Herschel archives

A collection of papers from astronomer siblings William Herschel and Caroline Herschel, and from William’s son, John Herschel, is now open to scholars, thanks to $10 000 from the Friends of the Center for History of Physics at the American Institute of Physics. The collection is housed in the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin; a listing of the inventory can be downloaded at http://budurl.com/herschelinventory

William is best known for discovering the planet Uranus in 1781. After Caroline followed William from Germany to the UK, she became the first woman in Britain to receive a pension for scientific work. John made significant contributions in astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, and photography. One of his major achievements was a sky survey from data he amassed during several years in South Africa. In his Origin of Species, Charles Darwin calls John Herschel “one of our greatest philosophers.”

In addition to extensive correspondence with Darwin and other 18th- and 19th-century luminaries, the collection includes diaries, telescope designs, and other papers. Only the Royal Society in London has a larger Herschel collection.