DOVE (Heinrich Wilhelm, 1803-1879, Pioneer Meteorologist and Climatologist, Professor of Natural Philosophy at Berlin)

Autograph Letter Signed in English and French to Dr George Phillips, 1804-1892, Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, saying that the proposed "honorary Degree ... at the approaching Installation of the new Chancellor the Duke of Cambridge [really Devonshire] is the greatest honor", recalling his "former visits to Cambridge 17 years ago ... I could not believe, that a new [kindness] could be given to me", he continues in French, explaining that, as Dean of the Faculty, "it was only after overcoming a great many difficulties that I was able to come here for four or five weeks", his son Richard, is Professor at Tübingen, and must return there the day after "his marriage to the daughter of one of my Friends at Berlin on the 11th June ... it is with the greatest regret that the duties of the father of a family deprive me thus of an honour, which would all my life be the finest recompense for what I have tried to do in the field of science", 3 sides 8vo., 14 Brompton Crescent, London, 27th May

Degree Day was the 9th June, and the Duke was installed in place of the late Prince Consort on the 10th.
Dove was a pioneer in applying meteorology and comparative climate studies to agriculture. In dynamic meteorology he introduced 'Dove's Law of Wind Rotation' and his observations led to the theory of polar and equatorial currents. He was thus the first to find a system to explain weather changes. He also knew the important concepts of discontinuity and front which were later introduced into daily weather reports. Interested also in acoustics and optics, he put forward a scheme for detecting forged banknotes by stereoscopy. In 1845 Sabine and Herschel pressed him to come to England to discuss setting up a network of weather stations throughout the British Empire, and he visited Cambridge and was made a foreign member of the British Asssociation. Each year, from 1849-1871, he took a standard barometer, in rattling post carriages, to the Prussian weather stations, often from Memel to Trier or Sigmaringen, to ensure their readings were consistent. He was a great raconteur, and, like Faraday, gave popular lectures illustrated by experiments.

Item Date:  1862

Stock No:  50061      £275

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