logologo-optometry

Mirrors, Prisms and Lenses. A text book of geometrical optics

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Catalogue Number: 1695
Mirrors, Prisms and Lenses. A text book of geometrical optics
Category: Book
Sub-Category: Book of historical note
Author: SOUTHALL James P C
Year Of Publication/Manufacture: 1918
Time Period: 1900 to 1939
Place Of Publication/Manufacture: New York
Publisher/Manufacturer: The MacMillan Company
Description Of Item: Original dark green cloth, xix preliminaries, 578 pages and advertising leaves, 247 figures in text. Chinese library stamps and stickers on title page, front cover and inside front cover.
Historical Significance: This is an early student text book on geometrical optics although it is not clear to which kind of student it is directed. The author describes it as an abridgement of his book 'The principles and methods of Geometrical Optics' and it includes chapters on astigmatic and toric lenses and the optical system of the eye so it may be directed to optometry and ophthalmology students. James P. C. Southall (1871- ?) was a physicist with a special interest in optics. He taught physics at a number of USA universities before joining Columbia University in 1914, where he served until his retirement in 1940. His specialties were geometrical optics and physiological optics. He wrote Principles of Geometrical Optics in 1910 and Mirrors, Prisms and Lenses (1918, rev. eds. 1923, 1934). He is probably best known as editor of the American English language edition of Helmholtz's Physiological Optics published in 3 volumes 1924-25. Cat No 84. 85, 86. He also wrote Introduction to Physiological Optics (1941). He wrote many papers, a number of which appeared in JOSA, on optical illusions and geometrical optics. He served as president of the Optical Society of America in 1921.
How Acquired: Donated by Peter Dwyer, member of the College, who received this and other items from the family of Melbourne optometrist RGM Hogan
Date Acquired: November 2010
Condition: Good
Location: Archive room. East wall. Books of historical note

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