[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from George Minchin].
Minchin, George Minchin, 1845-1914
Röntgen, Wilhelm Conrad, 1845-1923.
X-rays.
Phosphorescence.
RDS Library & Archives
Copyright RDS Library & Archives. Publication, transmission or display is prohibited without formal written approval of the RDS Library & Archives.
Text
Kelvin, William Thomson, 1824-1907.
Thompson, Silvanus Phillips, 1851-1916.
Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland)
[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from George Minchin],
Salmon, George, 1819-1904.
Lodge, Oliver, 1851-1940.
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937.
Hertz, Heinrich, 1857-1894.
Maxwell, James Clerk, 1831-1879.
Foster, G. C.1835-1919.1835-1919.
Dublin University Press.
University of London.
Stoney, G. Johnstone 1826-1911.
Euclid.
Royal Dublin Society.
Ether (Matter)
Physical Society (Great Britain)
Photoelectricity.
Fluorescence.
[Letter to Unknown from George Minchin],
[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from Thomas Preston],
Preston, Thomas, 1860-1900
Fitzgerald, George Francis, 1851-1901. Correspondence
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 22 November 1899. Preston writes from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He writes that he is recovering from illness and was not allowed to receive Fitzgerald’s recent visit. He is eager to meet Fitzgerald and hear the latest news. He congratulates him for receiving a medal and hopes his recent operation will give him “a new lease of life.” He writes that he plans to resume scientific work when his health has improved. 3pp.
RDS Library & Archives GFF collection of letters
22 November 1899
Preston, Thomas, 1860-1900 Fitzgerald, George Francis, 1851-1901. Correspondent RDS Library & Archives
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin, and dated 20 April 1896. He wrote that he had enclosed a note written on 18 March when he was in Skibbereen. The note contains information about scientific experiments in “the quarter period of phase acceleration crux,” which appears when calculating a wave at an external point using the Huygens–Fresnel method. The ideas may be relevant for researching matters of “wave motion.” At first, he thought that the information was insignificant, but he now thinks it may be useful for future publication and would like to hear Preston’s opinion about the subject. 4pp.
20 April 1896
Spectrum analysis.
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written from Skibbereen, County Cork and dated 18 March 1896. He writes about hypothetical scientific experiments, spectrum analysis, ether, and calculations. He describes experimental scenarios involving the generation of waves of vibrations in spheres, the use of ether, and calculations. The letter includes revisions written in red ink. 4pp.
18 March 1896
[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from Thomas Preston].
Rayleigh, John William Strutt, 1842-1919.
Fitzgerald, George Francis, 1851-1901
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald about scientific theorems. The letter’s masthead is from the Portarlington Arms Hotel of Corcoran’s, Roscrea. Preston thanks Fitzgerald for his letter about Dr G. Johnstone Stoney’s theorem. He wrote to Stoney and Lord Rayleigh [John William Strutt Rayleigh] about his extension of Fourier’s Theorem and they encouraged him to publish it. Stoney seemed “alarmed” that he would steal his ideas. Preston’s “new” mathematical extension of Fourier’s Theorem was not contemplated by Stoney, who did not realise that his theorem was really Fourier’s. Preston wants to publish his work without intruding on Stoney’s domain. He writes that he will meet Fitzgerald in College. 4pp.
[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from Katherine M. Preston]
Preston, Thomas, 1860-1900.
Joly, John, 1857-1933.
Boyle Medal
Science Awards
Handwritten letter from Katie Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written from the Preston home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin on behalf of her husband, Thomas Preston. He is unable to attend the upcoming meeting of the Council of the Royal Society, where he is to receive the Boyle Medal. The Prestons ask Fitzgerald to act as his representative and accept the medal on his behalf during the presentation. Katie writes that Fitzgerald was a “constant friend” to Preston and influenced his scientific career. She concludes that Preston’s health is “gaining day by day” and they trust that “no drawback will happen.” The date of the meeting is not yet known, but Dr Joly will confirm the details [Preston died of a perforated ulcer less than 2 months later]. 3pp.
Preston, Katherine M
31 January 1900
Preston, Katherine M Preston, Thomas, 1860-1900. RDS Library & Archives
Education, Secondary.
