Chronology of major monographs on Hooke

Interest in, and awareness of the achievements of, Robert Hooke declined sharply after his death and did not significantly revive until the second half of the twentieth century. Following the publication in 1726 of Derham's Philosophical experiments and observations of the late eminent Dr Robert Hooke, there were no further monographs dedicated to Hooke for more than two hundred years. His life and his work continued to be discussed in the journal literature, in general treatises such as Ward's Lives of the professors of Gresham College (1740) and Birch's History of the Royal Society (1756), and in books dedicated to his friends and rivals such as Wren and Newton, but he was not studied as an important figure in his own right. This changed in the twentieth century.

This timeline seeks to demonstrate the growing interest in Hooke from the mid-twentieth century onwards by listing the principal monographs published after his death in which the title mentions him by name.

The illustration is Hooke's design for a portable drawing box, to enable seafarers to produce more accurate pictures of the lands they have seen. Taken from a lecture to the Royal Society, 19th December 1694, and included in William Derham's Philosophical experiments and observations (1726).

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More information about the authors

• Walter Adams (1906-75). Lecturer in history at University College London 1926-34; Director of the London School of Economics 1967-74.
• Edward Neville da Costa Andrade (1887–1971). Quain Professor of Physics at University College London from 1928; Fullerian Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution, 1950-53.
• Jim Bennett (1947-2023). Director of the Museum of the History of Science at Oxford University from 1994; fellow of the Faculty of History and Linacre College; Professor of the History of Science, 2010.
• F.F. Centore. Chairman of the Philosophy Department and Assistant Dean of Arts in the University of St Jerome, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
• Allan Chapman. Lecturer on the history of science in the Faculty of Modern History, Oxford University; Visiting Professor of the History of Science at Gresham College, 2004-2011.
• Michael Cooper (d.2012). Professor of Engineering Surveying at City University, London, from 1975.
• Ellen Tan Drake (1927-2016). Research Associate, Oregon State University.
• James Gerald Crowther (1899-1983). Appointed scientific correspondent of the Manchester Guardian in 1928.
• William Derham (1657-1735). Clergyman and scientist; Rector at Upminster, Essex; in 1703 elected Fellow of the Royal Society.
• Margaret 'Espinasse (1903-80). Lecturer in English at the University of Hull, 1920s-70.
• Ofer Gal. Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Sydney, and director of the Sydney Centre for the Foundations of Science.
• John Gribbin. Science writer, astrophysicist, and a visiting fellow in astronomy at the University of Sussex. His wife Mary is a teacher and journalist.
• Robert Gunther (1869-1940). A historian of science, zoologist, and founder of the History of Science Museum, Oxford.
• Felicity Henderson. Royal Society Library Events and Exhibitions Manager from 2008; Senior Lecturer in English and Creative Writing at the University of Exeter from 2013.

• Jacques Heyman. Formerly professor and Head of the Department of Engineering at Cambridge University and a leading figure in church architecture and restoration.
• Michael Hunter. Emeritus professor of history and fellow of Birkbeck College, University of London.
• Stephen Inwood. Principal Lecturer in History at Thames Valley University, 1973-99; associate professor at New York University, London, 2000; research fellow in the Centre for Local History Studies at Kingston University, London, from 2001.
• Lisa Jardine (1944-2015). Previously Centenary Professor of Renaissance Studies and director of the Centre for Editing Lives and Letters at Queen Mary University of London, in 2012 she became founding director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in the Humanities at University College London.
• Paul Kent (1923-2017). Formerly Dr Lee's Reader in Chemistry at the University of Oxford and President of Van Mildert College, Durham.
• Geoffrey Langdon Keynes (1887-1982). Surgeon at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London after RAF service in World War 1; held the Sandars Readership in Bibliography at Cambridge University in 1933, specialising in John Evelyn; pioneer in the history of science, with studies of John Ray and William Harvey.
• Robert D. Purrington. Emeritus professor of physics at Tulane University, New Orleans.
• Henry William Robinson (1888-1960). Librarian of the Royal Society.
• Paolo Rossi. Professor of the history of philosophy at the University of Florence.
• Leona Rostenberg (1908-2005). Rare books dealer.
• Francesco G. Sacco. Cultural historian interested in early modern science and technology, at Worthgate School, Canterbury, Kent.
• Simon Schaffer. Formerly professor of the history and philosophy of science at the University of Cambridge and fellow of Darwin College.
• Richard Waller (c.1660-1715). Secretary of the Royal Society 1687-1709 and 1710-1714, member of its council 1686-1699, and Vice-President during Isaac Newton’s presidency; edited the Philosophical transactions 1691-1695.

 
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Page last amended 6th August 2025