Six Wings. Men of Science in the Renaissance, illustrated with contemporary portraits

Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1957. First edition.

RENAISSANCE SCIENCE BY LEADING HISTORIAN, COPY OF COLLEAGUE INCLUDING AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED BY AUTHOR.

9 ¼ inches tall hardcover, gray cloth binding, ink signature of Harold J. Grimm top of front free endpaper, i-xiv, [2], 318 pp, illustrations, 8 photographic plates. Light browning to page edges, very good in very good minus dust jacket with edgewear top cover and spine ends. LAID IN autograph letter signed on 8 ½ x 11 inch onion skin letterhead titled "George Sarton . 5 Channing Place, Cambridge 38, Massachusetts, U.S.A." inscribed, "Dear Professor Grimm, Just a line to say that I am back safely home but thinking of the many amenities of I.U. and grateful to you for your very kind introductory speech and the historical luncheon. My respect to Mrs. Grimm and kindest regards to you. George Sarton." Inscribed at top of letter in another hand, "March 19, 1955/ addressed to/ Indiana University". ALSO LAID IN, 4x4 inch printed card, "This Book Is Presented with the Compliments of Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana, Publication Date February 18, 1957."

GEORGE SARTON (1884-1956) was a Belgian chemist and historian who is considered the founder of the discipline of history of science. Sarton's ultimate goal was to achieve an integrated philosophy of science that provided a connection between the sciences and the humanities, which he referred to as "the new humanism". Sarton intended to complete an exhaustive nine-volume history of science; By the time of his death, he had completed only the first three volumes. Sarton had been inspired for his project by his study of Leonardo da Vinci, but he had not reached this period in history before dying.

PROVENANCE: HAROLD JOHN GRIMM (1901–1983) was an academic, historian, and writer and an expert on the Reformation. He was chairman of the history department at Ohio State and Indiana universities. During his academic career Grimm collected about 200 volumes of books and pamphlets from the Reformation period. After his death, the collection was donated to Ohio State University Libraries and form the core of the Harold J. Grimm Reformation Collection, which now includes over 550 volumes. The Harold J. Grimm Prize, awarded by the Sixteenth Century Society and Conference for the best article on the Reformation published during the previous year, is named after him.