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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.
Sends JH a positive copy and a transparency. Remarks on JH's use of muriate of lead and asks JH to explain chemistry of it.
Advises JH not to publish any new processes in photography as there are patent problems. Comments on the Daguerreotype, and on the difficulty of preserving images in some circumstances.
Sends some samples of photography made with a solar microscope, and comments briefly on the Daguerreotype.
Concerned about the Daguerreotype patent in England, and questions at some length a paper on the origin of freemasonry.
Waxes lyrical about nature, and comments on a new 'positive' paper JH has sent. Refers to JH's move to Hawkhurst.
Sends a few photographs and says he has read JH's recent memoir. Will comment later.
Concerned with developing photography for tourist use. Doubts that colors of the spectrum can be readily displayed on photographic paper. The'chemistry' of photography is not understood.
Announces his invention of the 'calotype', and his application for a patent. Questions JH on his address to R.A.S., objecting to idea that universe is infinite.
Preparing his calotype paper for publication. Looking for a summer house, somewhere interesting to photograph.
Reports receipt of a communication, which argues that all elements are merely isomers of one substance. Expresses support for such a view.
Some details of improvements in the calotype method.
Sends JH sample of chemicals and paper to make calotype himself.
Has read WT's paper before the R.S.L. and now complains they will not print it in the R.S.P.T. as they understand it has appeared elsewhere.
Reports on paper by Samuel Brown to the Royal Society of Edinburgh on the conversion of carbon to silicon, and other transmutations. Reports on discovery of new element, ozone, and complains further about R.S.L. Council.
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.
JH's account of a comet reminds WT of a strange sighting many years ago. Comments further on improvements in photography, both those made and those needed.
Describes observing of comet that evening.
Suggests 'amphitype' as name for JH's process whereby same picture can go from negative to positive. Further comments on comet sighting, and on some improvements to Daguerreotype.
Comments on JH's positive calotype. Suggests comet may be return of (J.-D.) Cassini's comet of 1668. Gives theorem for finding parabolic orbit of comet if two observations are made in the ecliptic.