James David Forbes

James David Forbes

Geology,Photography

Profession: Physicist, Geologist

greatthinkers,history

1809

Organisation

186

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_David_Forbes

TEXT

Q3161083

D.O.B: 1809 D.O.D: 1868 Family origins: Father: Sir William Forbes of Pitsligo, seventh baronet (1773–1828), banker Mother: Williamina Belsches (1777–1810), sole child and heir of John Belsches of Invermay, Perthshire Education: Home education by Robert Hunter 1825+: University of Edinburgh (Arts and Sciences, different subjects) 1830: study of law Private life/family life: Married Alicia Wauchope in 1843, with whom he had 2 sons and 3 daughters (Professional) Role in St Andrews: Principal of the United College of St Salvador and St Leonard, succeeding Brewster Years in St Andrews: 1859 – 1867

Involved in which fields of scholarship? Geology, Meteorology, Physics, Photography, Astronomy Most famous contribution(s) to scholarship/inventions… 1 (i.e. in geology): Discovered polarization of radiant heat Most famous contribution(s) to scholarship/inventions… 2 (i.e. in physics/geography): Writings on glaciers, e.g. Travels through the Alps of Savoy (1843), Norway and its Glaciers (1853), and a collection of his most important glacier papers, Occasional Papers on the Theory of Glaciers (1859); works on moves of glaciers… Most famous contribution(s) to scholarship/inventions… 2 (i.e. in photography): Contact with Talbot and also, as one of the first in Britain, with the French inventions Experiments to improve the Calotype An Account of the Process employed in Photgenic drawing (see Graham Smith, ‘James David Forbes and the Early History of Photography’, in Shadow and Substance: Essays on the History of Photography in Honour of Heinz K. Henisch, ed. Kathleen Collins, New York: Bloomfield Hills, 1990.) If you want to read one thing written by him/her, it should be: Occasional Papers on the Theory of Glaciers (1859)

1868

Societies/groups? British Association for the Advancement of Science Royal Society of Edinburgh Royal Society of London Associated places in St Andrews: (e.g. home, lab, favourite spot) College Hall, built under his principalship to attract “persons of high rank” Possible human interest story 1: Due to his passion for science, he contributed scientific articles to Edinburgh Journal of Science. The editor, David Brewster (!), was so impressed that he proposed Forbes in 1829 for the fellowship of Edinburgh Royal Society. His election was delayed until January 1831, after he had reached the minimum age of twenty-one. Possible human interest story 2: Another connection with Brewster: rivalry, lost friendship, reconciliation Possible human interest story 3: Traveled extensively: on mountains, glaciers etc. Possible human interest story 4: Forbes, in contrast e.g. to Brewster, had little contact with his students Connected to other people in St Andrews or elsewhere?: David Brewster Awards/Honours: Class medals physics 1828 and 1829 Class medal in moral philosophy in 1828 Dean of the faculty of arts of the university of Edinburgh 1837 Keith medal of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (3 times) Rumford medal of the Royal Society of London 1838 Royal medal from Royal Society 1843 Honorary DCL at Oxford 1853 Other interesting/quirky facts (not necessarily related to subject areas): Forbes introduced written examinations at the University of Edinburgh, where examinations had been oral to that point. Any eye-witness testimony/stories: "Life and Letters of James David Forbes" (1873) Biographical sources: (e.g. OxDNB, family memoir, other...) OxDNB "Life and Letters of James David Forbes" (1873) Smith, Graham, ‘James David Forbes and the Early History of Photography’, in Shadow and Substance: Essays on the History of Photography in Honour of Heinz K. Henisch, ed. Kathleen Collins, New York: Bloomfield Hills, 1990. Available images of the person: St Andrews university Photographic Collections Available images of places/objects associated with the person: College Hall: either University Photographic Collections or own picture