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald. Preston writes from the Inns of Court Hotel Limited, London [entrances: High Hilborn and Lincoln’s End Fields]. He thanks Fitzgerald for his help and sympathy during their “great trial.” Preston writes that he has been carrying out school inspections on behalf of the Department for the past two weeks and will return the following evening, after which he hopes to have a free week in Dublin. He writes about a recent lecture he gave at the Royal Institution, which he describes as “fairly intelligible.” He met attendees afterwards. He suffered a “very bad gastric attack” recently and fasted for 2-3 days. He writes about the “bismuth spiral,” a chemical element used in his experiments, which is manufactured by Hartmann and Braun, Frankfurt. He writes that he has looked at the Echelon Spectroscope in Hilgers and doubts that it will be useful except in some “particular cases.” The spectroscope has a problem with “overlapping.” 4pp.
18 May 1899
Preston, Thomas, 1860-1900. Fitzgerald, George Francis, 1851-1901. Correspondent RDS Library & Archives
[Letter to Dr. A. J. Foord from Thomas Preston],
Foord, A. J.
Radiation
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to RDS Librarian Dr A. J. Foord, written from his home at Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. Preston writes that he encloses the manuscript of his paper about Radiation Phenomena, which he describes as the second part of a former paper printed in the Transactions which is of a “most important character.” He trusts that Ford will “rapidly” proceed with the printing because the results are to be released “as soon as possible.” He writes that the figures are made of swiper [?] straight lines and can be “set up by the compositor,” which means that there will be no delay or extra expenses. 2pp.
19 January 1899
Preston, Thomas, 1860-1900 RDS Library & Archives
Spectrum analysis
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald about Fitzgerald’s upcoming scientific experiment. Preston writes from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He intends to visit the laboratory the next day to observe the experiment and gain “practical hints” that may benefit his own work by increasing “illumination” and decreasing “exposure.” He thanks Fitzgerald for sending him the rough papers. 3pp. Transcription: “My dear Prof. Fitzgerald, Many thanks for your note. I have looked into your estimation and think it first class! I shall run into your laboratory tomorrow in the afternoon to see the experiment + get any practical hints you can give me towards its adoption. I shall bless you much if it increases my illumination and decreases my exposure! Many thanks for rough papers which I just received. With kindest regards, Yours very sincerely, Thomas Preston.”
16 January 1899
Zeeman, Pieter, 1865-1943.
Queen's College, Galway.
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald. Preston wrote from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He thanks Fitzgerald for sending a cheque for £25, which he intends to send to Yeats [possibly referring to William Butler Yeats] “to help to redress his account.” He requests to hear about Lord Rayleigh’s ideas. He criticises Nicholson’s “letter to Nature” and describes his position as “preposterous.” He states that he will reply with a letter himself. He refers to Pieter Zeeman’s academic ideas. He expresses hope that Fitzgerald’s “little boy” will get over measles and concludes that there is no news of Galway. 4pp. Transcription “My dear Prof. Fitzgerald, Many thanks for your cheque which arrived safely, good for £25. If you could manage to keep on sending them till the total reaches £200 or £300 I should be solvent again! I am sending this one to Yeats to help to redress his account but of course that will not clear up the balance still remaining due to him. I would like very much to hear more of Lord Rayleigh’s idea about [Echelon] – I do not understand exactly how he proposes to work it. Nicholson I think does not improve his position by his letter to Nature. You say he still adheres to his law as being approximately true – which is preposterous nonsense. I am writing a short reply to Nature now to say that we might as well assert that all stones were the same size as that Mr Zeeman [widening] is “the same for all lines and instances”!!! That is really the point of issue in the interference method – it does not seem capable (yet) of acting as a measurer. And Nicholson should find out what is wrong with it. I hope your little boy has “passed” measles with honours! We have not “presented” any for examination in that respect yet! No word of Galway so far. Yours very sincerely, Thomas Preston.”
