(Born: Freiberg, Germany, 6 December 1833; Died: Naunhof near Leipzig, 26 February 1901) German mineralogist.

Weisbach received his Ph.D. from the University of Heidelberg in 1857. He began as an assistant in mineralogy at Freiberg Bergakademie in 1860. Then in 1863 as docent, finally in 1866 he was appointed professor of mineralogy.

Biographical references: ADB: 41, 522. • Poggendorff: 3, 1427 & 4, 1615. • Sarjeant, Geologists, 1980: 3, 2396. • World Who's Who in Science: 1774.

1. German, 1858 [Dissertation].
Über Die | Monstrositäten | Tesseral Krystallisirender | Mineralien. | [rule] | Inaugural-Dissertation | gedruckt mit Genehmigung de philosophischen Facultät zu Heidelberg. | Von | Albin Weisbach, | Docent der Mineralogie an der K.S. Bergacademie zu Freiberg. | Mit vier lithographirten Tafeln. | [tapered rule] | Freiberg. | Buchhandlung J.G. Engelhardt. | (Bernhard Thierbach). | 1858.

8°: 16 p., 4 folded plates of crystals.

Very scarce. In this inaugural dissertation, Weisbach studies irregularities that occur in the tetragonal crystal system. He uses actual minerals to describe the phenomena.

Bibliographical references: Katalog Bergakademie Freiberg, 1879: p. 705 [VI. 913.]. • NUC.

Tabellen

2. German, 1866 [First edition].
Tabellen zur Bestimmung der Mineralien nach äussern Kennzeichen. Leipzig, Verlag von Arthur Felix, 1866.

8°: viii, 113 p.

Rare. This is the first edition of a work that was popular for many years. The text presents a series of tables that are used to determine the name of an unknown mineral by placing a sample through a series of simple tests based upon the external characteristics. Used with in the German education system, it was deemed important enough to be translated into English, which spawned its own sequence of books.

Bibliographical references: BMC: 5, p. 2286. • Gascoigne, Catalogue of Scientific Periodicals, 1985: no. 8866. • Katalog Bergakademie Freiberg, 1879: p. 705 [VI. 989.]. • NUC. • USGS Library Catalog.

3. German, 1878 [2nd edition].
Tabellen zur Bestimmung der Mineralien nach äusseren Kennzeichen. 2 Auflage. Leipzig, A. Felix, 1878.

8°: vi, 108 p. Very scarce.

Bibliographical references: Katalog Bergakademie Freiberg, 1879: Suppl. 1, p. 150 [VI. 1143.]. • NUC.

4. German, 1886 [3rd edition].
Tabellen zur Bestimmung der mineralien Mittels ausserer Kennzeichen. Hrsg. von Dr. Albin Weisbach ... 3. Auflage. Leipzig, A. Felix, 1886.

8°: iv, [2], 106 p. Very scarce.

Bibliographical references: Katalog Bergakademie Freiberg, 1879: Suppl. 1, p. 150 [VI. 1209.]. • NUC. • USGS Library Catalog.

5. German, 1892 [4th edition].
Tabellen | zur | Bestimmung Der Mineralien | mittels | Äusserer Kennzeichen. | [rule] | Herausgegeben | von | Dr. Albin Weisbach, | Professor Der Mineralogie An Der K.S. Bergakademie Zu Freiberg. | Vierte Auflage. | [ornate rule] | Leipzig. | Verlag Von Arthur Felix. | 1892.

8°: viii, 106 p. Very scarce.

Bibliographical references: Dana's 7th (Bibliography): 83. • Katalog Bergakademie Freiberg, 1879: Suppl. 1, p. 150 [VI. 1245.]. • NUC.

6. German, 1900 [5th edition].
Tabellen zur Bestimmung der mineralien Mittels ausserer Kennzeichen. 5. Auflage. Leipzig, A. Felix, 1900.

8°: iv, 106 p. Very scarce.

Bibliographical references: NUC. • USGS Library Catalog.

7. German, 1903 [6th edition].
Tabellen | zur | Bestimmung Der Mineralien | mittels | Äusserer Kennzeichen | von | Albin Weisbach. | [rule] | Sechste Auflage | Durchgesehen Und Ergänzt | von | Dr. Friedrich Kolbeck, | Professor Der Mineralogie Und Lötrohrprobierkunde | An Der K.S. Bergakademie Zu Freiberg. | [ornate rule] | Leipzig. | Verlag Von Arthur Felix. | 1903.

8°: π⁴ 1-7⁸ 8⁴: 64l.; [i]-viii, [1]-120, tables, index. Page size: 238 x 158 mm.

Contents: [i-ii], Title page, verso "Alle Rechte vorbehalten."; [iii]-iv, "Vorwort."; iv, "Vorwort zur sechsten Auflage."; [v], "Übersicht."; [vi]-viii, "Vorerinnerungen."; [1], "Einige kristallograhische Symbole." and "Abkurzen."; [2]-27, "I. Metallische glänzende Mineralien."; [28]-59, "II. Halbmetallisch glänzende und gemeinglänzende Mineralien von farbigen Striche."; [60]-115, "III. Gemeinglänzende von farblosem Striche."; [116]-120, "Register."

Very scarce. Edited by Friedrich Kolbeck after Weisbach's death.

Friedrich Ludwig Wilhelm Kolbeck. (Born: Dresden, Germany, 12 January 1860; Died: Freiberg, Germany, 6 February 1943) German mineralogist & petrologist. In 1884, Kolbeck went to Freiberg as assistant, becoming professor of assaying and blowpipe analysis in 1896. In 1901, he succeeded Albin Weisbach as professor of mineralogy, from which he retired in 1928. As part of that duty he helped to manage the mineral collections of the Academy and during his curatorship they did continue to expand.

