Michael Faraday, his life and work / by Silvanus P. Thompson.

  • Silvanus P. Thompson
Date:
1901
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Michael Faraday, his life and work / by Silvanus P. Thompson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    s Masquerier,* who had painted Napoleon’s portrait and had fled from France during the troublous times. For the apprentice boy, who used to dust his room and black his boots, Masquerier took a strong liking. He lent him books on perspective and taught him how to draw. Another frequenter of Riebau’s shop was a Mr. Dance, whose interest in the industry and in- telligence of the apprentice led him to an act which changed the whole destiny of his life. Faraday himself, in the very few autobiographical notes which he penned, wrote thus :— During my apprenticeship I had the good fortune, through the kindness of Mr. Dance, who was a customer of my master’s •shop and also a member of the Royal Institution, to hear four of the last lectures of Sir H. Davy in that locality.t The dates of these lectures were February 29, March 14, April 8 and 10, 1812. Of these I made notes, and then wrote out the lectures in a fuller form, interspersing them with such draw- ings as I could make. The desire to be engaged in scientific occupation, even though of the lowest kind, induced me, whilst an apprentice, to write, in my ignorance of the world and simplicity of my mind, to Sir Joseph Banks, then President of the Royal Society. Naturally enough, “ No answrer ” was the reply left with the porter. He submitted his notes to the criticism of his friend Abbott, with whom he discussed chemical and electrical problems, and the experiments which they had individually tried. Out of this correspondence, * “ When lie [Faraday] was young, poor, and altogether unknown, Masquerier was kind to him; and now that lie is a great man he does not forget his old friend.”—Diary of H. Crabb Robinson, vol. iii., p. 375. t He always sat in the gallery over the clock.
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