The First Glass-Globe Electrical Machine - 1709
Francis Hauksbee (1616 - 1713)

Little is known of Francis Hauksbee's life, even the dates of his birth and death are not well documented in most scientific biographies. The christening of Francis Hawksby took place on 27 May 1660 at the church of St Mary at the Walls, Colchester, Essex, England. He was buried 29 April 1713¹⁹ .

Hauksbee was appointed to the post of Curator and instrument maker of the Royal Society by Issac Newton, when Newton was president of the Society ¹⁷.

Hauksbee's first apparatus for spinning a glass vial, c.1706.  While it is the first such device, it is not recognized as the first electrical machine of the type since it's purpose was to agitate mercury within the vial vs. produce electricity.

This book is the Italian translation of Hauksbee's important work: "Physico-Mechanical Experiments on Various Subjects. Containing an Account of Several Surprising Phenomena Touching Light and Electricity", first published in English in 1709.  It is one of the most important works in early electricity and introduced several new concepts and discoveries.