The Herschel Archive:– William Herschel (Part 3 of 3)

 

6/1.1. Investigation of the cause of that indistinctness of vision which has been ascribed to the smallness of the optic pencil. (Papers, i, 304–8.)

6/1.2. Notes and calculations relevant to 6/1.1.

6/2. Investigation of the powers of the prismatic colours to heat and illuminate objects ... (Papers, ii, 53–69.)

6/3. Experiments on the refrangibility of the invisible rays of the Sun. (Papers, ii, 70–76.)

6/4.1. Experiments on the solar and on the terrestrial rays that occasion heat... [Part I]. (Papers, ii, 77–96.)

6/4.2. Second part of the paper on the solar and on the terrestrial rays that occasion heat. (Papers, ii, 98–145. Also ‘Appendix to the Paper on the power of penetrating into space by telescopes’.)

6/4.3. Calculations, belonging to the second part of a paper on the solar and on the terrestrial rays that occasion heat. (Also 2 letters: Patrick Wilson to WH, 5 Jan. 1801, and WH to Wilson, 9 Jan. 1801.)

6/5. Experiments for investigating the cause of the coloured concentric rings discovered by Sir I. Newton... (Papers, ii, 368–98. With a page of ‘Calculations belonging to the 1st part of the paper on the Newtonian rings’.)

6/6.1. Continuation of experiments for investigating the cause of coloured concentric Rings... (Papers, ii, 414–40.)

6/6.2. Calculations belonging to the 2nd part of the paper on the Newtonian coloured rings.

6/7.1. Supplement to the first and second part of the paper of experiments for investigating the cause of coloured concentric rings ... (Papers, ii, 441–58.)

6/7.2. Calculations belonging to the 3d part of the paper on the Newtonian coloured rings.

6/8. Philosophical Experiments. (1780, 1794, 1798, 1805. Also some loose papers.)

6/9. Hints. Desiderata. Experiments to be made.

6/10.1. Optical Experiments. (9 April 1792 – 9 Oct. 1809. Also 2 pages of a tract ‘On the modifications of the flection of the rays of light’.)

6/10.2. Calculations belonging to optical, telescopic, prismatic &c. experiments.

6/11. Experiments on Light and Heat.

 

11.1. No 1. 1–391. (17 Jan. 1799 – 26 June 1800.)

11.2. No 2. 392–816. (26 June 1800 – 24 Oct. 1800.)

11.3. No 3. 817–881. (28 Oct. 1800 – 26 May 1805.)

11.4. Index to the Experiments on Light and Heat.

6/12.1. Modifications of light. A first copy. (With other loose papers on ‘flections’.)

6/12.2. Modifications of light. A second copy differently arranged.

6/13. Loose papers under a cover marked ‘Theoretical views’. (Concerned with ‘flections’, i.e. deflection and inflection of light.)

6/14. Index to Observations on Fictions. (This is an index to experiments in 6/10.1 concerning ‘flections’, with part of another index to 6/10.1.)

6/15. Loose papers under a cover marked ‘Figures for Calculation’. (Concerned with ‘flections’.)

6/16. Loose papers under a cover marked ‘Method of Calculation’. (Concerned with ‘flections’.)

6/17. Mr Brewster’s paper with short remarks on it. (A copy by CH of ‘Observations on the Inflexion of Light. In a letter to the Right Honble. the Earl of Buchan’ by David Brewster. The ‘short remarks’ are not here.)

7/1. Regulation of clocks.

1.1. No 1. Observations by the Regulator on the Wall from Decr 7. 1774 To Apr1 12. 1778 at Walcot turn pike house.

1.2. No 2. Regulation of the Clock By the Wall Telescope and Account of The going of the two time pieces. (26 April 1778 4 Oct. 1812.)

1.3. No 3. Account of the going of the Clocks. From Nov 10. 1784 To July 21. 1785.

1.4. Observations relating to Time. (25 April 1778 – 18 April 1797.)

1.5. Calculations of Equal Altitudes. (25 April 1778 – 18 April 1797.)

7/2. Miscellaneous remarks on Books &c. On Mr Lislie’s [sic] two letters relating to light and heat &c.

