Attention Is Discovery: The Life and Legacy of Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt by Von Mertens, Anna

Attention Is Discovery: The Life and Legacy of Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt

A portrait of trailblazing astronomer Henrietta Leavitt and an illustrated exploration of the power of attention in...
$70.46 SGD
$70.46 SGD
SKU: 9780262049382
Product Type: Books
Please hurry! Only 0 left in stock
Author: Anna Von Mertens
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: $70.46
10 customers are viewing this product
Attention Is Discovery: The Life and Legacy of Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt by Von Mertens, Anna

Attention Is Discovery: The Life and Legacy of Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt

$70.46

Attention Is Discovery: The Life and Legacy of Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt

$70.46
Author: Anna Von Mertens
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
A portrait of trailblazing astronomer Henrietta Leavitt and an illustrated exploration of the power of attention in scientific observation, artistic creation, and the making of meaning.

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, has a diameter of about 100,000 light years--a figure we can calculate because of the work of Henrietta Leavitt (1868-1921), who spent decades studying glass plate photographs of the night sky. Visual artist and researcher Anna Von Mertens's Attention Is Discovery is a fascinating portrait of this remarkable woman who laid the foundation for modern cosmology, as well as an exploration of the power of looking and its revelatory role at the center of scientific discovery. Ushering us into the scientific community of women who worked alongside Leavitt, now known as the Harvard Computers, Von Mertens describes the inventive methodologies Leavitt devised to negotiate the era's emerging photographic technology.

Interspersed with Von Mertens's meticulously researched and lyrically written essays are collaborations with art historian Jennifer L. Roberts, cosmologist Wendy Freedman, astrophysicist Jo?o Alves, and novelist Rebecca Dinerstein Knight. Alongside Leavitt's process, evident in her astronomical logbooks and ink notations on the glass plates, Von Mertens includes details of the hand-stitched quilts and graphite drawings she made in response to Leavitt's legacy. Photographs made by Jennifer L. Roberts using a macro lens amplify the material richness of these artworks and archives. This interweaving of text and image engages and rewards the reader's own close attention. Highlighting ways that subtle, repeated actions build meaning--whether skilled, technical observation, the crafting of an object, or the mundane tasks that construct our exquisite lives--Von Mertens's pairing of close looking with close reading creates a layered portrait of Henrietta Leavitt that acknowledges the significance of her discovery and the richness of its inheritance.

Author: Anna Von Mertens
Publisher: MIT Press
Published: 09/17/2024
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780262049382

About the Author
Anna Von Mertens is the recipient of a 2010 United States Artists Fellowship in Visual Arts and a 2021-2022 Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Her exhibition Measure presented at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute traveled to the University Galleries of Illinois State University and Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College.

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Related Products

Recently Viewed Products