Our collection of books on physics and mathematics consists mainly (but not exclusively) of works published before
1955. We have decided to draw the line 10 years after the end of the Second World War because the war forms an important
watershed in the development of the natural sciences. It was a period in which new advances succeeded one another so
rapidly that the very nature of physics and mathematics underwent profound change. Although there was a short flurry of
feverish publishing activity during the first years after the war, as publishers sought to publish books which
they had wanted to publish during the hostilities but had been unable to do so, our primary interest is in the situation up
to the beginning of the war, i.e. the time when quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity finally achieved
widespread recognition.
Two university publishing houses, Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, played a tremendously
important role in recording, consolidating and disseminating the products of scientific research performed in many parts
of the world, particularly in Germany. It is for this reason that these two publishers occupy a prominent place in our
collection, and that they make up the first part of our name: "Oxbridge". Of course, they were not alone. A wide range of
leading publishers were also active in the same field, and together they form the "& Company" part of our collection.
These include publishers from Germany itself, as well as from France and the United States. They are well-known and
respected names such as Teubner, Vieweg, Springer, Barth, Hachette, Gauthier-Villars, Hermann, Masson, McGraw-Hill
and Wiley. And, last but not least, we do not wish to overlook the achievements of the traditionally strong publishing
industry in the Netherlands itself.
These publishing houses played a crucial role in the development and dissemination of the natural sciences and their
names rightly figure prominently on the covers of their publications. (Although publishers may well find themselves
relegated to the back seat in the future, as Internet "publication" becomes increasingly commonplace.) However, much
less is known of the people who were actually responsible for making the physical products that attracted so much
interest: the printers themselves.
This brings us to one of the focal points of the collection presented in this catalogue: the magnificent achievements of the
printers who produced scientific books. We see that, to a certain extent, the development of typography and printing
mirrors the history of physics and mathematics. Both fields have gradually moved forward from manual to mechanical
and ultimately to automated techniques.
Some readers and collectors are interested primarily in the intrinsic beauty of a book that has caught their attention.
Others are concerned more with tracing the history of their discipline, or perhaps simply extending their collection.
Whatever your goal may be, this catalogue contains information on a large number of important and fascinating
publications which we hope will be of interest to you.
We are therefore pleased to commend Oxbridge & Company's current collection to you. Please note that this catalogue is
a reflection of our stock as at the present date. By pursuing an active but selective purchasing policy, we hope that we
shall be able to add a number of major new items to our collection. We shall therefore be issuing updated versions of this
catalogue at regular intervals. In the meantime, please feel free to get in touch with us at any time for full information on
recent acquisitions.
CATALOGUES
