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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.
A proposal to complete the calculating machine has been made by Charles Babbage, and AH wants JH's opinion of it.
Acknowledges JH's payment for stationery for Breslau magnetic observatory.
Sends JH samples of his calotypes. Off to Germany on a photographic expedition.
Carl Steinheil has proposed making telescope mirrors by plating silver on glass. Is writing to JH to tell him that somewhat earlier he had included this process in one of his patents.
Encloses JB's letter [21 Dec. 1841] to Chancellor of Exchequer [H. Goulburn] advocating adoption of metric system. Hopes [members of Standards Commission] will not consider JB obstinate. Admits that JH's opposition to system has advantage of authority and conservatism.
Papers arrived safely. Will report GD's opinion on these soon.
Sees too many difficulties in optics of JH's proposed telescope. Can build mechanical portion, but not by March as JH requires. Cannot give estimate, because design is too novel.
Will begin building components that JH identified as most immediately needed. Confirm scale of JH's drawings. Will send samples of prism glass for JH to inspect. Cannot yet estimate cost.
Does JH plan to publish 'Treatise on Light' in separate form?
Asks whether JH will be prepared to give the committee report on systems of simultaneous magnetical and meteorological observations at the B.A.A.S. meeting on 23 June.
Asks whether JH will be prepared to present the committee report on N. L. Lacaille's stars at the B.A.A.S. meeting on 23 June.
JH, William Whewell, George Peacock, Humphrey Lloyd, and Edward Sabine are appointed by the B.A.A.S. to study systems of simultaneous magnetical and meteorological observations. They will be granted £89.
Hopes royal observatory at Cape of Good Hope will relieve Ordnance department. U.S. government agreed to pay for publication of observations there. A. D. Bache favors continuance of hourly meteorological observations in U.S. for one year. G. A. Erman will attend meeting at Cambridge. German translations by ES's wife.
Urged by G. B. Airy, ES withdraws earlier letter to JH and encloses letter with ES's opinions regarding continuance of [magnetic and meteorological] observations.
Asks JH to inspect first magnetic and meteorological observations from [Tasmania] and Toronto. Hopes North American observations will be increased.
Encloses bill from W. H. Allen & Co. regarding Breslau observatory. [JH annotation: Details of bill.]
Encloses newspaper clipping that reports JH is member of commission of inquiry on weights and measures. Protests that the poor are defrauded more by false scales than by nonstandard weights. Proposes remedy.
GP's views on continuation of magnetic observatories in colonies.
About some unfortunate private business, and difficulty with [Francesco] De Vico's star catalogue.
Thanks JH for a copy of a paper on prismatic study of the sun's rays, and for accompanying photographs.