James Timmins Chance to Faraday   April 1862¹

Handsworth Birmingham

My dear Mr. Faraday,

The ruby chimneys are of solid-coloured glass:- for this reason gold is used; because copper (I am told) would, except for a thin film of glass, not be sufficiently translucent. It appears, also, that the flint glass makers have not yet acquired the power of “flashing”, (i.e coating with a thin layer of glass), their articles of glass like what is done with panes of glass:- at all events, they cannot diffuse the coating of coloured material sufficiently evenly over the white glass.

A globe ABC would have to be very large, in order to intercept the rays of light which pass towards the higher portion of the upper reflectors, as well as to colour those which fall upon the lowest reflectors.

Even if such a globe could be carried into effect, it would clearly be very expensive; & it wd cause an additional loss of light by reflection & absorbtion [sic].

Yours very truly | J.T. Chance