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.
Found his letter acknowledging the gift of his book awaiting him on his return from the continent. Reasons why he wrote the book. Has had letter from William Whewell. Hears that JH's health has not been good.
Returns Mary Somerville's note and the papers. Does not feel competent to give his opinion on the papers as a whole as there are parts outside his field of study. Comments on some of the points raised, and on the whole he disagrees with the conclusions of the papers.
Has kept Mary Somerville's papers a little longer. If these papers are to be published they would require considerable revision.
Pleased to hear that JH was engaged on his old pursuits. Is grateful for pointing out his mistake. Regarding meteorological registration by means of photography.
Acknowledges receipt of a paper by [William] Pole, which JH will review.
Needs more time for reviewing Pole's paper [see JH's 1856-10-12].
Is sending in JH's report on Pole's paper [see JH's 1856-11-9].
Thanks the council of the R.S.L. through GS for the gift of a portrait of Nicholas Copernicus.
Thinks it may be a good idea to utilize aluminium to coat the speculum of reflecting telescopes. Is shortly to take command of iron works and furnaces and hopes to carry out experiments to produce barytic glass.
Has received news of a cargo of cryolite from Greenland. Outlines the various possibilities of using it for the manufacture of chemicals and glass. Sends his method of manufacturing aluminium.
Would be inclined to try a combination of cryolite and silex to obtain a glass. Comments on his process for decomposing alumina by cyanide of sodium. Sorry to see that FK uses the current forms of chemical notation.
Is able to sit up in a wheel chair only a few hours a day; JH's illness has left him out of the sphere of scientific activity so he is unable to make any useful suggestions about medals.
Wants to make a new musical instrument on the principle of resonance; JH also suggests some improvements in the construction of the organ.
Not aware of any experiments to ascertain the amount of personal error in the estimate of time of a star transit. JH then comments on monetary matters including the value and gold equivalence of sovereigns issued by the Mint.
Is sending a letter of support for a neighbor for the position of commander of constabulary about to be established in Kent.
Thinks that aluminum coating on telescope mirrors may work [see FK's 1856-10-9]; also suggests looking into flouric glass containing aluminum for lenses of low dispersion power.
Will give him great pleasure to call at Collingwood in the near future. Grieved to hear of JH's illness. Begs acceptance of a set of papers of Dr. William Griffith.
Will always remember the happy day he spent at Collingwood. Spent the evening with Mr. Grant. Has ordered a sea picture for JH. Has obtained the remainder of the Griffith papers.
Sends another pamphlet on the gold question. On the last page he will find JM has adopted JH's suggestion, though he does not give the source. Thinks that these suggestions should prove useful to France.
Sends some photographs with comments. Pleased to hear JH is in much better health. Received a circular from U. J. J. Leverrier requesting meteorological information. Sends meteorological observations made at the Observatory during the last fourteen years.