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The Sir John Herschel Collection
The preparation of the print Calendar of the Correspondence of Sir John Herschel (Michael J. Crowe ed., David R. Dyck and James J. Kevin assoc. eds, Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1998, viii + 828 pp) which was funded by the National Science Foundation, took ten years. It was accomplished by a team of seventeen professors, visiting scholars, graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and staff working at the University of Notre Dame.
The first online version of Calendar was created in 2009 by Dr Marvin Bolt and Steven Lucy, working at the Webster Institute of the Adler Planetarium, and it is that data that has now been reformatted for incorporation into Ɛpsilon.
Further information about Herschel, his correspondence, and the editorial method is available online here: http://historydb.adlerplanetarium.org/herschel/?p=intro
No texts of Herschel’s letters are currently available through Ɛpsilon.
Thanks for his long letter regarding education at the Cape. The five teachers have now arrived at the Cape. Comments on education at the Cape. Further regarding the Andries Stockenström affair.
Magnetic observations have been made regularly for a year and a half at the college at Cambridge by W. C. Bond. After JH's letter another set of instruments has been obtained to make another series of observations. Money from Hugh Smithson has been loaned to Arkansas. Comments on red auroral light seen. With the more frequent steamship service now hopes for quicker communications from JH.
Invites JH to visit HP to see the machine drawings being made [see HP's 1839-8-17].
More on machine-made curves [see HP's 1840-1-28].
Sends JH a pamphlet about meteorological observations in India.
Writes about HP's observations relating to the 'Law of Storms.'
Very pleased to hear that GP received the gold medal of the R.A.S. Sends instructions for receiving. Packet from JH with a portrait of JH has not arrived; could JH send another?
Gives new instructions about receiving medal; asks about the timing of the award.
Concerned about the Daguerreotype patent in England, and questions at some length a paper on the origin of freemasonry.
Waxes lyrical about nature, and comments on a new 'positive' paper JH has sent. Refers to JH's move to Hawkhurst.
Sends a few photographs and says he has read JH's recent memoir. Will comment later.
Asks JH for comments on GA's proposals for the Standards Commission [see JH's 1840-7-29]; GA comments on some time spent recently in Glasgow and surrounding regions.
Concerned with developing photography for tourist use. Doubts that colors of the spectrum can be readily displayed on photographic paper. The'chemistry' of photography is not understood.
Considers paper by [Baden] Powell to be worthless. Sent it to JH today care of Mrs. Stewart.
Loading scientific instruments aboard ship [Anshimy?] tomorrow prevents JB from visiting JH before departure. Missed annual R.A.S. meeting. Book of 'Observations' is nearly finished. Told [J. C.] Melvill that instruments in India were not adequate for observations of astronomical refractions.
Physical Committee yesterday amended report by J. D. Forbes and recommended that R.S.L. establish a magnetical and meteorological observatory in vicinity of London.
Activities of Mr. Jones and [J. C.] Adamson in Edinburgh. Finished reducing all stars in N. L. Lacaille's Coelum australe stelliferum, but Catalog will not be finished before B.A.A.S. meeting. Will send it in portions to Francis Baily.
Progress in construction of observatory. Completion expected in May. Poor weather hampers actinometer observations.
Asks JH's advice in establishing new astronomical, meteorological, and magnetic observatory at Harvard University. Describes instruments already owned and those ordered from Europe.
Asks JH to loan map to JP.