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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Correspondence Explorer

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Showing 6 letters from 1840–1845

3 letters from John Frederick William Herschel; 3 letters from John William Draper

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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.

Reference number: HS/6/501
1841

Sir Robert Peel becomes Prime Minister

1841

Birth of Amelia Herschel, daughter of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

1841

1842

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.

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.

Reference number: HS/25/6/16
1844

Birth 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.

Reference number: HS/19/270
1845

Sir 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.

Reference number: HS/19/117

Copy of a letter. Comments on writings of John Henry Dallmeyer on the chemistry of plants [letter completed 1845-5-7].

Reference number: HS/22/226