1st Edition

Science and Sound in Nineteenth-Century Britain

Edited By Edward J. Gillin
    1850 Pages
    by Routledge

    Sound and Science in Nineteenth-Century Britain is a four-volume set of primary sources which seeks to define our historical understanding of the relationship between British scientific knowledge and sound between 1815 and 1900. In the context of rapid urbanization and industrialization, as well as a growing overseas empire, Britain was home to a rich scientific culture in which the ear was as valuable an organ as the eye for examining nature. Experiments on how sound behaved informed new understandings of how a diverse array of natural phenomena operated, notably those of heat, light, and electro-magnetism. In nineteenth-century Britain, sound was not just a phenomenon to be studied, but central to the practice of science itself and broader understandings over nature and the universe. This collection, accompanied by extensive editorial commentary, will be of great interest to students and scholars of the History of Science.

    Volume One

    Acknowledgements

    Chronology

    Introduction

     

    1. Charles Wheatstone, "New Experiments on Sound", Thomson’s Annals of Philosophy, 1823, Vol. vi, (London, England), pp. 81-90.
    2. (Anon.), "The Enchanted Lyre", The Literary Gazette, Vol. 5, (London, 1821), p. 586.
    3. Thomas Busby, "The Acoucryptophone, or Enchanted Lyre", Concert Room and Orchestra Anecdotes of Music and Musicians, ancient and modern, Vol. I, (London, 1825), pp. 9-10.
    4. (Anon.), "Enchanted Lyre", The Circulator of Useful Knowledge, Amusement, Literature, Science, and General Information, (London, 1825), p. 284.
    5. Charles Wheatstone, "Description of the Kaleidophone, or Phonic Kaleidoscope", Quarterly Journal of Science, Literature, and Art, Vol. I, 1827, (London, England), pp. 344-51
    6. (Anon.), "The Kaleidophone, or Phonic Kaleidoscope", Mechanics’ Magazine, 11 Aug., 1827, Vol. 8, (London, England), pp. 49-52.
    7. Charles Wheatstone, "Experiments on Audition", in The Scientific Papers of Sir Charles Wheatstone, D.C.L., F.R.S, (Taylor and Francis: London, 1879), pp. 30-5. Originally from the Quarterly Journal of Science, 1827.
    8. Charles Wheatstone, "On the Resonances, or Reciprocated Vibrations of Columns of Air", Quarterly Journal of Science, Vol. III, 1828, (London, England), pp. 175-83
    9. Charles Wheatstone, "On the Transmission of Musical Sounds Through Solid Linear Conductors, and on their Subsequent Reciprocation", Journal of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, No. 5, (John Murray: London, Dec., 1831), pp. 223-38.
    10. Robert Willis, "On the Vowel Sounds, and on Reed Organ-pipes", Transactions of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1829), pp. 1-38.
    11. Charles Wheatstone, "On the Vowel Sounds, and a Reed Organ-pipes", in The Scientific Papers of Sir Charles Wheatstone, D.C.L., F.R.S, (Taylor and Francis: London, 1879), pp. 348-67.
    12. (Anon.), "Royal Institution", The Dublin Literary Gazette, or Weekly Chronicle of Criticism, Belles Lettres, and Fine Arts, Vol. I, (Dublin, Ireland: 1830), pp. 395-6.
    13. Michael Faraday, "On a Peculiar Class of Acoustical Figures, and on the Forms of Fluids Vibrating on Elastic Surfaces", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Vol. 121, 1831, (London, England), pp. 299-340.
    14. Charles Wheatstone, "On the Figures Obtained by Strewing Sand on Vibrating Surfaces, Commonly Called Acoustic Figures", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Vol. 123, 1833, (London, England), pp. 593-633
    15. King’s College London Library, Charles Wheatstone, "Lectures on Sound", (1835).
    16. David Brewster, Letters on Natural Magic addressed to Sir Walter Scott, Bart, (John Murray: London, 1832), pp. 1-7, 157-243.
    17. Felix Savart, "Researches on the Elasticity of Regularly Crystallized Bodies", Edinburgh Journal of Science, Vol. I, new series, Apr.-Oct., 1829, (Edinburgh, Scotland), pp. 141-146.
    18. Arthur Trevelyan, "On the Vibration of Heated Metals: By Arthur Trevelyan, Esq.; Including a Letter on the Same Subject by Dr W. Knight", The London and Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, 3rd Series, Nov., 1833, (London, England), pp. 321-332.
    19. Michael Faraday, "Trevelyan’s Experiments on the Production of Sound during the Conduction of Heat", in Michael Faraday, Experimental Researches in Chemistry and Physics, (Richard Taylor and William Francis: London, 1859), pp. 311-314.
    20. J. P. Marrian, "On Sonorous Phaenomena in Electro-Magnets", Philosophical Magazine, Series 3, 25:167, (1844), pp. 382-384.

