Correspondence map
Interact with the map by zooming, clicking hotspots, and selecting items to see more details. Hit play on the timeline to show correspondence over time.
John Frederick William Herschel
John William Draper
Sir John Herschel publishes in the Philosophical Transactions
1840: Sir John Herschel publishes “On the chemical action of the rays of the solar spectrum on preparations of silver and other substances, both metallic and non-metallic; and on some photographic processes”

Autograph letter signed by sender. Sending a heliographic portrait taken from life. Comments on his methods.
28 July 1840 Sender: John William Draper Reference number: HS/6/501Sir Robert Peel becomes Prime Minister
1841
Birth of Amelia Herschel, daughter of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart
1841
Birth of Julia Herschel, daughter of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart
1842
Sir John Herschel publishes in the Philosophical Transactions
1842: Sir John Herschel publishes “On the action of the rays of the solar spectrum on vegetable colours, and on some new photographic processes”

Autograph letter signed by sender. Sending a Daguerreotype impression of the spectrum. Comments on this. Is publishing a work on the chemical rays.
26 September 1842 Sender: John William Draper Reference number: HS/6/502
Copy of letter, copied as part of the correspondence project led by Colonel John Herschel FRS following the death of his father. Comments on John Henry Dallmeyer's work in photography; John Frederick William Herschel goes on to talk about John Frederick William Herschel's ideas of 'chemical' rays of light.
5 December 1842 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/25/6/16Birth of Matilda Rose Herschel, daughter of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart
1844

Autograph letter signed by sender. Sends papers and new book on 'Chemical influence of Light' by John Henry Dallmeyer. Received John Frederick William Herschel's papers. Apologizes for failing to give John Frederick William Herschel discovery credit. Notes on light interference.
12 November 1844 Sender: John William Draper Reference number: HS/19/270Sir John Herschel serves as President of the British Association
1845

Contemporary copy in sender's hand, signed by sender. Critiques John Henry Dallmeyer's paper on plant chemistry, contrasting 'luminous, colorific, calorific, and chemical or photographic' rays. Physics of light. [Letter continues two months later.] John Frederick William Herschel is done with photography. Has no desire to claim priorities in that field. Entrusts future to John Henry Dallmeyer and others.
7 May 1845 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/19/117