatise written
by Hippocrates on the effect of climate on health printed in Latin
in 1485. Many other early tomes concerned with observations of the
natural world, scientific instruments, and scientific concepts have
survived the ravages of the centuries and now reside within the Special
Collections of the NOAA Central Library.
Through
these documents, much of the early evolution of scientific and geographic
knowledge of our atmosphere, oceans, and the remote areas of our planet
can be traced. Words, thoughts, and deeds of scientists, surveyors,
mapmakers, and explorers have been immortalized through the printed
book. Within some of these documents, images of their work, observations,
and concepts survive as engraved plates, woodcut images, or, in approaching
the Twentieth Century, as photographic plates. However, only a lucky
few scholars of the history of science ever see these images; fewer
still scientists ever have the opportunity to study and learn from
such images of the work of their early predecessors; and virtually
no members of the general public ever have the opportunity to see
such images as exist in these early works. Now all, including scientists,
teachers, students, and all who enjoy learning from the past will
have the opportunity to see and learn from these treasures.
Come
dig up this treasure trove with NOAA! Visit "The Treasures of the
NOAA Central Library."
