Business and Economics

Exhibit items on the subject of business and economics.

Exhibit Items

	Starry Messenger Galileo, (1610) Featuring Galileo's Handwriting. When Galileo heard news of telescopes invented in the Netherlands he worked out the underlying geometry and crafted one of his own design. In this work, Galileo published the first observations of the heavens made with the telescope.
1	On the Christian Expedition to China Ricci, Matteo (1616) This book recounts the establishment of the Jesuit mission in China in the late 1500s led by Matteo Ricci. When Ricci predicted a solar eclipse in 1592 with greater accuracy than the astronomers of the Chinese court, Emperor Wan-li invited Ricci to Beijing.
1	Book on Calculation Borgi, Pietro (1517) Borgi’s book on the abacus was the most important commercial arithmetic manual in Renaissance Italy. Around 1200, Leonardo of Pisa, also known as Fibonnacci, wrote an earlier manual for the abacus which introduced a sign for zero, Hindu-Arabic numerals, and a base-10 place value system.
2	The Advantages of Country Living de’ Crescenzi, Pietro (1471) This is the earliest published work on agriculture, a manual for managing a feudal estate. It is an ancestor to the early printed herbals, and explains what plants one must cultivate to be able to make the common remedies.
3	Non-European Plants Clusius, Carolus (1605) Charles L’Ecluse, or Clusius, created the Hortus Academicus garden at the University of Leiden where he was a professor. His works reported the latest discoveries in natural history from Alpine regions in Europe and from Spanish territories around the world.
4	General History of China, vol. 2 du Halde, J.B. (1741) The secret of silk farming spread from China to Korea and India about the beginning of the Common Era. Its international trade led to the establishment of the Silk Road, which extended over 4,000 miles and connected the major ancient and medieval civilizations from China to Asia Minor.
5	Letters from Galileo to Prince Federigo Cesi Galileo, (1629?) In these letters, Galileo thanked Cesi for his support of the Academy. Galileo quickly became the most illustrious member of the Lynx. Until Cesi’s death in 1630, he provided Galileo and other Lynx members with intellectual, financial and moral support.
7	The Dutch Embassy to the Grand Tartar Chamum Sungteium, Modern Emperor of China Nieuhof, Johann (1668) This travel narrative and encyclopedia presented the most up-to-date information about China based on Jesuit sources and the knowledge of commercial traders.
7	The Courtier Castiglione, Baldassarre (1724) To move up in the world, Galileo and other members of his generation sought positions at court. To help them know what to expect, Castiglione wrote the standard manual for court etiquette, how to please your supervisor. Coach Galileo would say, pay attention to Castiglione.
7	Wonder Chambers of Nature Vincent, Levinus (1706-1715) Levinus Vincent, a wealthy Dutch merchant with ties to the East Indies, created a spectacular natural history museum in Haarlem. Visiting dignitaries admired his museum, including Peter the Great and King Charles III of Spain.
7	The Herball, 1597 Gerard, John (1597) Gerard, an estate manager for Queen Elizabeth’s chief executive, was in contact with naturalists around the world who sent him both plants and soil to grow them in. The first illustration of the “Virginia potato” appears in this volume.
8	The Caterpillar Garden Merian, Maria Sybilla (1717) Merian, an artist and naturalist, studied the relationships between flowers and insects; she also bred her own insects for this purpose. She was particularly interested in metamorphosis.
11	Critical Commentary on the Official Austrian Pharmacopoeia von Raszynya, Huszty (1785) Rebellion against the limitations of 18th century HMOs: The frontispiece to this work protests the limited medicines available from the official apothecary. The Pharmacopoeia Austriaco-provincialis (Vienna, 1774) mandated the medicines and remedies to be made available.