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Published in: Insights into Imaging 1/2020

Open Access 01-12-2020 | Statement

Spectacular rediscovery of the original prints of radiographs Roentgen sent to Lorentz in 1896

Author: Frans W. Zonneveld

Published in: Insights into Imaging | Issue 1/2020

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Abstract

Background

Ninety years after the Dutch theoretical physicist H.A. Lorentz died, detailed investigation of his scientific heritage yielded the set of nine original prints of radiographs that W.C. Roentgen made during his experiments and had sent him, among half a dozen other scientists, on January 1st, 1896.

Main text

Through communications with different experts and literature research, the author describes these nine prints and how they relate to the first publication Roentgen wrote about his discovery of the X-rays.

Conclusions

The combination of Roentgen’s first publication on his X-ray discovery and the nine radiographs provides insight as to which aspects of the discovery were considered important by Roentgen and how he carried out the experiments to be able to describe these aspects.
Footnotes
1
H.A. Lorentz is one of the greatest theoretical physicists of the Netherlands (Nobel Prize for Physics in 1902 together with Pieter Zeeman). He was professor at Leiden University. Roentgen travelled to Leiden in early 1905 and asked Lorentz to become professor of theoretical physics in Munich [1] but Lorentz turned this proposal down. Lorentz moved to Haarlem in 1912. (https://​en.​wikipedia.​org/​wiki/​Hendrik_​Lorentz Accessed 4 October 2019)
 
2
Lorentz heritage in Teylers Museum consists of papers and books that he brought with him from Leiden plus everything related to his work as director of the Physics Lab at Teylers Museum. The remainder of his archive is located at the North-Holland Archive (www.​noord-hollandsarchief.​nl).
 
3
Teylers Museum is a museum for science and art. Founded in 1778, it is the oldest museum of the Netherlands.
 
4
Lorentz was also curator of the physics cabinet of Teylers Museum.
 
5
The catalogue was also a guide on how to make radiographs using the equipment of the Leybold Company.
 
6
Roentgens mailing actually contained positive photographic prints of his original negative radiographs.
 
7
Without including the prints of radiographs, Roentgen sent this reprint to some eighty other scientific colleagues. Among them were three other Dutch scientists: J.D. van der Waals (1837–1923) at the University of Amsterdam, C.H.C. Grinwis (1831–1899) at the University of Utrecht, and H. Haga (1852–1936) at the University of Groningen.
 
8
Predecessor of Roentgen in Strasbourg.
 
9
Predecessor of Roentgen in Würzburg.
 
10
Assistant of Roentgen in Strasbourg and Würzburg and a later colleague of Roentgen in Munich. After Roentgens death, he received the letters he had sent to Roentgen, back, except the ones written in the period of the discovery (Personal communication with Gerd J.E. Rosenbusch).
 
11
The handwriting is clearly different from Roentgens handwriting.
 
13
The correspondence between Roentgen and Zehnder is archived at the Zentralbibliotek (Central Library) in Zurich, Switzerland. It is possible that somewhere in this correspondence there are referrals to the prints of radiographs that Zehnder received from Roentgen, but it is not possible for this library to perform this research for me (Personal communication with Monica Seidler-Hux, scientific coworker of the manuscript department).
 
14
Roentgen sent this X-ray photograph also to the German emperor along with three prints of radiographs of 23 mm thick iron plates; according to a concept of the letter to the emperor which dates back to January 12th 1897 (Personal communication with Gerd J.E. Rosenbusch).
 
15
Jean Pernet (1845-1902) was Professor of Experimental Physics at the ETH Zurich (1890-1902).
 
Literature
1.
go back to reference Van Wylick WAH (1966) Röntgen en Nederland (Roentgen and the Netherlands), vol 42. Thesis University of Amsterdam Van Wylick WAH (1966) Röntgen en Nederland (Roentgen and the Netherlands), vol 42. Thesis University of Amsterdam
2.
go back to reference De Haas-Lorentz GL, Lorentz HA (1957) Impressions of his life and work. North-Holland Pub. Co, Amsterdam De Haas-Lorentz GL, Lorentz HA (1957) Impressions of his life and work. North-Holland Pub. Co, Amsterdam
3.
go back to reference Röntgen WC (1895) Über eine neue Art von Strahlen (Vorläufige Mittheilung). Sitzungsberichte der Physikalisch-medizinischen Gesellschaft zu Würzburg. 29:132–141 Röntgen WC (1895) Über eine neue Art von Strahlen (Vorläufige Mittheilung). Sitzungsberichte der Physikalisch-medizinischen Gesellschaft zu Würzburg. 29:132–141
4.
go back to reference Zehnder LWC (1935) Röntgen. Briefe an L. Zehnder, Rascher, Zurich Zehnder LWC (1935) Röntgen. Briefe an L. Zehnder, Rascher, Zurich
5.
go back to reference Rosenbusch GJE, de Knecht-van Eekelen A (2019) Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen. The birth of radiology. Springer Nature, ChamCrossRef Rosenbusch GJE, de Knecht-van Eekelen A (2019) Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen. The birth of radiology. Springer Nature, ChamCrossRef
6.
go back to reference Lorentz HA (1896) De door prof. Röntgen ontdekte stralen (The rays discovered by professor Roentgen). De Gids 60:510–528 Lorentz HA (1896) De door prof. Röntgen ontdekte stralen (The rays discovered by professor Roentgen). De Gids 60:510–528
7.
go back to reference Würzburg University (1995) Röntgen Rays Centennial. Exhibition on the occasion of the discovery of X-rays in Würzburg on November 8, 1895 (13-2-till 19-11-1995) Würzburg, Exhibition Catalogue, vol viii. Bavarian Julius-Maximillians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, p ix Würzburg University (1995) Röntgen Rays Centennial. Exhibition on the occasion of the discovery of X-rays in Würzburg on November 8, 1895 (13-2-till 19-11-1995) Würzburg, Exhibition Catalogue, vol viii. Bavarian Julius-Maximillians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, p ix
Metadata
Title
Spectacular rediscovery of the original prints of radiographs Roentgen sent to Lorentz in 1896
Author
Frans W. Zonneveld
Publication date
01-12-2020
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Insights into Imaging / Issue 1/2020
Electronic ISSN: 1869-4101
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13244-020-00846-x

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