tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56995802397111808812026-04-25T03:13:36.795-07:00Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-77706991264823592732015-05-24T08:10:00.002-07:002015-05-24T11:32:59.699-07:00

In order to bring the "Garrison-Morton" medical bibliography up to date for the new online, revised and interactive version at www.historyofmedicine.com one of the processes I have had to follow is checking the names and birth and death dates of the thousands of authors in the bibliography. This is a task that I never attempted 25 years when I put out the 5th edition in book form. At that time

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15399751983421351605noreply@blogger.com229tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-83748849256102632952015-05-19T14:52:00.003-07:002015-05-19T14:52:23.337-07:00

We launched HistoryofMedicine.com, the online interactive version of my 1991 printed edition of "Garrison-Morton", at the meeting of Archivists and Librarians in the History of the Health Sciences (ALHHS.org) held in New Haven, Connecticut on April 29-30, 2015. Having a deadline for a functioning version of the site was a helpful, and perhaps a necessary incentive for making a presentable

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15399751983421351605noreply@blogger.com257tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-78106096297116011392015-02-09T19:43:00.000-08:002015-02-09T22:36:04.766-08:00

In November 2014 I purchased at auction the only complete copy in private hands of the first edition of the first English sex manual, Aristoteles Masterpiece, a small volume published in London in 1684. Copies of this work were mostly read out of existence, nearly all of the few that survive are incomplete. At the time of purchase I knew that this book was likely to receive publicity in

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15399751983421351605noreply@blogger.com122tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-74218024019511863392013-06-23T17:53:00.000-07:002013-09-05T13:52:35.465-07:00

On June 19, 2013 I was pleased to purchase for 205,250 GBP (about $316,000) at Bonham's in London the copy of the offprint of Alan Turing's On Computable Numbers (1936) along with the offprint of Turing's Correction to the paper (1937) that Turing presented to the philosopher R. B. Braithwaite. This represented a new price record for any published work of 20th century science, a new

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15399751983421351605noreply@blogger.com207tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-54530782350192738192012-09-09T13:58:00.001-07:002012-09-09T13:58:47.677-07:00

Over the ten years or so that I have been writing From Cave Paintings to the Internet I have been thinking about ways of visualizing the data beyond text, images, and links. In late August 2012 we introduced our first database mapping program.  This lets you review the data by theme, era, or region, or combination.  After you make your selection the map populates depending upon what

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15399751983421351605noreply@blogger.com223tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-85830531093681542782012-06-25T09:37:00.001-07:002012-06-25T09:37:43.136-07:00

Last week I finished appraising the Benoit Mandelbrot papers for donation to Stanford University. Comprised of 215 bankers boxes, this archive of one of the most famous mathematicians of the second half of the 20th century concerned mathematics, physics, mathematical economics, information theory and computer graphics.  Mandelbrot is best known for the invention of fractals and

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15399751983421351605noreply@blogger.com363tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-23831542433600045162012-01-08T07:38:00.000-08:002012-01-08T10:32:03.306-08:00

On January 6, 2012 The New York Times published an article entitled "Turning a Page the Joseph Herscher Way, describing a Rube Goldberg device constructed by computer programmer and kinetic artist Joseph Herscher.The caption to the image read: "Joseph Herscher drinks his coffee (1) which pulls a string which yanks a pencil (2) which tips paintings one by one as the balls roll down. The third ball

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com188tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-79607799536163977822011-12-16T12:57:00.000-08:002011-12-16T17:58:50.862-08:00

During the past 40+ years of my experience in the book trade I have only seen two books bound in human skin, and I have never actually bought and sold such a volume. Books bound in this way are very rare, and hardly ever appear on the market. My favorite of the two I have seen is a volume of rare anatomical pamphlets by Albinus, including the first color-printed anatomical illustrations by Jan

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com72tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-1976724799317750982011-11-06T15:49:00.000-08:002011-11-06T16:09:00.671-08:00

Though we were having our first office at 442 Post Street in San Francisco remodeled by late 1970, we did not open for business until early 1971, so 2011 is our 40th year in business. This year I also reached my 66th birthday. Reflecting increased business activity rather than less, in 2011 Diana Hook and I issued three catalogues, all as PDFs. This was a record for us, especially since some

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-61184433473010815872011-02-08T14:59:00.000-08:002011-02-08T15:07:42.182-08:00

On February 8, 2011 Jessica Gore created a new website for my chronological and thematic studies on the history of information and media at historyofinformation.com. There you will find the latest version of my database, From Cave Paintings to the Internet, as well as a nifty new Outline View of the database, and some essays on themes related to the database under the Narrative and Analysis tab.

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com468tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-62213243412077394062010-12-24T09:18:00.000-08:002010-12-24T09:27:29.866-08:00

A snapshot I took in Las Vegas airport.

