Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
sues of the new series, proved an extraordinary success. Before 1865
Sijthoff also published the series the
Boek der Natuur
('Book of Nature')
and the
Boek der Reizen
('Book of Travels') (Van der Meulen 1891, pp.
56-9; Van der Meulen 1876, pp. 15-6; Enschedé 1898, vol. 1, pp. 257-8;
Van Lente & De Wit 1993, pp. 269, 271). From 1868 onward Sijthoff
successfully tapped the market with his
Algemeene bibliotheek
('General
Library') (Van der Meulen 1891, pp. 59-70; Van der Meulen 1876, p. 14;
Van Lente & De Wit 1993, p. 190; Simons 1915, p. 21). Prior to 1875 as
many as 90 volumes appeared, priced from 15 to 30 cents, in which also
some chemistry-related topics were addressed (
e.g.
De Loos 1872).
Apart from these trailblazers in the area of illustrated topics and
magazines, there were countless other publishers in the period 1850-1865
who issued popular science works.
21
It is hardly relevant to name all of
them, but two publishers of chemistry topics deserve special mention.
Between 1854 and 1861 the Amsterdam publisher Weytingh & Van der
Haart published its
Volks-bibliotheek
that “addresses all branches of art
and science, crafts and professions”, which was designed to comprise as
many as 103 booklets (“with woodcuts”) of some 25-50 cents. Whether
or not all volumes indeed appeared cannot be established with certainty
here, but in the area of chemistry and its applications alone at least nine
topics were published (Van Moorsel 1855b; Van Moorsel 1855c; Jacob-
son 1859; see also Van der Meulen 1876, pp. 175-6). In 1854 the Sneek-
based publisher Van Druten & Bleeker started its
Goedkoope bibliotheek
voor alle standen
('Cheap Library for All Classes'). This series, which
would appear until after 1887, contained several fairly successful popu-
larizing works on chemistry. Both J.W. Gunning's translation of J.F.W.
Johnston's
Chemistry of Common Life
and Th.A.J. Abeleven's transla-
tion of Emil Postel's
Laien-Chemie
were reprinted at least once (John-
ston 1855-56, Postel 1864). Contrary to the very practice-oriented
Volks-
bibliotheek
of Weytingh & Van der Haart, Van Druten & Bleekers
Goedkope bibliotheek
contained marked physico-theological elements
though.
22
It would be the last time that these two styles of popularization
21
For an, incomplete, enumeration, see Simons 1915, pp. 18-23, 34.
22
The series, for instance, opened with a book by H. Thiele on the history of the Chris-
tian church and by H. Burmeister on the history of creation. See also the preface by
Gunning in Johnston 1855-56 and that by P. van der Burg in Postel 1864.
