Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Interesting Inscription in Old Faraday Book

WGTR - 29-9-2014 at 15:32

I can figure who S. Faraday was, but who was W. Philips?


image.jpg - 829kB

p.s. I'm waiting for my study group to show up, so I'm just browsing in the library.

[Edited on 9-29-2014 by WGTR]

Brain&Force - 29-9-2014 at 15:35

The publisher, it seems.

https://www.library.yorku.ca/find/Record/799982

Morgan - 30-9-2014 at 05:34

Tidbit on the life of Faraday I read yesterday.
http://www.magnet.fsu.edu/education/tutorials/pioneers/farad...

WGTR - 30-9-2014 at 05:43

Thanks, I hadn't come across that before. I don't think he was the publisher for this book; however, a W. Phillips did publish some of Faraday's earlier work.

On page 2 of the following document, Richard Phillips is mentioned as a good friend of Faraday's. He also had a younger brother William, who was the publisher of Faraday's book Chemical Manipulation. William, however, died fairly early in 1828.

http://www.scs.illinois.edu/~mainzv/HIST/bulletin_open_acces...

I suppose the W. Phillips mentioned in the inscription is probably a descendant.

[Edited on 9-30-2014 by WGTR]

Artemus Gordon - 30-9-2014 at 12:49

Quote: Originally posted by WGTR  
I can figure who S. Faraday was, but who was W. Philips?




p.s. I'm waiting for my study group to show up, so I'm just browsing in the library.

[Edited on 9-29-2014 by WGTR]


Who is S. Faraday? His wife Sarah died in 1879, and they had no children. So, a nephew?

WGTR - 30-9-2014 at 13:04

I figured the date was 1871, and that the signature was from his wife. However, the date could also be 1891. The number doesn't look exactly like a "7" or a "9", so it's hard to be sure.

Although the signature looks like "S" Faraday, I'm not familiar enough with cursive from that time period to say for sure. Someone else I know thought it was a "T" instead of an "S".

[Edited on 9-30-2014 by WGTR]

IrC - 30-9-2014 at 13:51

Growing up when cursive was the norm (actually suffered through a year of learning cursive in school), I can say beyond doubt it is 1891. The First initial looks like a U in capital cursive. I still read letters from various people I know who are up in their years and it is not easy unless you practice at it. Every person has their own variances meaning until you read a few letters from someone new it is hard in places to decipher. Until you learn their style.

Marvin - 1-10-2014 at 08:55

From a distance it looks like a 7 to me, close up it looks like a 9 but the loop is very small compared to the 8. Could be a 7 with a flourish, I've seen loops before but further away from the diagonal. 1871 would be the year after publication, which would fit better than 21 years after publication. His wife was probably given several copies. That said "As a remembrance of his trip to London" makes no sense to me and I read the name as "Mr Philips" and it has 1 L, W. Phillips has 2 in Chemical manipulation.

Artemus Gordon - 1-10-2014 at 10:08

Quote: Originally posted by Marvin  
From a distance it looks like a 7 to me, close up it looks like a 9 but the loop is very small compared to the 8. Could be a 7 with a flourish, I've seen loops before but further away from the diagonal. 1871 would be the year after publication, which would fit better than 21 years after publication. His wife was probably given several copies. That said "As a remembrance of his trip to London" makes no sense to me and I read the name as "Mr Philips" and it has 1 L, W. Phillips has 2 in Chemical manipulation.


It really looks like 1891 to me. 21 years after publication I don't think would be a problem. Sarah probably was indeed given several copies which could have been passed on to family members.


Maybe the "S" could actually be a "G"?

*edit*
Well, I've looked at siblings and nieces and nephews, and none of them who were possibly alive in 1891 seem to have initials that work, so maybe 1871 and Sarah are the best answers.

[Edited on 1-10-2014 by Artemus Gordon]

chemrox - 1-10-2014 at 12:35

@IrC love your sig!