15 March 1899
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. Preston writes that he has returned from a tour in the country and received his card, which contained "acceptable intelligence." Preston is surprised by the news that he has been selected to receive an honour [possibly the Boyle Medal] because he believed that his name had been withdrawn. He expresses gratitude to Fitzgerald for his "teaching and influence" and credits him for everything that he "may have done to deserve this honour." 3pp. Transcription “My dear Prof. Fitzgerald, I have just got home from a tour in the Country and found your card here awaiting me with its very acceptable intelligence. It is very kind of you to let me know and I trust the news is true. I am rather surprised, for I did not know that my name was put forward this year- in fact I understood (without any definite reason) that it was withdrawn. I feel I owe it all to you – if not directly then (what is far better) indirectly, for it is through your teaching and influence that I have done all that I may have done to deserve this honour. With kindest regards to Mrs Fitzgerald and self, Yours very sincerely, T. Preston”
1898
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written from Tilbrush, Smith’s Hotel, and dated 24 April 1896. Preston addresses his “objections” about a scientific theory he had discussed. He discusses the effects of “compression” on spheres and the velocity of waves and states that the “’infinity’ difficulty of compression” never occurs in nature and expands his ideas about spectrum analysis. He considers the ideas important and hopes to meet Fitzgerald soon and discuss them. 4pp.
24 April 1896
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written on 28 November 1898, on paper from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He writes that he is unable to meet Fitzgerald for dinner because he will be in Wexford the next day. He writes that he will get a lens cut for an upcoming experiment, which involves ultraviolet. He briefly describes the experiment’s methodology and includes a rough diagram of the set-up. He writes that it will not be expensive. 3pp.
28 November 1898
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written on 24 November 1898, on paper from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He writes that he has successfully replaced the quartz lens with a glass lens, resolving the previous problems in an experiment. He spent 3 days of hard work resolving this problem. He considers options for replacing the high ultraviolet now that the quartz is gone and speculates that he may need to replace the lens with a mirror or metallic. 2pp.
24 November 1898
Fitzgerald, George Francis, 1851-1901. Correspondent
Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland).
Royal College of Science (Great Britain).
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written on 21 November 1898, on paper from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He writes that he saw a reference to Cotton’s ideas in the [Complete Reader?] taken from an issue of the Éclairage Électrique, published in 1896 as part of a doctoral thesis [L’Éclairage Électrique was a French periodical magazine that ran from 1894-1907]. He also saw a note about it in the Journal de Physique. He unsuccessfully searched for the Éclairage Électrique in the RDS, the Academy, and the Royal College of Science [Great Britain] and intended to search in Trinity College. He wants to see the development of Cotton’s ideas and whether he went off-track because he missed part of the question. 2pp.
21 November 1898
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written on 21 September 1898, on paper from the University Club, London. He writes that he is pleased that Fitzgerald could not follow Right’s explanation for the fact that “no effect appears across the lines of force in his form of experiment” because he rejects it. He believes that Right’s explanation “must be all ‘rot’” because the effect is marked across and along the lines of force. He looks forward to seeing an Italian paper which has not yet been published in Dublin but has obtained a German paper. He disbelieves Right’s theory and has carried out an experiment at the Royal College of Science that supports his theory, with the difference that the polariser must be inclined to the lines of force, either perpendicular or parallel. He gives further details about his findings and states that he will write a note for the Phil [Philosophy] or Nature magazines about his findings. 4pp.
21 September 1898
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written on [18?] November 1898, on paper from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He writes that he looked up the Astro Physics Journal and found a photograph. He questions the conclusions of a published article because he doubts that the revolutions mentioned by Nicholson are caused by the instrument rather than occurring independently. He describes the work of Mr Cotton, which was published in the Éclairage Électrique in 1896 [L’Éclairage Électrique was a French periodical magazine that ran from 1894-1907]. Preston was unable to source the publication in Dublin. He writes about the results of Cotton’s research regarding rotation, absorption and anomalous diffusion. 4pp.
November 1898
Rücker, A. W. 1848-1915.
British Association for the Advancement of Science.
Royal University of Ireland.
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written on 2 September 1898, on paper, from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. Preston writes that he had “half-hoped” that Fitzpatrick had returned home and would persuade him to attend the meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. If Preston can begin work at the Royal University of Ireland next week, he will stay and work at home, but if not, he plans to go to the British Association’s meeting. He hopes to gain £100 to spend on his magnetic field as part of his studies of the Zeeman effect. He plans to write to Rücker [Sir Arthur William Rücker] to lay his application before the Council. He asks Fitzgerald for advice about requesting the money. He has already spent £150 on the experiment. He wishes the Fitzgerald family well. 4pp.
2 September 1898
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written on 25 June 1898, on paper, from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He writes about his plans to use iron in experiments about the Zeeman effect when he resumes work at the Royal University. He has just returned from London. During his experiments, he found that the “pressure effect” was not parallel to the Zeeman effect in different substances. He followed Humphrey’s tables on the assumption that they were accurate. He describes his plans for further experiments on the pressure and magnetic effects of different substances. 4pp.