    Bibliography

    Index

     

    Volume Two

    Acknowledgements

    Chronology

    Introduction

     

    1. John Herschel, ‘Sound’, Encyclopaedia Metropolitana, Vol. IV, (London, 1830), pp. 747-824.
    2. John Herschel, A Preliminary Discourse on the Study of Natural Philosophy, (Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green: London, 1831), pp. 246-264.
    3. Mary Somerville, Mechanism of the Heavens, (John Murray: London, 1831), pp. lvi-lviii.
    4. Mary Somerville, On the Connexion of the Physical Sciences, (John Murray: London, 1834), pp. 130-162.
    5. David Brewster, "Review of On the Connexion of the Physical Sciences", Edinburgh Review, Vol. 59, (Apr., 1834), pp. 154-171.
    6. Mary Somerville, On the Connexion of the Physical Sciences, 2nd Edition, (John Murray: London, 1835), pp. 148-179 inc. plates 1-4.
    7. William Whewell, Astronomy and General Physics; considered with reference to natural theology, (William Pickering: London, 1833), pp. 96-118.
    8. William Whewell, History of the Inductive Sciences, from the Earliest to the Present Time, Vol. 1 of 3, (London: John W. Parker, 1837), pp. 102-105.
    9. William Whewell, History of the Inductive Sciences, from the Earliest to the Present Time, Vol. 2 of 3, 3rd edition (London: John W. Parker, 1858), pp. 23-47.
    10. William Whewell, The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences, Founded Upon their History, Vol. 1 of 2, 2nd Edition, (John W. Parker: London, 1847), pp. 295-306.
    11. Christopher Wordsworth, Sacred Music: A Sermon, Preached at the Anniversary of the Choral Association of the Diocese of Llandaff, in the Cathedral Church of Llandaff, Sept., 2, 1868, (Rivingtons: London, 1868), pp. 5-22.
    12. W. Mullinger Higgins, The Philosophy of Sound, and History of Music, (Wm S. Orr and Co: London, 1838), pp. 7-35
    13. Thomas Aveling, Recreations, Physical and Mental, Lawful and Unlawful: A Lecture, (London, 1849), pp. 24-29.
    14. Herbert Spencer, ‘Progress: its Law and Cause’, in Essays Scientific, Political, and Speculative, (London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, and Roberts), pp. 1-54.
    15. Herbert Spencer, "The Origin and Function of Music", in Essays Scientific, Political, and speculative, (London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, and Roberts), pp. 359-384.
    16. Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, Vol 2 of 2, (London: John Murray, 1871), pp. 51-68, 274-278, 330-337.
    17. Herbert Spencer, ‘On the Origin of Music", Mind 16/64 (Oct., 1891), pp. 535-537.

    Bibliography

    Index

     

