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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Unpublished paper, 'The applicability of gelatine paper as a medium for colouring light' by Horace B [Benge] Dobell

Reference number: AP/36/11

Date: August 1854

Description

Dobell shares three key objectives in his paper: to point out the properties of a material called gelatine paper which render it applicable as a medium for colouring light; through the means of gelatine paper, to introduce the use of coloured light in the arts for the preservation of the sight of artisans; and to introduce the use of gelatine paper for the relief of persons suffering from impaired vision.

Annotations in pencil and ink throughout.

Subject: Optics

Received 9 November 1854. Communicated by James Paget.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 7 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On the applicability of gelatine paper as a medium for colouring light'.

Reference number
AP/36/11
Earliest possible date
August 1854
Physical description
Ink and graphite pencil on paper
Page extent
6 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

Horace Benge Dobell

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Citation

Horace Benge Dobell, Unpublished paper, 'The applicability of gelatine paper as a medium for colouring light' by Horace B [Benge] Dobell, August 1854, AP/36/11, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_36_11/unpublished-paper-the-applicability-of-gelatine-paper-as-a-medium-for-colouring-light-by-horace-b-benge-dobell, accessed on 18 July 2026

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_36_11/unpublished-paper-the-applicability-of-gelatine-paper-as-a-medium-for-colouring-light-by-horace-b-benge-dobell

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  • Archived Papers

    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

    Dates: 1768 - 1989

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