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com66tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-60409680554599224922010-12-23T08:33:00.000-08:002010-12-23T08:51:47.450-08:00

We have TwelveSouth.com to thank for book-style cases for both the MacBook Pro and iPad. I have to admit that these products look really good, even though they are unimaginatively titled "BookBook." Eventually I may spring for one to cover my iPad. Note that they tout these book-style cases as security devices for three reasons:1. To protect your computer.2. To conceal your computer. Since these

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-29290350820674890462010-12-19T17:35:00.000-08:002010-12-21T06:39:37.670-08:00

Over the past 40 or more years it has been my privilege to handle many of the greatest copies of the greatest classics of science, medicine, and technology. Recently I was excited to sell the greatest copy of the most famous work in obstetrics, Mauriceau's Des maladies des femmes grosses et accouchees. . . . You will find more information and references in From Cave Paintings to the

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-62760448201329320262010-12-17T18:39:00.000-08:002010-12-17T20:19:18.086-08:00

I have heard of collecting many things, from the ordinary such as swizzle sticks, to the sublime, such as Rembrandts. I even know one antiquarian bookseller who collects shrunken heads, but until recently I had never heard of owning the head of a deceased monarch. It seems, however, that ever since the French Revolution a series of French private collectors owned the head of King Henri IV who

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-21047469742672992292010-12-17T17:04:00.000-08:002010-12-17T17:43:19.962-08:00

An intellectual in Hollywood?Natalie Portman's 'Lolita' clutch, described in a December 4 article in the Los Angeles Times online, got a lot of attention. The "clutch" by French designer Olympia Le-Tan, is one of a limited edition of only 16 of each title in a series of "intellectual clutch bags" featuring hand-stitched versions of selected book titles from the 19th and 20th centuries. The

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-35132888732291959842010-12-11T09:16:00.000-08:002010-12-11T17:17:59.882-08:00

Though I do not recall previously discussing my personal sports proclivities in this blog, I am a serious practitioner of fitness-type sports such as hiking, biking, swimming and gym-workouts, but I have only the barest minimal interest in spectator sports. That said, Sotheby's sale in New York this week of James Naismith's founding document for basketball was a spectator sports event that I did

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-13648151522655372772010-11-28T09:11:00.000-08:002010-11-29T07:53:31.434-08:00

As part of my ongoing project, From Cave Paintings to the Internet, I recently wrote this post concerning one possible explanation for the destruction of the Royal Library of Alexandria. The actual cause or causes of the destruction of the greatest library in the ancient world remain unknown, but subject to "informed speculation." One theory suggests that in 391 CE what remained of the

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-23679687523516950222010-11-05T07:57:00.001-07:002010-11-05T12:25:29.378-07:00

Among the most famous anatomical works of the sixteenth century is the Opuscula anatomica of the Italian physician and anatomist Bartolomeo Eustachi (Eustachius). In addition to several important anatomical studies by Eustachi, this work included annotations by Eustachi's relative and disciple, Pier Matteo Pini, and 8 engraved full-page copperplate text illustrations probably drawn by Eustachi

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-55434532491213545112010-10-12T13:00:00.000-07:002010-10-24T13:43:41.511-07:00

On September 20, 2010 Marsha Ashe and I visited Ravenna, Italy as part of the program of the 39th ILAB-LILA Congress which took place in Bologna. At the Byzantine Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, a Unesco World Heritage site, completed circa 426-450 CE, and considered "the earliest and best preserved of all mosaic monuments, and at the same time one of the artistically perfect," we were privileged to

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-63842741559670439492010-06-04T11:59:00.000-07:002010-12-19T20:43:51.891-08:00

For some time I have been wondering when ebooks would begin to look as good as finely designed and printed books, and when they would also incorporate interactive features impossible in static printed books. This finally happened in April 2010 when Theodore Gray, co-founder of Wolfram Research, makers of Mathematica, as well as a Popular Science columnist (Gray Matter), and element collector,

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-24267387427250080302010-05-23T12:28:00.000-07:002010-05-24T17:02:20.647-07:00

Recently I acquired a copy of what is undoubtedly the most unusual catalogue issued by the most famous American antiquarian bookseller, Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach: Description of the Vignali Collection of the Relics of Napoleon Brought from Saint-Helena by Napoleon's Chaplain Abbe Ange Paul Vignali (1924). You can download a color scan of this small catalogue from the Traditions section of our website

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-88171585520259913812010-04-02T13:33:00.000-07:002010-04-02T13:39:39.284-07:00

Tired of bookish tedium? How about some bookish porn? On March 31 the bookish subscribers to the Ex-Libris newsgroup sponsored by the Rare Book and Manuscript section of the Association of College Research Libraries were treated to the following spam:"[Apologies for cross-posting] "Dear members of ExLibris-L, "It is my pleasure to introduce to you a new website dedicated to the role of books,

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-6943226456523584772010-03-21T16:42:00.000-07:002010-03-21T17:01:46.453-07:00

Since 2005 when I began writing the timeline that evolved into From Cave Paintings to the Internet, it has been my dream to find a way to index the database and our website comprehensively. Thanks to Jessica Gore, the designer of the database and my entire website, we finally have a satisfactory and complete up-to-date index of the database (currently 2852 pages) and our overall website (just

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-59816002550512795062010-03-21T16:28:00.000-07:002010-03-21T16:41:54.226-07:00

With 2852 entries as of this writing, From Cave Paintings to the Internet would probably equate to around a 1500 page book, though I think it is much more useful than any printed book could be. Some of its 84 themes consist of over 300 annotated entries, which might be a bit much to run through unless you have plenty of time and serious interest.To make it easier to get a quick overview of all

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699580239711180881.post-88607020131070683462009-10-24T07:42:00.000-07:002009-10-24T08:12:40.183-07:00

Recently I have been taking the time to review the electronic text of thousands of our descriptions, to make small corrections and improvements. These include entering the HTML codes for formatting paragraphs, and occasionally also for bold and italic. The HTML formatting codes break up our sometimes long and often necessarily technical descriptions into logical increments, hopefully making them

Jeremy Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611636477208129385noreply@blogger.com11