French physicist (1852–1908) whose experiments with uranium salts led to the discovery of spontaneous radioactivity; for this breakthrough he shared the 1903 Nobel Prize for Physics with Marie and Pierre Curie. Unsigned handwritten document in French by Henri Becquerel, two pages on two adjoining sheets, 7.75 x 11.75, headed: "Historique des machines." The list concerns direct current dynamo-electric machines, and was most likely prepared as an aide-memoire for one of his first physics courses at the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris. Becquerel has listed the names of various famous inventors alongside the dates of their discoveries and summary notes, several with explanatory scientific drawings alongside, including Faraday ("1831 Anneaux de fer……d'une bobine [Iron rings……a coil]"), Pixii ("En 1832……aimants dans un disque bois mobile devant des bobines [magnets in a moveable wooden disk in front of coils]"), Ritchie ("bobines mobiles [moving coils"), Clarke, Nollet, Siemens, Wilde ("aimants et electro aimants [magnets and electro magnets]"), Ladd, Pacinotti, Gramme, Varley, Wheatstone, Alteneck, and Edison. To the foot of the first page appear various scientific equations and drawings in pencil, most crossed through. In fine condition. A good scientific manuscript featuring the names of many inventors and physicists who inspired and influenced Becquerel.
Those referenced in the document include:
Michael Faraday (1791-1867) English scientist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry.
Hippolyte Pixii (1808-1835) French instrument maker who built an early form of alternating current electrical generator based on the principle of electromagnetic induction discovered by Faraday.
Edward Samuel Ritchie (1814-1895) American inventor and physicist who made important contributions to science and navigation.
Hyde Clarke (1815-1895) English engineer, philologist and author.
Floris Nollet (1794-1853) Belgian physicist, engineer and inventor who designed plans for large-scale generators.
Werner von Siemens (1816-1892) German electrical engineer, inventor and industrialist.
Henry Wilde (1833-1919) English electrical engineer who invented the dynamo-electric machine.
William Ladd (1815-1885) English manufacturer of microscopes and other scientific instruments including the Dynamo-Magneto-Electric machine (1867).
Antonio Pacinotti (1841-1912) Italian physicist, best known for inventing an improved form of direct-current electrical generator (1860).
Zenobe Gramme (1826-1901) Belgian electrical engineer, inventor of the Gramme machine, a type of direct current dynamo capable of generating smoother and much higher voltages than the dynamos known to that point (1871).
C. F. Varley (1828-1883) English engineer particularly associated with the development of the electric telegraph and the transatlantic telegraph cable.
Charles Wheatstone (1802-1875) English scientist and inventor who made many scientific breakthroughs during the Victorian era.
Friedrich von Hefner-Alteneck (1845-1904) German electrical engineer, one of the closest aides of Werner von Siemens.
Thomas Edison (1847-1931) American inventor of the electric light bulb among many other items.
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