The photographic self-recording of natural phenomena in the nineteenth century

• Autores: Isabel Marília Peres, Maria Estela Jardim, Fernanda Madalena Costa
• Localización: The Circulation of Science and Technology: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of the European Society for the History of Science. Barcelona, 18-20 November 2010 / coord. por Antoni M. Roca Rosell, 2012, ISBN 978-84-9965-108-8, págs. 462-476
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • From the time of its discovery, photography participated in the production of evidence in many scientific fields.

    In the second half of the nineteenth century the quality of the photographic images as well as the discovery of easier and more reliable photographic techniques, transformed photography in a precious tool for scientists;

    they were now able to register in an indirect way atmospheric and magnetic phenomena.

    Throughout Europe, Meteorological and Astronomical Observatories had started to be equipped with photographic self-recording instruments in order to be able to register in a continuous way temperature, pressure or atmospheric electricity variations. One of these Institutions was the Kew Observatory, considered one of the best in Europe.

    By the end of the nineteenth century, the Infante D. Luiz Observatory of Lisbon, the Meteorological and Magnetic Observatory of the University of Coimbra, as well as the Meteorological and Magnetic Station of Oporto, owned photographic self-recording instruments for meteorological and magnetic purposes:

    barographs, psychrographs, electrographs and some magnetographs.

    Portuguese scientists established privileged scientific contacts, namely with the Director of the Kew Observatory, Balfour Stewart (1828-1887) and with William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) (1824-1907), among others.

    In this paper we will present our research on the instruments, photographic processes and photographic data, as well as on the contributions of Portuguese scientists in this field focusing on the international cooperation between Portugal and other European countries.