Used with
permission of Maiken Naylor, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA,
http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/sel/exhibits/stamps
Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen (1845-1923) worked with cathode ray tubes and chemoluminescence. He discovered an invisible yet highly penetrating radiation which he called X-rays, and received the first Nobel prize in physics as a result. "Modern physics" had its beginning here. The year 1995, the centenary of his discovery, brought forth a spate of stamps from diverse countries, many of which show the striking skeletal image of Roentgen's wife's hand, with ring. Forever associated with radiology, and the medical applications of X-rays, Roentgen and his cathode ray tube have appeared on earlier issues as well.