Superlative autograph manuscript, on both sides of a lightly-lined beige 9 x 13.75 legal sheet, entitled “On some properties of Rays x and radium” and signed at the top by the ‘father’ of radioactivity, who shared the 1903 Nobel Prize for Physics with Pierre and Marie Curie, (who had furthered researched the phenomenons discovered by Becquerel). In this heavily corrected paper the great French physicist discusses the very core of his famous discovery that had a deep impact on the 20th Century. Some calculations on the margins render even more significant this very first draft of a fundamental study that shows the pen of the great scientist flowing freely as his mind formulates elaborate reasonings. The first paragraph can be translated as: “It is known that the radiance of radium is composed of three radiation groups: firstly rays similar to x rays (V rays), secondly rays identical to collodical rays (rays ß) and thirdly rays that have very little power to penetrate (rays ?) of which Mr. Ruthefurd observed their weak magnetic deviance, that are the exact opposite of rays ß…” Two vertical folds, light creasing, some light toning to the top right edge, a trivial tear to the bottom edge, and a small area of paper loss to the top right corner, otherwise fine condition. RRAuction COA.
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