A History of Luminescence from the Earliest Times Until 1900 - Hardcoverby Edmund Newton Harvey (Author) ""A History of Luminescence from the Earliest Times until 1900"" by Edmund Newton Harvey is a comprehensive book that explores the history of luminescence, the emission of light from a substance without the presence of heat. The book covers the earliest observations of luminescence in nature, such as bioluminescence in fireflies and glowworms, as well as the discovery and development of synthetic luminescent materials.