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.
Something is going badly. Comments on volcanic action observed, and on having met some English acquaintances of JH. [Many parts of this letter illegible.]
A notice of meeting of the R.S.L. committee to improve glass.
Sends JH a sketch of an experiment already made.
Acknowledging the letter of 25 Nov. informing GM that he has been elected to the R.S.L. Will attend at the earliest opportunity to be admitted.
Apologizes for the long delay in writing of JH's election into the Danish Royal Academy of Sciences. HO is carrying on experiments with chlorine gas and metals.
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.]
Is helping another scientist bring to publication a work on triangulation in the Alps. Comments on JH's idea of suspending an extremely long plumb bob at a particular precipice in the Alps [Foucault pendulum?]. GP does not believe the results would warrant the expense. Comments on the floating collimator [see JH's 1825-1-14], noting that he does not find it very helpful.
Is preparing a paper on planetary perturbations, which GP would like to send to the Astronomical Society for publication. Comments on JH's ideas on the subject of perturbations. Would the paper being in French be a problem? Comments on Henry Kater's method for finding the zero point in his meridian circle.
Pleased that Astronomical Society will publish GP's memoir (in French) [see GP's 1825-5-27]. Adds some comments for clarification on points in paper and makes arrangements for copies of the paper.
Inquires about the arrival of the memoir sent by GP to JH [see GP's 1825-7-28].
Is very concerned because JH's recent letter did not comment on the arrival of GP's memoir [see GP's 1825-10-24]. Comments on printing and arrangements for copies.
Is pleased that GP's memoir has finally arrived in London [see GP's 1825-11-19]. Indicates arrangements for paying for copies. Comments on GP's astronomical observations of the last several years, and on his method of making reductions.
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.
Thanks JH for introducing WR's paper on photometer to R.S.L. council. Sends drawing of instrument and alterations to WR's paper that resulted from improvements in instrument.
Not upset that JH withdrew WR's paper on photometer from R.S.L. Sent similar paper to David Brewster's [Edinburgh Journal of Science] with note on JH's method for finding relative heating power of solar rays. Wants to dedicate WR's book on light and heat to JH.
Announces 2 June meeting of 'Commissioners for more effectually discovering the Longitude at Sea.' Inquired about 'excise,' but sees no reason to wait for Navy Board to act.
Discusses JH's rent at Devonshire Place.