Buy this book on-line

WILLIAM C. BELLER : 1931 SUPER, ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY HAND WRITTEN BY A COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STUDENT, ONE DAY Ph.D, PIONEER AND PATENT HOLDER, LINGUIST, PLAYWRIGHT AND BELOVED PATRON OF THE BRONX HISTORICAL SOCIETY

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is an interesting diary of a graduate student in the years of the Great Depression. The diary measures 8 inches by 6.25 inches. There are 365 pages and it is 100% complete. Although fully intact, the cover shows obvious signs of wear and damage. The pages are intact and the handwriting is legible. This 1931 diary was authored by William C. Beller a Ph.D from Columbia University in Electrical Engineering. He studied under the well-known Dr. Michael Pupin. At some point, Beller married Esther Hoffman. They lived in New York City and, in 1965 gifted their historic family home, the Valentine-Varian house, to Bronx Historical Society. It is the second oldest house in the Bronx. William C. Beller was an accomplished microscopist and pioneering researcher in the electronics industry. Beller held key patents in electronics research development. He was a very well-educated man and his interests ranged well outside his academic field. He was proficient in Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, French, and German language and literature, and wrote a poetic drama called "Theomachia," ("War of the Gods"). He was active from a young age in the Theosophical Society and published some articles that were of primarily philosophical nature. From context, it appears that this diary was written when he was a graduate student at Columbia, likely working on his doctorate. Although he never mentions classes, he attends regularly and carries out mostly work in a laboratory. "Did some reading and cleaning in the morning. Also experimented with synchronous converters with a view to overcoming radio interference due to it. ... Made inquiries about filter for converter and purchased one. In the evening I went with Mother to Proctor's Cinema Theatre and saw "Blue Angel" and "Royal Bed" ..." [Mar 5]; "I spent most of the morning reading. In the afternoon went to Fulton and Courtlandt St. And bought a condenser and transformer for television experiments. ..." [Mar 20]; "I went to university in the morning and started making cathode for another x-ray tube. Went to university in the afternoon and helped Hull pump tube which finally I sealed off. .." [June 19]. In addition to his work in electrical engineering, Beller enjoys literature and the performing arts, often taking in plays with either his mother or father. At that time, after years of experimentation in a number of countries, television had been invented. Philo Farnsworth is considered to have developed the first electronic television in 1927. Only 4 years later, Beller was carrying out experiments to create a television as well: "I spent most of the morning setting up television apparatus …" [Dec 30]; "I demonstrated television ..." [Dec 31]. This is an excellent record of the work done by a distinguished American engineer at the beginning of both an eminent career and a new age of communications. A student of the history of the early development of electrical engineering would appreciate the many details involved as he goes about his daily work in carrying out his experiments and his studies. As he lives at home with his parents, a social historian would appreciate this look inside the home of a middle-class American family as they lived through the Great Depression.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Fair

Bibliophile Bookbase for antiquarian books, maps and prints.