7/3. Loose papers under a cover marked ‘Theorems & Memorandums’.

7/4. Loose papers under a cover marked (by CH?): ‘Mixture of Cal. and Mem. seeming to belong to some of the early papers of which there are no copies’.

7/5. Loose papers under a cover marked ‘Thermometer’. (They consist mostly of thermometer readings sent to WH by G. Gilpin, with others taken by CH.)

7/6. A page of notes by WH concerning Schroeter on Jupiter’s satellites and the nature of nebulae.

7/7. Photocopy of a torn page of notes by WH on experiments concerning the strength of glass. (Original in the possession of Mrs E. Shorland.)

7/8. Memorandums from which an historical account of my life may be drawn. (See Dreyer, pp. 553–54.)

7/9. A list of WH’s awards and elections to learned societies, by CH. (See Dreyer, p. 554.)

7/10. Warrant signed by George IV, 21 Sept. 1820, granting WH a pension of £400 per annum. (See Dreyer, p.554.)

7/11. A list of [WH’s] Manuscripts &c. &c. (Written by CH. See Dreyer, p. 554.)

7/12. Account of [WH’s] papers published in the Phil. Transactions. (Written for the most part by WH, but completed by CH.)

7/13. Loose pages of notes under a cover marked (by CH): ‘Your Father’s handwriting. NB. Collected from fragments which ought to have been destroyed, and must therefore be examined &c. &c.’

7/14. A miscellaneous collection of papers under a cover marked (by JH): ‘Loose Papers in my Fathers handwriting’. Included with other miscellaneous papers are: ‘Work for republishing the papers in the Phil. Transactions’ (which contains lists of published papers, including one by WH), ‘Remarks on Mr Michell’s telescope’, ‘Remarks upon Mayers De novis in Coelo Sidereo Phaenomenio’, ‘Schroeters Work’, ‘Remarks upon Ld. Mahons treatise’, ‘Critical [crossed out] remark on a passage of Dr Priestley’s History of Electricity’.

7/15. Copies of diaries kept by WH on various tours, 1791–1817.

7/16. Five wooden rungs, reputedly from the 40-ft telescope.

 

This section contains the following books:

N. Maskelyne, Astronomical observations made at the Royal Observatory... from... 1765 to... 1774, London, 1776.

N. Maskelyne, Astronomical observations made at the Royal Observatory... from... 1775 to... 1782 inclusive, London, 1783. (Copy presented to WH.)

C. L. Harding, Atlas novus coelestis, Göttingen, 1822. (Inscribed: ‘Presented to Sir James South on his visiting the Observatory at Göttingen Oct: 23. 1832. by C L Harding.’

S. Groombridge, Catalogue of circumpolar stars, London, ?1833.

F. G. W. Struve, Uber den Halleyschen Cometen im Jahre 1835, St Petersburg, 1839.

F. G. W. Struve, Description de l’Observatoire Astronomique Central de Poulkova, 2 vols, St Petersburg, 1845. (Copy presented to JH.)

T. Henderson, Astronomical observations made at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, ed. C. P. Smyth, vol. 3, Edinburgh, 1849. (Copy presented to Lady Margaret Brodie Herschel by Smyth.)

F. G. W. Struve, Stellarum fixarum imprimis duplicium et multiplicium positiones mediae pro epocha 1830,0..., St Petersburg, 1852. (Copy presented to JH).

 

There are also 8 original etchings by James Nasmyth, presented by him to JH.

 

Among other miscellaneous items there are a number of engravings, photographs and reproductions of portraits of the Herschels and MSS belonging to later members of the family. There is also a large collection of correspondence and papers concerning the publication of Papers. It was no doubt collected by J. A. Hardcastle, who was secretary of the committee responsible for publication. The other main correspondents are J. L. E. Dreyer, F. W. Dyson, A. R. Hinks, J. Larmor and R. A. Sampson.