25 June 1898
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written on 19 June 1898 from the Hotel Metropole, London. He writes that he has enclosed the scientific paper sent by Fitzgerald. He doubts that its “new” statements are “true” because he believes that the quantity used is too small for an accurate conclusion. He thinks that the authors rushed to the conclusion that the magnetic effect is parallel to the pressure effect when he found that no parallel existed in his own experiments. He will return to the question in September. He cannot say that “reversed polarisation” is not a fact but suspects that it may have been caused by “bad apparatus,” “bad experiments”, or the “vivid imaginations” of the Americans “perhaps caused by the war” [probably referring to the then-ongoing Spanish-American War]. 4pp.
19 June 1898
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written on 13 February 1899 [location not printed]. Preston writes about a scientific paper by Becquerel [probably referring to Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel, a French physicist], which concerns the spectrum of iron. He describes the scientific observations made in this paper and refers to his own past work in the Royal Dublin Society Paper in December 1897 and Philosophy magazine in April 1898. He writes about his experiments in spectrum analysis of different elements. 4pp.
13 February 1899
Nicholson, William, 1753-1815
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written on 15 March 1898 from the Club House Hotel, County Kilkenny. He writes that he is sending the Astro Physics paper to the College for Fitzgerald to read. Preston read Nicholson’s paper and was unimpressed, describing its contents as what Fitzgerald calls “hugger mugger.” He believes that Nicholson’s paper is “preposterous” because it implies that the effects of his experiment are the same for all wavelengths and substances. Preston describes a diagram on p.136. He speculates that the results have been manufactured by Nicholson’s apparatus while accepting that variations in intensity can occur due to absorption or inherent character. 4pp.
15 March 1898
Preston, Thomas, 1860-1900 RDS Library & Archives Fitzgerald, George Francis, 1851-1901. Correspondent
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 11 June 1896. The paper’s masthead is from his home at Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He writes that he has enclosed a copy of the paper, titled “the more you squeeze it the bigger it gets,” and asks Fitzgerald for his opinion. Preston may have the paper reprinted in Philosophy magazine. He writes that he has been “floundering” through wave motion for the past month without much progress but hopes to make progress in future so long as he “does not manage to die” in the meantime. He sends his regards to Fitzgerald and his wife. 2pp.
11 June 1896
Foster, G. C. 1835-1919.
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, written on 6 February 1898. He thanked Fitzgerald for sending him a card which contained information about the Bismuth Spiral. He writes that he has sent the negatives to Philosophy magazine for reproduction in their March issue. He is writing an account of his work so far and intends to send it to Philosophy magazine. He does not yet have a complete account to send to the Royal Dublin Society. He notes the retirement of G. C Foster and considers applying to fill the job vacancy, which could present opportunities for him and provide a better laboratory. 2pp.
6 February 1898
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 23 January 1898. Preston wrote from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin, about his scientific experiments. He thanks Fitzgerald for his letter and states that several things will be settled when he has the magnetic field. He writes that the variations may be due to reversal. He is inspecting schools and awaiting a return to his experiments. He is looking for 200 cells of storage battery and asks Fitzgerald if he knows anyone who can lend it to him. 3pp.
23 January 1898
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 4 January 1898. Preston wrote from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He describes a successful experiment involving pieces of wire enclosed in and protruding from glass tubes, which resulted in “hundreds” of “triplets” observed. He hopes to obtain a new magnet for his experiments. He has obtained a hydrogen tube which makes the red and blue light appear bright, but it has been unsuccessful when the magnetic field has been turned on because the light is very feeble. He invites Fitzgerald to visit and help him with the hydrogen tube experiment. 4pp.
4 January 1898
University College, London.
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 18 January 1898. Preston wrote from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He tells Fitzpatrick is writing to the Swan Electric Engraving people to arrange for the plates, which they have presently, to be sent to University College, London, on Thursday morning. He corrects a mistake in his earlier calculations. He writes that he is continuing his work along the lines of force. 3pp.
18 January 1898
Lorentz, H. A. (Hendrik Albertus), 1871-1944.
