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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.
Sending by the bearer mirror No. 3 of which he spoke. Will exchange it for Troughton's if TH can make use of JH's. Do not attempt to clean Edward Troughton's mirror with acid. Hopes he does not feel obliged to carry out any particular series of observations.
Knows nothing of the enmity of Humphry Davy towards [John] Herapath. The purpose of JH's last letter was to point out that Herapath was in error in his solution of certain equations. Must consider correspondence closed.
Has too long delayed thanking him for his works. Sends some memoirs of Edward Sabine, etc. Comments on work that needs doing.
Concludes original letter lost. Impossible to do any further work for the Encyclopaedia Metropolitana. Hopes FL will write the article.
Outlining his Italian travels after leaving Naples. Had to return home as business pressed.
Mostly involves arrangements about exchanges of papers and printing some of GP's in the Astronomical Society Memoirs.
Apologizes for delay in writing. Describes JH's travels across Europe back to England. Is sending GP copies of JH's papers in physics, mathematics, and astronomy, especially double stars. Describes a new instrument, a floating collimator, described by Henry Kater at the R.S.L. [Rough notes for a later letter on the back of part of this one.]
JH's mother will pay Mr. Beckwith to cover debt of MB's brother Thomas, who now owes Lady Herschel £1035. Comments on Thomas Baldwin's proposal for business partnership with JH and request for loan from JH.
Gratitude to Gioenian Academy of Natural Sciences of Catania [Sicily] for electing JH a corresponding member. [P.S. 1 Oct. 1825:] Reports elevations on Mount Etna measured by JH with mountain barometer in July 1824, with confirmation by Niccolo Cacciatore. [JH's annotations explain sources of errors in elevations.]
Assures SW that slanderous reports regarding SW's nephew James White have not reached JH or Lady Herschel.
Referring to the R.S.L. Royal Medals commissioned on 15 Dec. 1825 by King George IV, JH confirms that Sir Thomas Lawrence has agreed to design the medals.
Writes to thank the Philosophical Society of Philadelphia for the gift of the catalogue of its library.
Rearranges a meeting of [the R. S. L.'s Glass Committee] to take place at the Pellat and Green's Glass House in Holland St.
Introduces [C. T.] Largeteau from France, who wishes to receive from JP the observations made at Greenwich as part of the determination of the difference in longitude between the Greenwich and Paris observatories. Recounts some difficulties encountered in making the measurements.
Presented WR's paper on a new photometer to R.S.L. Discusses how objections may be avoided. Believes [John] Leslie's photometer should be thrown aside.
Will present alterations of WR's paper to R.S.L. [see JH's 1825-1-27]. Asks if he may describe the similarities between WR's photometer and an instrument JH used in Italy and Sicily.
Comments on ES's measurement [in his Account of Experiments to Determine the Figure of the Earth] indicating 'the increase of the fraction expressing the earth's compression.' Predicts that ES's result will cause a 'sensation,' but does not commit himself to it.
Responds to ES's proposal to conduct a series of meteorological observations from the peak of Teneriffe. Promises to bring it before the Board of Longitude for consideration for support.
Responds to ES's letter of 1825-4-4, stating that JH now understands that ES will proceed with the Teneriffe observations only if funds are provided. Praises Sabine's previous work.
On 1825-4-7 presented ES's proposal for experiments at Teneriffe to the Board of Longitude, which judged the experiments not sufficiently relevant to the Board's concerns. Offers to seek endorsement from the R.S.L.