Record

LevelFile
Finding Number (Click this to view full catalogue structure)OJL/1/404
TitleSir J. J. Thomson & Lady Thomson
Extent40 items
Date1885-1931
DescriptionCorrespondence with note identifying the correspondents. The file largely comprises correspondence from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge. It also contains two letters from Rose E. Thomson to Oliver Lodge (/22 and /33), a letter from Oliver Lodge to J. J. Thomson (/34), and a small amount of correspondence relating to J. J. Thomson (items /35-37).

/1 The paper handlist states that /1 is now OJL/1/145/3

/2 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Trinity College, Cambridge, dated 13 December 1885. Thomson gives a brief outline of his current experiments on nitrogen, electrical resistance, and dust-free benzene. He adds that his student, Fitz-Patrick, is working on the resistance of mixtures of water and HCl.

/3 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Trinity College, Cambridge, dated 23 January 1887. Thomson writes that he has been busy at the Laboratory as Glazebrook is unwell. He sends a report to be approved by Lodge and forwarded to the auhtorities at Kings.

/4 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Trinity College, Cambridge, dated 8 May 1887. Thomson congratulates Lodge on his election to the Royal Society. He writes: 'With respect to the Electrolysis Report I was surprised to find that any but a formal report was to be published - & was horrified to find that all the rubbish I had talked was in print'. He asks that his comments about Willard Gibbs and Helmholtz be edited before publication.

/5 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from 6 Scrope Terrace, Cambridge, dated 26 February 1893. Thomson writes that he is repeating and expanding on Perrot's experiments on the electrolysis of water vapour.

/6 Postcard from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from 6 Scrope Terrace, Cambridge, dated 31 October 1893. Thomson writes that when revising proofs of his book 'Notes on Recent Researches in Electricity and Magnetism' he altered the value of the molecular charge in light of Richarz's investigations.

/7 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, dated 16 January 1896. Thomson writes about his method of getting Röntgen's photograph by sparking in front of a fluroescent body.

/8 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from 6 Scrope Terrace, Cambridge, dated 19 January 1896. Thomson writes about his attempts to get Röntgen photographs; he believes phosphorescence and a cathode are necessary. He discusses his theory that they are caused by very short waves.

/9 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from 6 Scrope Terrace, Cambridge, dated 8 May 1896. Thomson writes that Section A will focus on Pure Mathematics if Poincare is attending.

/10 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from 6 Scrope Terrace, Cambridge, dated 13 May 1896. Thomson asks for information about Lodge's bulb, explaining: 'I am very much interested in such things at present as I have to give the Rede lecture in a short time & am trying to get the phosphorescence as bright as possible'.

/11 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from 17 Kirkly Cliff, Lowestoft, dated 6 September 1896. Thomson writes that it will be difficult for him to attend the Committee meeting with Elster and Geitel before he goes to America. He adds that he has not published anything about the motion of the Ether in the electric field: all his experiments have given negative results.

/12 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, dated 21 December 1898. Thomson sends a solution to Lodge's problem involving the Earth's magnetic fields and currents. The letter includes a diagram and mathematical equations.

/13 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, dated 9 January 1899. Thomson writes that he has given Lodge's problem further thought. He discusses difficulties with calculating the Earth's resistance, and the effect of different conditions on telegraphs. The letter includes mathematical equations.

/14 Postcard from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Cambridge, dated 11 January 1899. Thomson writes that his solution does not work in all cases but he is trying to solve the problem.

/15 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Holm Leigh, West Road, Cambridge, dated 9 December 1899. Thomson explains the appearance of the 'lummosity' as a result of the recombination of positive and negative ions. He is sorry to hear of Howard's death.

/16 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, dated 20 February 1900. Thomson discusses result of experiments with Rontgen rays and Lenard rays.

/17 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, dated 25 November 1902. Thomson writes that he has altered his determination of the value of 'e'. He describes his experiments depositing clouds on ions.

/18 Copy of letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from 44 Belgrave Square, SW, dated 11 April 1904. With envelope annotated [by Oliver Lodge]. Thomson describes positive electrification as analogous to a liquid but he believes the idea of positive electrification will be replaced by corpuscular theory.

/19 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, dated 2 March 1904. Thomson is delighted to hear that Lodge is also interested in the structure of the atom.

/20 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Holmleigh, West Road, Cambridge, dated 4 December 1905. Thomson explains why he did not accept the Prime Minister's offer of research money.

