Kircher, Athanasius, 1602-1680, author.
Athanasii Kircheri e Soc. Jesu Phonurgia nova : sive Conjugium mechanico-physicum artis & naturae paranympha phonosophia concinnatum ; qu ́universa sonorum natura, proprietas, vires effectum︢q prodigiosorum causae, nov ́& multiplici experimentorum exhibitione enucleantur ; instrumentorum acusticorum, machinarm︢q ad naturae prototypon adaptandarum, tum ad sonos ad remotissima spatia propagandos, tum in abditis domorum rece ibus per occultioris ingenii machinamenta clam palm̀ve sermocinandi modus & ratio traditur, tum denique in bellorum tumultibus singularis hujusmodi organorum usus, & praxis per novam phonologiam describitur.
One of the first books published in Europe devoted entirely to acoustics; explores the use of horns and cones in amplifying sounds, and discusses architectural acoustics, accompanied by numerous woodcut diagrams and illustrations; among the illustrations are Michele Todini's "claviorganum," Kircher's own musical invention, the Aeolian harp, and the invention that inspired the book, Kircher's "speaking trumpet" (the megaphone). Various chambers with particular acoustical properties are also depicted, such as a Vitruvian ampitheater, as well as one of Kircher's "talking statues" (essentially a 17th century intercom).
Music -- Acoustics and physics -- Early works to 1800.
Sound -- Early works to 1800.
Architectural acoustics -- Early works to 1800.
Musical instruments -- Acoustics -- Early works to 1800.
Woodcuts. lcgft
Engravings. lcgft
Dreherr, Rudolf, -1681, printer.
Wolfgang, Georg Andreas, 1631-1716, engraver.