Les Appareils aux Recherches par les Rayons X et leur mode d’emploi.
[Chemnitz?]: [Max Kohl?], [1898?]. First edition. Original printed and illustrated publisher’s wrappers. 23 [1] pp. Covers slightly faded, chipped, paper somewhat toned. Creasing to upper left corner. Otherwise in very good condition.
Early French illustrated catalogue of X-ray apparatus, combining technical instructions with a commercial price list.
An early French catalogue entirely devoted to X-ray apparatus, issued only a few years after Wilhelm Röntgen’s discovery of X-rays in 1895. Illustrated with 27 figures, it serves both as a technical manual and a commercial catalogue, marking the transition of radiography from experimental science to medical practice.
The first fourteen pages describe in detail the components of a complete radiographic and fluoroscopic installation: induction coil and interrupter, generator, resistances and control board, X-ray tubes and supports, plates, screens, cassettes, fluoroscopes, and operating tables. Each device is illustrated and explained in its construction and function, with practical instructions for assembly, use, and safe handling.
From page 15 onward, the catalogue shifts to price lists for the apparatus described earlier, emphasizing its dual role as both educational guide and sales tool.
The opening full-page illustration depicts a complete X-ray installation signed “Kurth und Hainich X.A. Chemnitz,” linking the work to the renowned Chemnitz firm of Max Kohl. Founded in 1876, Kohl became one of the world’s leading suppliers of precision scientific instruments. By 1898, his catalogues offered some of the most advanced radiographic equipment, including large induction coils capable of generating up to a 40-inch spark, automatic contact breakers, intensifying screens, and fluoroscopes—exported worldwide to hospitals and laboratories during the earliest phase of X-ray adoption.
As one of the earliest French catalogues dedicated solely to X-ray technology, this publication documents a pivotal moment when Röntgen’s discovery was being translated into practical diagnostic tools and commercial production.
WorldCat locates only one copy, at the Institut de France in Paris, which also identifies Max Kohl as the publisher and tentatively dates the publication to 1898.
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Price: €2,500.00