Physica Curiosa, Gaspar Schott, 1697

Written in Latin and published in the city of Würzburg, Germany, this book describes the wonders of nature and the curious phenomena of the natural world. It includes copper plate engravings that depict fantastical creatures as well as complex mechanisms of physical processes in nature.

Schott was an assistant to renowned scholar Athenasius Kircher and was well versed in the latest revelations in science and natural philosophy. Physica Curiosa was intended to help readers distinguish between the real and the mythical aspects of the natural world. Schott showcases fantastical monsters and phenomena but indicates that there are doubts about the reliability of the information on them and the likelihood of their existence. The frontispiece shows the range of curious natural phenomena that are being discussed. Further into the book, Schott presents charts and diagrams of concrete observations. The interaction between the more methodic ways of inquiry and earlier, mostly oral, ways of knowing play out in Schott’s work in a curious and thought-provoking way.

Search The Bakken’s collection of books and manuscripts: bakken.on.worldcat.org/discovery .