Bibliographical references: NUC. (Kolbeck) Mineralogical Magazine: 28 (1947), 203-4 [by L.J. Spencer]. • Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paläontologie: Series A, no. 4 (1943), p. 59-63, portrait [by S. von Gliszczynski]. • Sarjeant, Geologists, 1980: 2, 1475-6. • Schiffner, Alter Freiberger Bergstudenten, 1935-40: 2, 284-6, portrait. • Tschermaks mineralogische und petrographische Mitteilungen: 55, (1943), 271-3 [by R. Schreiter].

8. German, 1906 [7th edition].
Tabellen | zur | Bestimmung Der Mineralien | mittels | Äusserer Kennzeichen | von | Albin Weisbach. | [rule] | Siebente Auflage | Berarbeitet | von | Dr. Friedrich Kolbeck, | Professor Der Mineralogie Und Lötrohrprobierkunde | An Der K.S. Bergakademie Zu Freiberg i.S. | [ornate rule] | Leipzig. | Arthur Felix. | 1906.

8°. Scarce.

Bibliographical references: NUC.

English editions

9. English, 1875 [First edition].
Tables for the determination of minerals by those physical problems ascertainable by the aid of such simple instruments as every student in the field should have with him. Tr. from the German of Weisbach. Enl., and furnished with a set of mineral formulas, a column of specific gravities, and one of the characteristic blowpipe reactions. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott & co., 1875.

8°: 117 p.

Very scarce. Translation by Persifor Frazer [1844-1909] of Tabellen zur Bestimmung der Mineralien.

Bibliographical references: Katalog Bergakademie Freiberg, 1879: Suppl. 1, p. 150 [VI. 1146.]. • NUC. • USGS Library Catalog.

10. English, 1891 [3rd edition].
Tables for the determination of minerals by physical properties ascertainable with the aid of a few field instruments. Based on the system of Prof. Dr. Albin Weisbach. By Persifor Frazer ... 3rd edition, entirely rewritten. Philadelphia, J.B. Lippincott company, 1891.

8°: x, 115 p.

Very scarce. Translation by Persifor Frazer [1844-1909] of Tabellen zur Bestimmung der Mineralien.

Bibliographical references: NUC. • USGS Library Catalog.

11. English, 1910 [6th edition].
Tables for the determination of minerals by physical properties ascertainable with the aid of a few field instruments based on the system of the late Professor Doctor Albin Weisbach by Persifor Frazser and Amos Peaslee. 6th. edition rev. to date. Philadelphia, J.B. Lippincott company, 1910.

8°: xiii, 125 p.

Scarce. Translation by Persifor Frazer [1844-1909] of Tabellen zur Bestimmung der Mineralien.

Bibliographical references: NUC. • USGS Library Catalog.

Synopsis Mineralogica

12. German, 1875 [First edition].
Synopsis Mineralogica. Systematische Uebersicht des Mineralreiches. Von Dr. Albin Weisbach ... Freiberg, J.G. Engelhardt'sche Buchhandlung (M. Isensee), 1875.

8°: 78 p.

Rare. This work contains a list of mineral species with information on their chemical composition and in most instances notice of their crystallographic system to which they belong. The system used to organize the species is, however, somewhat different from other chemical classifications, and is unusual.

Bibliographical references: Katalog Bergakademie Freiberg, 1879: Suppl. 1, p. 150 [VI. 1170.]. • NUC.

13. German, 1884 [2nd edition].
Synopsis Mineralogica. Systematische Uebersicht des Mineralreiches. Von Dr. Albin Weisbach ... Freiberg, J.G. Engelhardt'sche Buchhandlung (M. Isensee), 1884.

8°: 87 p., tables. Very scarce.

Bibliographical references: American Journal of Science: 3rd series, 29 (1885), p. 75. • Katalog Bergakademie Freiberg, 1879: Suppl. 1, p. 150 [VI. 1192.]. • NUC.

14. German, 1897 [3rd edition].
Synopsis Mineralogica. | [ornate rule] | Systematische Uebersicht | des | Mineralreiches. | [rule] | Von | Dr. Albin Weisbach | Professor Der Mineralogie An Der K.S. Bergakademie Zu Freiberg | K.S. Oberbergrath. | [rule] | Dritte Auflage | [ornament] | Freiberg | J.G. Engelhardt'sche Buchhandlung (M. Isensee). | 1897.

8°: 95 p. Very scarce.

Bibliographical references: Dana's 7th (Bibliography): 83. • NUC. • USGS Library Catalog.

Charakteristik

15. German, 1880.
Charakteristik der Classen, Ordnungen und Familien des Mineralreiches. Freiberg, J.G. Engelhardt, 1880.

8°: 60 p. At head of title: Characteres mineralogici. Very scarce.

Bibliographical references: Dana's 7th (Bibliography): 83. • Katalog Bergakademie Freiberg, 1879: Suppl. 1, p. 150 [VI. 1171.]. • NUC.

An elementary guide to determinative mineralogy for the use of the practical mineralogist and prospector, and for instruction in schools and academies, based upon the method of Weisbach's "Tabellen zur bestimmung der mineralien", applied chiefly to American species. [By] C. Gilbert Wheeler ... (Chicago, 1880).
See under: Wheeler, Charles Gilbert.

Erinnerungsblätter an Albin Weisbach, Geheimen Bergrath und Professor der Mineralogie an der Kgl. Bergakademie in Freiberg in Sachsen. Von Dr. Victor Goldschmidt ... (Freiberg, 1902).
See under: Goldschmidt, Victor.

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