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 2 January 1898. Preston wrote from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He thanks Fitzgerald for his letter and reference to a paper by Lorentz [Hendrik Albertus Lorentz, a Dutch physicist]. He writes that he is devoting his time to his experiment. He describes the results, which include the formation of “triplets” caused by vibrations that are equally free in all directions, and the formation of “doublets” and “quartets” when the vibrations are not equally free in all directions. He is observing them in line with Kayser and Runge’s series [Heinrich Kayser and Carl Runge were German physicists and spectroscopists]. He describes the photograph of the spectrum he has obtained through spectrometry experiments. He intends to carry out more experiments and wants “more current,” “more magnetic field,” and “more time.” He sends his regards to Fitzgerald, his wife and children. In a postscript, he invites Fitzgerald to visit and see the spectrum of Ca [Calcium] and Sr [Strontium] in his experiment. 6pp.
2 January 1898
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald dated 24 November 1897. Preston writes from the Imperial Hotel, Waterford. He thanks Fitzgerald for his suggestions. He writes that he has sent three small plates and a short letter to Nature magazine and expects the letter to be published next week. He plans to write a longer article for Philosophy magazine. He decided not to write about Zeeman’s method in relation to Fitzgerald’s paper and suggests that it is unnecessary, but Fitzgerald may do so. He continues to work on the magnetic field. 3pp.
24 November 1897
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 22 November 1897. He writes that Zeeman’s theories are relevant to their discussions and cites a passage from last March’s issue of Philosophy magazine, about ion motion and the magnetic field. Being familiar with the paper, Preston did not understand the British Association’s “shouting” about the matter. He thinks that Zeeman left little further to be said but may have left something to be done. He makes a further note about Zeeman’s theories in spectrometry. 4pp.
22 November 1897
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 7 July 1897. Preston writes from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He writes that he is pleased that Dr Stoney is “coming round” in his opinions and thanks Fitzgerald for his considerable help in the matter. He criticises Stoney’s misleading statement that Preston protested against MacCullagh’s method, an untrue allegation [probably referring to James MacCullagh, an Irish mathematician]. He objects to Stoney’s method and doubts Fitzgerald’s belief that it can be “licked into shape.” Preston has attempted to deduce Fourier’s theorem geometrically without success. He describes his methods, which have failed to deliver the hoped-for results thus far. He writes that he has used a section from Fitzgerald’s letter in his memorandum, which has been sent to Moss, who will send him a proof for approval before its publication. 4pp.
7 July 1897
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 16 February 1897. Preston writes from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He responds to Fitzgerald’s statements about Stoney, who covers the limitations in his theory by stating that they are “essential physically” but need not be attended to mathematically. Preston is sceptical of Stoney’s statement because it raises problems. He writes that, if true physically, a statement should also prove true mathematically, but Stoney has not given reasoning for his statements. 3pp.
16 February 1897
Lorentz, H. A. (Hendrik Albertus),1871-1944.
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 13 January 1897. Preston writes from Grand Central, Belfast. He “hunted” for Fievez’s paper in the Royal Dublin Society Archives and found it. This theory was criticised by Zeeman in Philosophy magazine. Preston believes that Fievez achieved a magnetic effect in 1885 on a larger scale than Zeeman or his “continental” friends in 1897. He compares it to the experiments of Oliver Lodge. Zeeman credits Hendrik Albertus Lorentz for his work on electro-magnetic theory that has laid a foundation for the polarisation in the Continental experiments. Preston thinks that Zeeman deserves honours for his work, but that Fievez should be recognised for first observing and describing “a clear and explicit statement of what he observed.” The Continental scientists followed this and observed the polarisation described by Lorenz. 4pp.
13 January 1897
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 1 July 1896. The paper’s masthead is from his home at Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. Preston writes that if Fitzgerald agrees to print his paper in Philosophy magazine, he has the permission of the Publication Committee of the Royal Dublin Society. He thinks it would be useful to publish it in Philosophy magazine and, since Fitzgerald is an editor, he can send it to the press. He writes about a change he made to the experiment where he had to “refine” his point of view. He writes that the surface tension can be regarded from the “statistical” or “kinetic” side. As long as the film behaves “as if” in tension, the doctrine remains sound. 3pp.
1 July 1896
Faraday, Michael, 1791-1867.
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 9 January 1897. Preston writes from his home in Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He describes his recent note for the RS [Royal Society?], which he has expanded by several pages. He describes an article in the Journal de Physique where he read an article about Becquerel [probably referring to Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel, a French physicist], who successfully connected the Faraday Rotation in a magnetic field with the Zeeman effect. Preston thinks that the method was accidental. He had considered the experiment himself previously. He thinks the facts should be established first. 4pp.
