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Document number: 7200
Date: 14 Dec 1855
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: FORBES James David
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Collection number historic: Acc no 20874 (envelope only)
Last updated: 11th October 2014

3 Park Place <1>
14 Dec. / 53

My Dear Sir,

It was a disappointment not seeing you on Tuesday. <2> I am sorry that Your cold is still bad.

I should not wish to put You to any inconvenience in bringing Ruhmkorf’s Coil <3> to Scotland, especially as I may not be lecturing on the subject But if it is portable I should of course be glad to be made acquainted with it, if not in any respect troublesome to you.

Believe me Dear Sir Yours Sincerely
James D. Forbes

W. Fox Talbot Esq

[envelope:]
W. Fox Talbot Esq
4 Athol Crescent

Notes:

1. Edinburgh.

2. See Doc. No: 00464, which also contains WHFT’s offer to lend the ‘galvanic coil’.

3. An induction (or 'spark') coil is a transformer used to boost low voltage DC current to a high enough voltage to promote a spark. Since the magnetic field generated soon inhibits electrical flow, the coil was fed by a vibrating 'interupter' to repeatedly break off and turn on the DC current. The most popular form was devised by Heinrich Daniel Rühmkorff (1803–1877), who was born in Hanover but spent most of his life in Paris. His high-voltage induction coil of 1852 could produce sparks more than 30 cm in length. He subsequently designed a double-wound induction coil, from which evolved the alternating-current transformer of later electricity experiments. He worked with many British scientists including Joseph Bramah.

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