Paris, le 5 août 1855
Mon cher Tyndall,
J’ai bien reçu votre lettre accompagnant celle du Colonel Sabine, et je me suis empressé d’en communiquer les conclusions à Sir David Brewster et aux autres membres du Jury. L’opinion unanime, d’accord avec la vôtre, a été de proposer au groupe d’adresser des remerciements tout spéciaux au Comité directeur de l’Observatoire de Kew, mais de ne pas proposer de médaille pour cet établissement.
Je suis aussi passé chez le portier de l’hôtel Manchester: il n’y avait pas de lettres pour vous.
Nos travaux de jurés touchent à leur fin. L’horlogerie est terminée, les balances aussi: les instruments d’optique astronomique sont en majeure partie examinés, ainsi que les microscopes. C’est Mercredi prochain que s’assemble le groupe qui doit prendre connaissance de nos propositions. Nous regrettons très vivement l’absence d’un grand nombre de jurés de la Classe VIII. Sir David nous a quittés définitivement, l’alderman Carter n’est pas revenu, ni le Docteur Steinheil, et le prof Dove n’est pas arrivé. Est-ce que vous ne viendrez pas combler cette lacune ? Wertheim ne paraît plus : des occupations l’absorbent, en sorte que toute la besogne se partage entre MM Mathieu, Seguier, Froment, Brunner, Barbezat et moi. Quatre Français, deux Suisses, c’est trop peu.
Vous avez sans doute achevé vos examens, et j’espère que tout s’est passé à votre satisfaction. Avant de reprendre vos instruments chéris, venez donc faire quelques tours de Champs Elysées.
Mes compliments affectueux à MM Faraday, Sabine, Grove et Gassiot, et pour vous, cher Docteur, l’assurance de mon affectueux dévouement.
E. Wartmann
P.S.: Excusez le retard de ma réponse. J’étais tellement occupé que je n’ai pas pu y songer plus tôt.
Paris, 5th August 1855.
My dear Tyndall,
I have received your letter1 sent together with one from Colonel Sabine, and hastened to communicate the conclusions to Sir David Brewster and other members of the Jury.2 The unanimous view, which accords with yours, was to suggest that the group would communicate some special acknowledgments of the committee to the director of the observatory at Kew,3 but not to award any medals to that establishment.
I have also dropped by the doorman at the Hotel Manchester: there was no letter for you.
Our work as a jury is coming to an end. The clockwork has been completed, and so have the scales as well: the astronomical optical instruments have been examined for the most part, as well as the microscopes. The group that must be informed of our proposals will gather next Wednesday. We thoroughly deplore the absence of a large number of jury members from Class VIII. Sir David has left us once and for all, Alderman Carter4 did not return, nor did Doctor Steinheil, and Prof. Dove has not arrived. Would you not consider joining in to fill this gap? Wertheim no longer comes out [to the Exposition]: he is absorbed in some activities, as a result the entire chore is shared between Messrs Mathieu, Seguier, Froment, Brunner, Barbezat5 and me. Four Frenchmen and two Swiss are insufficient!
You have probably finished your examinations6 and I hope everything went to your satisfaction. Before picking up your beloved instruments again, come explore the [Exposition Universelle on the] Champs Elysées.7
My affectionate compliments to Messrs Faraday, Sabine, Grove and Gassiot, and for you, dear Doctor, be assured of my affectionate regards.
E. Wartmann
P.S: Excuse my delay in replying. I was so busy that I could not think about it earlier.
RI MS JT/1/W/6
your letter: letter missing.
the Jury: The jury for Class VIII (‘Arts Relating to the Exact Sciences, and to Instruction’) at the Exposition Universelle, Paris. Its members comprised Jean-Baptiste Philibert Vaillant (1790–1872), David Brewster, Claude-Louis Mathieu (1783–1875, French politician, astronomer, member of the Académie des Sciences and advocate of the metric system), Armand Séguier (1803–76, member of the Académie des Sciences, Paris), Paul-Gustave Froment (1815–65, French instrument maker), Jean Brunner (1804–62, Swiss instrument maker working in Paris), Theodor Wertheim (see letter 1109, n. 2), John Carter (1804–78, chronometer maker and civic leader), Heinrich Wilhelm Dove, Elie Wartmann, Edouard Barbezat (dates unknown, clockmaker of Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland), Cart August von Steinheil and John Tyndall.
the director of the observatory at Kew: John Welsh; see letter 1038, n. 1.
Alderman Carter: see n. 2, above.
Wertheim … Mathieu, Seguier, Froment, Brunner, Barbezat: see n. 2, above.
your examinations: Tyndall’s role as examiner for entrants to the Royal Artillery and Engineers; see letter 1098, n. 2.
Champs Elysées: An impressive tree-lined boulevard in Paris linking the Place de la Concord and the Arc de Triomphe.
Please cite as “Tyndall1124,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on