PIERRE CURIE SEEKS OUT RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL IN THE SIGNED LETTER, “UNFORTUNATELY, THE MINERALS NEAR THE AUTHOR ARE TOO RARE FOR US TO USE IN THE CREATION OF RADIUM”
French physicist (1859-1906) best known for his pioneering investigation of radioactivity, who shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics with his wife, Marie Curie. Autograph letter in French, signed “P. Curie,” one page, 5.25 x 8.5, Faculte des Sciences de Paris letterhead, February 25, 1905. Fascinating handwritten letter to a gentleman, in part (translated): “The information that you have given to me, which I gratefully thank you for, has shown me that the uranium samples near the author have been known for quite some time. Unfortunately, the minerals near the author are too rare for us to use in the creation of radium. We have recently discovered pyromorphite containing radium in the author’s region (in Issy l’Eveque), which was most likely left by radioactive water. We were able to examine this radium source and gather some decigrams of the product.” In fine condition.
Autograph letters signed by Curie are rare, however this letter filled with scientific content about radium, is exceedingly so.