Skip to content

Please be aware that some material may contain words, descriptions or illustrations which will not reflect current scientific understanding and may be considered in today's context inaccurate, unethical, offensive or distressing.

Paper, 'On the laws which regulate the polarisation of light by reflexion from transparent bodies' by David Brewster in a letter to the Right Hon Sir Joseph Banks

Reference number: PT/9/9

Date: 11 February 1815

Description

46 manuscript pages and one plate showing diagrams of reflected light rays.

Subject: Optics / Physics

Published in Philosophical Transactions as 'On the laws which regulate the polarisation of light by reflexion from transparent bodies. By David Brewster, LL. D. F. R. S. Edin. and F. S. A. Edin. In a letter addressed to Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K. B. P. R. S'.

Written by Brewster in Edinburgh. Read 16 March 1815.

Abstract published in Abstracts of the Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London [later Proceedings of the Royal Society of London], Volume 2, 1833.

Reference number
PT/9/9
Earliest possible date
11 February 1815
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
47 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

David Brewster

View page for David Brewster

Use this record

Citation

David Brewster, Paper, 'On the laws which regulate the polarisation of light by reflexion from transparent bodies' by David Brewster in a letter to the Right Hon Sir Joseph Banks, 11 February 1815, PT/9/9, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/pt_9_9/paper-on-the-laws-which-regulate-the-polarisation-of-light-by-reflexion-from-transparent-bodies-by-david-brewster-in-a-letter-to-the-right-hon-sir-joseph-banks, accessed on 05 March 2026

Link to this record

Embed this record

<iframe src="https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/embed/items/pt_9_9/paper-on-the-laws-which-regulate-the-polarisation-of-light-by-reflexion-from-transparent-bodies-by-david-brewster-in-a-letter-to-the-right-hon-sir-joseph-banks" title="Paper, 'On the laws which regulate the polarisation of light by reflexion from transparent bodies' by David Brewster in a letter to the Right Hon Sir Joseph Banks" allow="fullscreen" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="500px"></iframe>

Hierarchy

This item is part of:

Related Fellows

Explore the collection

  • Philosophical Transactions

    The 'Philosophical Transactions' collection comprises manuscript versions of papers published in The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, the world’s first and longest continuously running journal dedicated to science.

    Dates: 1802 - 1865

    View collection