/21 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Holmleigh, West Road, Cambridge, dated 3 February 1907. Thomson thanks Lodge for sending his book 'Electrons'. He writes: 'We have been in such a turmoil here with this fight for the Tripos [...]'.

/22 Letter from Rose E. Thomson [1860-1951, married J. J. Thomson in 1890] to Oliver Lodge, written from Holmleigh, West Road, Cambridge, dated 27 February 1907. Thomson thanks Lodge for sending his very interesting book.

/23 Postcard from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Holmleigh, West Road, Cambridge, dated 2 December 1906. Thomson admits that 'the report is true' [he has been awarded the Nobel prize].

/24 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, dated 13 March 1907. Thomson responds to the proof of Lodge's paper by giving his opinion on the relationship between mass, ether and electric force. He notes that he discussed the subject at length in 'Electricity and Matter'. There is a pencil annotation [by Oliver Lodge] expressing satisfaction about the consensus of opinion.

/25 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Holmleigh, West Road, Cambridge, dated 15 December 1907. Thomson agrees that it seems as though the phosphorus and nitrogen combined, which would be a very convenient way of making argon. He asks whether Lodge has measured the reduction of pressure in the bulbs.

/26 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Holmleigh, West Road, Cambridge, dated 9 May 1909. Thomson thanks Lodge for the copy of 'Ether of Space'.

/27 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Holmleigh, West Road, Cambridge, dated 1 May 1912. Thomson sends information about calculations involving electrical currents and air resistance.

/28 Postcard from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Cambridge, postmarked 1 May 1912. Thomson writes that in his calculation the resistance is in Ohms (see above, OJL/1/404/27).

/29 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Holmleigh, West Road, Cambridge, dated 1 July 1913. Thomson thanks Lodge for his offer of hospitality. He writes that he may not be able to come to the British Association in Birmingham as he and his wife may go abroad for the sake of her health. If he is able to attend he can stay with Poynting.

/30 Postcard from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Holmleigh, West Road, Cambridge, dated 9 February 1914. Thomson writes that since his Huxley lecture was largely the same as his Adamson lecture it will be best to omit it from publication.

/31 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Trinity Lodge, Cambridge, dated 30 October 1918. Thomson invites the Lodges to stay when in Cambridge for the sermon at St Edwards.

/32 Postcard from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Trinity College, Cambridge, dated 26 January 1925, with envelope. Thomson writes that he is happy to sign Marconi's certificate but it is too late for the next election.

/33 Letter from Rose E. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Woodlands, Capelulo, Penmaenmawr, North Wales, dated 30 March 1925, with envelope. Thomson thanks Lodge for sending a pamphlet on Relativity. She has finally had a chance to read it during a holiday in Wales. She is glad to hear that Lady Lodge's health has improved. With note sending compliments from Lady Thomson, dated 15 November 1926.

/34 Letter from Oliver Lodge to J. J. Thomson, written from Normanton House, Lake, Salisbury, dated 1 October 1925. Lodge sends thanks for copy of Thomson's Fison Lecture and discusses the quantum.

/35 Letter from Lord Rayleigh to Lady Thomson, written from London, dated 11 November 1926, with envelope. Rayleigh gives an account of J. J. Thomson's research and the 'great "renaissance" period' of the Cavendish Laboratory, beginning with the discovery of the Rontgen rays in 1896. He hopes to come to the dinner on 18 December.

/36 Manuscript copy of letter from Professor G. P. Thomson, Aberdeen, dated 12 November 1926. Thomson gives an account of his father's recent theoretical work. He gives permission for the notes to be sent to Oliver Lodge.

/37 Manuscript list of papers by Sir J. J. Thomson from 1920 onwards (apparently not a complete list). With envelope addressed to Oliver Lodge, postmarked Cambridge, 15 November 1926.

/38 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Trinity College, Cambridge, dated 6 October 1929, with envelope. Thomson writes that he is busy with the Fellowship election, dissertations and exam papers. Thomson discusses Eddington's calculations involving 'e' measured in electrostatic units.

/39 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Trinity Lodge, Cambridge, dated 11 July 1931. Thomson believes that the standard of the Phil. Mag. would be improved if less-established authors were required to have the backing of an FRS or Professor. He agrees with Lodge about the close connection between electricity and vortex motion.

/40 Letter from J. J. Thomson to Oliver Lodge, written from Trinity Lodge, Cambridge, dated 2 December 1931, with envelope. Thomson thanks Lodge for sending a copy of his autobiography 'Past Years'.
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