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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Paper, 'On the crimson line of phosphorescent alumina' by William Crookes

Reference number: PP/10/6

Date: 1886

Description

Crookes writes: 'In a paper which I had the honour of communicating to the Royal Society in March, 1879, I described the phosphorescence of alumina and its various forms when under the influence of the electrical discharge in vacuo, in the following words:—"Next to the diamond, alumina in the form of ruby is perhaps the most strikingly phosphorescent stone I have examined.'

Annotations in pencil and ink throughout. Includes two diagrams of spectra.

Subject: Chemistry / Spectroscopy

Received 30 December 1886. Read 13 January 1887.

A version of this paper was published in volume 42 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On the crimson line of phosphorescent alumina'.

Reference number
PP/10/6
Earliest possible date
1886
Physical description
Ink and graphite pencil on paper
Page extent
5 pages
Format
Printed
Diagram

Creator name

William Crookes

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Citation

William Crookes, Paper, 'On the crimson line of phosphorescent alumina' by William Crookes, 1886, PP/10/6, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/pp_10_6/paper-on-the-crimson-line-of-phosphorescent-alumina-by-william-crookes, accessed on 14 June 2026

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  • Proceedings Papers

    The archival collection known as 'Proceedings Papers' is comprised of manuscripts and occasional proofs of scientific papers sent to the Royal Society which were read before meetings of Fellows and printed in full in the Proceedings of the Royal Society.

    Dates: 1882 - 1894

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