    Volume Three

    Acknowledgements

    Chronology

    Introduction

    1. John Goldingham, "Experiments for Ascertaining the Velocity of Sound, at Madras in the East Indies", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 1823, (London, England), p. 189.
    2. Gerard Moll, "On Captain Parry’s and Lieutenant Foster’s Experiments on the Velocity of Sound", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 1828 (London, England), pp. 97-104.
    3. John Ross, Narrative of a Second Voyage in Search of a North-West Passage, and of a Residence in the Arctic Regions, during the Years 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833, Vol. 1, (A.D. Wahlen: Brussels, 1835), pp. 194-201.
    4. Piazzi Smyth, "On the Methods Adopted to Secure Extreme Accuracy in the Edinburgh Castle Time-Gun Signal", Transactions of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts, Vol. VI, 1864 (Edinburgh, Scotland), pp. 136-152.
    5. E. J. Stone, "An Experimental Determination of the Velocity of Sound", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 1871, (London, England), pp. 1-6.
    6. John Tyndall, "On the Atmosphere as a Vehicle of Sound", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Vol. 164, 1875, (London, England), pp. 183-244.
    7. Benjamin Wyatt, Observations on the Design for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, as Executed in the Year 1812: Accompanied by Plans, Elevation, & Sections, of the Same (J. Taylor: London, 1813), pp. 1-55.
    8. John Blackburn, "Description of a Sounding Board in Attercliffe Church", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 1828, (London, England), pp. 361-363.
    9. John Scott Russell, "Elementary Considerations of Some Principles in the Construction of Buildings Designed to Accommodate Spectators and Auditors", The Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, Vol. 27 (Apr.-Oct., 1839), pp. 131-136.
    10. David Boswell Reid, Illustrations of the Theory and Practice of Ventilation, with Remarks on Warming, Exclusive Lighting, and the Communication of Sound (London: Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans, 1844), pp. 310-328.
    11. Thomas Roger Smith, A Rudimentary Treatise on The Acoustics of Public Buildings; or, the Principles of the Science of Sound Applied to the Purposes of the Architect and Builder (London: John Weale, 1861), pp. 1-160.
    12. (Anon.), "An Imperial Pitchfork", The Spectator, 28 Aug., 1858, (London, England), pp. 910-911.
    13. (Anon.), "English Committee on Musical Pitch", The Spectator, 18 Jun., 1859, (London, England), p. 639-640.
    14. John Herschel, "Uniform Musical Pitch", Leeds Mercury, (Leeds, England) 2 Aug., 1859; Issue 6985.
    15. Uniform Musical Pitch. Minutes of a Meeting of Musicians, Amateurs, and others Interested in Music, Held at the House of the Society of Arts, when the Report of the Committee Appointed by the Council of the Society was Received and Adopted, (Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce: 1860), published in "Uniform Musical Pitch", The Journal of the Society of Arts, Vol. 8, No. 417, (16 Nov., 1860), pp. 1-8.
    16. Augustus De Morgan, "On the Beats of Imperfect Consonances", Transactions of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Vol. 10, (1864), pp. 129-145.
    17. Henry C. Lunn, "Musical Pitch", The Musical Times, and Singing Class Circular, Vol. 13, No. 312, (1 Feb., 1869), pp. 663-665.
    18. (Anon.), "Orchestral Tuning", The Musical Standard, 26th June, 1875, (London, England), pp. 409-410.
    19. Alexander J. Ellis, The History of Musical Pitch (London: W. Tounce, 1880), pp. 293-336.
    20. John Herschel, "On Musical Scales", The Quarterly Journal of Science, No. XIX, July 1868, (London, England), pp. 338-352.
    21. William Pole, "Explanation of the Musical Scale and its Component Intervals", in F. A. Gore Ouseley, A Treatise on Harmony, (Clarendon Press: Oxford, 1868), pp. 259-263.

    Bibliography

    Index

     

     

    Volume 4

    Acknowledgements

    Chronology

    Introduction

     

    1. John Tyndall, Sound: A Course of Eight Lectures Delivered at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, (Longmans, Green, and Co: London, 1867), pp. vii-ix and 255-325.
    2. George Biddell Airy, ‘On the Elements of Musical Harmony and Melody, and of Simple Musical Composition’, On Sound and Atmospheric Vibrations, with the Mathematical Elements of Music. Designed for the Use of Students of the University, (Macmillan and Co: London, 1868), pp. 197-231.
    3. Hermann Helmholtz, On the Sensations of Tone as a Physiological Basis for the Theory of Music, (Trans.), Alexander J. Ellis, (Longmans, Green, and Co: London, 1875), pp. v-xi, 11-37, 56-77.
    4. J. W. Strutt, The Theory of Sound, vol. 1 of 2 (Macmillan: London, 1877), pp. v-vi, 1-66.
    5. J. W. Strutt, The Theory of Sound, vol. 2 of 2 (Macmillan: London, 1877), pp. 85-134.
    6. (Anon.), "Recent Developments in Acoustical Science", 19th Aug., 1878, The Times, (London, England), Issue 29337, p. 4.  
    7. Edmund Gurney, The Power of Sound, (Smith, Elder, & Co: London, 1880), pp. v-xi, 1-39, 113-126, 178-201, 524-539.
    8. Richard Wallaschek, Primitive Music: An Inquiry into the Origin and Development of Music, Songs, Instruments, Dances, and Pantomimes of Savage Races (London: Longmans, Green, and Co, 1893), pp. 237-289.

    Bibliography

    Index

    Biography

    Dr Edward J. Gillin is Lecturer in the History of Building Sciences and Technology at the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction in University College London. A cultural historian of nineteenth-century Britain, he specialises in questions of science, technology, and architecture, and how these relate to broader histories of society, politics, and religion.