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Correspondence Explorer

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Showing 107 letters from 1822–1854

33 letters from John Frederick William Herschel; 74 letters from William Henry Fox Talbot

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Death of Sir William Herschel FRS

25 August 1822

1823

John Frederick William Herschel receives the Bakerian Medal of the Royal Society.

1823: John Frederick William Herschel gives the Bakerian lecture “On certain Motions produced in Fluid Conductors when transmitting the Electric Current”.

1824

John Frederick William Herschel moves to 56 Devonshire St., Portland Place, London

1824

John Frederick William Herschel serves as Secretary of the Royal Society

30 November 1824

1825

John Frederick William Herschel invents the actinometer to measure the heating power of the Sun’s rays

1825

1826

John Frederick William Herschel publishes in the Philosophical Transactions

1826: John Frederick William Herschel publishes “On the parallax of the fixed stars”.

Autograph letter signed by sender. Questions and comments regarding improvements in microscopy.

28 January 1826? Sender: William Henry Fox Talbot Reference number: HS/17/323
1827

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce presents his photographs in England for the first time

1827

Autograph letter signed by sender. Renders an accounting of expenses for optical goods received from Germany.

8 August 1827 Sender: William Henry Fox Talbot Reference number: HS/17/266
1829

John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart are married in London

3 March 1829

1830

John Frederick William Herschel is elected Foreign correspondent of the Académie des sciences

1830

Birth of Caroline Emilia Mary Herschel, daughter of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

31 March 1830

John Frederick William Herschel is nominated for the presidency of the Royal Society, loses by 8 votes to the Duke of Sussex

30 November 1830

1831

Mary Somerville publishes Mechanism of the Heavens

1831

Sir John Herschel is created Knight of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order

1831

Sir John Herschel publishes Preliminary Discourse on the Study of Natural Philosophy as part of Dionysius Lardner’s Cabinet Cyclopaedia.

1831

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

5 June 1831

1833

Sir John Herschel receives the Royal Medal from the Royal Society

1833: The Medal is awarded "For his paper on nebulae and clusters of stars, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1833."

Sir John Herschel publishes A treatise on astronomy as part of Dionysius Lardner’s Cabinet Cyclopaedia.

1833

Birth of William James Herschel, son of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

1833

Sir John Herschel departs for South Africa with his wife and their three children

13 November 1833

1834

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

1834

1835

Sir John Herschel serves as President of the Literary and Philosophical Society of the Cape of Good Hope

1835

Halley’s comet becomes visible

28 November 1835

1836

Birth of Alexander Stewart Herschel, son of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

5 February 1836

1837

Victoria becomes Queen of the United Kingdom

20 June 1837

Birth of John Herschel, son of John Frederick William Herschel and Margaret Brodie Stewart

29 October 1837

1838

Sir John Herschel returns from South Africa

1838: A banquet in presence of Queen Victoria is given to celebrate his return to Britain and made a Baronet.

Autograph letter signed by sender. Writing to welcome John Frederick William Herschel home from the Cape.

23 May 1838 Sender: William Henry Fox Talbot Reference number: HS/17/274

Autograph letter signed by sender. Thanks for more Cape bulbs.

8 July 1838 Sender: William Henry Fox Talbot Reference number: HS/17/276
1839

Sir John Herschel serves his first term as President of the Royal Astronomical Society

1839: to 1841

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

1839

William Henry Fox Talbot presents his paper-based photographic process at the Royal Society

1839

Autograph letter signed by sender. Further chemicals used for fixing, including bromide potash.

15 March 1839 Sender: William Henry Fox Talbot Reference number: HS/17/288

Autograph letter signed by sender. Sends a sample picture fixed by use of iodine [potash].

10 April 1839 Sender: William Henry Fox Talbot Reference number: HS/17/292

Copy letter in John Herschel's hand. Recounts experiments with chemicals, spectra, and photographic paper.

7 July 1839 Sender: John Frederick William Herschel Reference number: HS/25/5/14
1840
1841

Sir Robert Peel becomes Prime Minister

1841

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

1841

Autograph letter signed by sender. Some details of improvements in the calotype method.

19 May 1841 Sender: William Henry Fox Talbot Reference number: HS/17/307
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

1843

Autograph letter signed by sender. Describes observing of comet that evening.

24 March 1843 Sender: William Henry Fox Talbot Reference number: HS/17/314
1844

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

1844

Autograph letter signed by sender. Some comments and questions on mathematics.

8 September 1844 Sender: William Henry Fox Talbot Reference number: HS/17/317

Autograph letter signed by sender. Comments and questions about a 'cone of the second order' in mathematics.

16 September 1844 Sender: William Henry Fox Talbot Reference number: HS/17/318
1845

Sir John Herschel serves as President of the British Association

1845

1846

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

1846

Sir John Herschel serves his second term as Foreign Secretary of the Royal Astronomical Society

1846: To 1847

1847

Sir John Herschel serves his second term as President of the Royal Astronomical Society

1847: Until 1849

Sir John Herschel receives the Copley Medal

1847: Sir John Herschel receives the Copley Medal of the Royal Society "For his work entitled Results of Astronomical Observations made during the years 1834, 1835, 1836, 1837 and 1838, at the Cape of Good Hope; being a completion of a telescopic survey of the whole surface of the visible heavens, commenced in 1825"

Sir John Herschel publishes a paper

1847: Sir John Herschel publishes Results of astronomical observations made during the years 1834, 5, 6, 7, 8, at the Cape of Good Hope; being a completion of a telescopic survey of the whole surface of the visible heavens, commenced in 1825.

1848

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood is formed, by John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rosetti and others

1848

Napoleon III is elected first President of France

20 December 1848

1849

Sir John Herschel publishes Outlines of Astronomy.

1849

1850

Sir John Herschel is appointed Master of the Mint

1850

1851

Sir John Herschel serves as juror of the Great Exhibition

1851

1853
1854