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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.
Has been requested by the relatives of the late W. R. Hamilton to write a memoir. Would be glad if JH would send him any suitable letters of Hamilton in his possession.
Agrees with him about the impossibility of sending W. R. Hamilton's letters by post. Thinks the best plan would be to send them to his brother at the Athenaeum, who will bring them to Ireland.
Package of letters has arrived safely via the Globe Parcel Express Co., for which accept his best thanks. Would like a page or two of JH's recollections of W. R. Hamilton if possible. Has sent a pamphlet on William Wordsworth and the Lake Country.
Is preparing a new edition of his book Le ciel, which J. N. Lockyer is translating into English. Would like to reproduce new information on shooting stars and meteors and would like JH's assistance.
Is grateful for the testimonial and for the favorable way in which he is regarded.
Thanks for his kind note and his tracts on Atoms and Forces. Thinks J. S. Mill's Logic is dangerous. Hopes he will read his book thoroughly and not be too critical of his astronomy.
Is very pleased that JH has accepted his little volume. Is sure JH would have made a success of a similar work. Behavior of animals.
Sends photograph of a medal lately struck in Paris to commemorate the discovery of 100 asteroids, on which Hind appears.
His last note on the Julian period puzzled him. Has not taken many double star measurements, but will send on a few later. Has not finished the ecliptical charts yet. Regarding a planet more distant than Neptune.
Sinai expedition did not complete its work. Would like to send out Messrs. E. H. Palmer and C. F. T. Drake again. Can they continue to use JH's name as a trustee?
Sends a proof of JH's obituary of W. R. Dawes. The concluding part of the manuscript was mislaid; would he therefore re-write the missing portion. Hopes to attend Professor Alexander Herschel's lecture this evening.
Professor Joseph Winlock of Harvard agrees with all WH's observations of Nebula of Orion. The observations at Bishop's Observatory between 1844 and 1851 appear to be the work of W. R. Dawes. Comments on the reasons why the bright lines are so easily seen.
Has written to Lieut. John Herschel suggesting points on which solar observations might be valuable. Is pleased he has seen the bright lines. Saw some bright lines in the middle of the sun's disk.
Would like his advice on how to publicize Lieut. John Herschel's letter; shall he send it to G. G. Stokes? Comments on the method for viewing the forms of prominences.
Has sent Lieut. John Herschel's letter to G. G. Stokes. Gives reasons for the discrepancies in the report of his paper and the paper itself. Is wondering whether to set up his large telescope further from London.
Unable to make any observations at the moment as his observatory is being enlarged to receive his new large telescope. Thinks it would be a good idea to carry out observations on Mercury. Is not sorry to be able to rest his eyes from his trying spectrum experiments.
Is much obliged for the more correct determination of Mercury. As soon as he gets his new apparatus he will try to obtain observations of the planet.
Is pleased that his book, the Government of England, meets with JH's approval.
Asks JH to sign a certificate for Fellowship of the R.S.L. of [William Stanley] Jevons.
No such fast has been proclaimed. Sends two extracts from the Times.