9 January 1897
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 5 January 1899. Preston writes from Grand Central Hotel, Belfast. Preston writes that he has sent the first proof of his article to Philosophy magazine. He describes the notes he has added to the paper, including a reference to Fitzgerald’s research about dynamical suggestion. He describes his research into a mathematical formula which may be important for the analysis of chemical elements in future experiments. He believes that he has discovered a new law, but he must continue his research to find if there are exceptions. He asks Fitzgerald to keep the letter as evidence in case someone else publishes the law before he has found out whether exceptions exist. 4pp.
5 January 1899
[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from S. Tolver Preston],
Preston, S. Tolver, 1844-
Tait, Peter Guthrie, 1831-1901.
Boltzmann, Ludwig, 1844-1906.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.
Helmholtz, Hermann von, 1821-1894.
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 23 August [probably 1896, since its contents are referenced in GFF 11/6]. The paper’s masthead is from Preston’s home at Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He thanks Fitzgerald for sending him the notes from his Helmholtz lecture [German physicist Hermann von Helmholtz] and approves of his topic. Preston writes that he has “read and inwardly indigested” his paper. He is interested in his theories. He hopes to meet Fitzgerald at the British Association for the Advancement of Science later that year. In a postscript, he writes that his baby boy has been at home for the past fortnight, and all is well. 2pp.
23 August 1896
Clausius, R. (Rudolf), 1822-1888.
Argon.
Meteors.
Maxwell, James Clerk,1831-1879.1831-1879.
Science
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 3 September 1896. The paper’s masthead is from Preston’s home at Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. Preston and his wife thank Fitzgerald and his wife for sending a note of congratulations and good wishes. He writes that he is travelling to Howth, where his new address will be Tintern, Howth, until the next meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. He plans to travel to Liverpool by boat. He thinks the Royal University of Ireland should pay their examiners “all the same.” He writes that Fitzgerald has attended a board meeting and should receive an Honorarium payment from the RUI Board, but it is uncertain whether he will. He clarifies that his description of Fitzgerald’s Helmholtz theory as “indigestible” meant that he found “much food for permanent reflection” in it. 4pp.
3 September 1896
Steam-engines.
Nebulae.
Barrett, W. F.
Society for Psychical Research (Great Britain).
Thermodynamics.
Tait, Peter Guthrie,1831-1901.1831-1901.
[Letter to Frederick Thomas Trouton from Thomas Preston],
Trouton, Frederick Thomas.
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to Frederick Thomas Trouton, dated 8 September 1890. The letter is written from 22 Trinity College, Dublin. Preston responds to Trouton’s letter by saying he would be glad to assist him in his work. He would consider himself “not badly repaid” by the experience alone, without considering the money. He plans to return to work on physics. He wishes Trouton a pleasant trip in America. 2pp.
8 September 1890
Preston, Thomas, 1860-1900 RDS Library & Archives Trouton, Frederick Thomas. Correspondent.
Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Taylor & Francis.
Thomson, J. J.1856-1940.1856-1940.
Guthrie, Frederick, 1833-1886.
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 12 February 1897. The paper’s masthead is from Preston’s home at Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. Preston thanks Fitzgerald for his recent letter. He accepts his suggestions about writing a mathematical expression and intends to send the paper to Fitzpatrick the next day. The remainder of the letter contains complex algebraical expressions and expansions. 4pp.
12 February 1897
Handwritten letter from Thomas Preston to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 12 March 1899. The paper’s masthead is from Preston’s home at Bardowie, Orwell Park, Rathgar, County Dublin. He has recently returned from a tour. He lists the committee members of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, including Oliver Lodge, Monsignor Molloy, Silvanus Phillips Thompson, and Preston and Fitzgerald. He writes that he received a letter from Yeats [possibly William Butler Yeats] asking for money. Preston suspects that the Lord Lieutenant will not offer him a position in [Queen’s College] Galway unless everybody else refuses. He does not feel insulted and plans to stay where he is. 2pp.
12 March 1899
[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from John Perry],
Perry, John, 1850-1920
[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from Alice M. Perry].
Perry, Alice M.
[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from G. B. Poulton],
Poulton, G. B.
[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from B.J. Padshah],
Education, Higher.
Education.
[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from Anthony Parker],