Abstract:
Faraday's life during the period covered in this volume was dominated by his research on electricity, his Deaconate in the Sandemanian Church, his professional consultancy work, and, not least, his work at the Royal Institution. All these aspects of Faraday's life and work during the 1830s are reflected in the 809 letters here published of which over 70% are previously unpublished. The great increase in the average number of letters per year from 25 in volume one to 90 in this volume can be accounted for by Faraday's increasing fame both as a scientific researcher and as a lecturer. It is not only that letters of the famous tend to have a better chance of preservation, but also the famous tend to start corresponding with those who are also well known, thus increasing the chances of material surviving. Although Faraday had commenced correspondence with, for example, George Biddell Airy, Charles Babbage, Marc Isambard Brunei and Isambard Kingdom Brunei in the 1820s, this was extended considerably during the 1830s. On the other hand his correspondence with John Frederick William Herschel almost came to a complete halt, due to Herschel spending much of the decade at the Cape of Good Hope mapping the southern sky. During the 1830s Faraday began corresponding with James David Forbes, John Gage, John William Lubbock, Mary Somerville, William Somerville, William Henry Fox Talbot and William Whewell to name but some of those whose papers have been preserved.