John Tyndall

Tyndall worked as a surveyor before turning to physics. He became Professor of Natural Philosophy at the Royal Institution in 1853, combining experimental investigation with public lectures. Radiant heat and its interaction with matter became sustained interests in his work.

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Experiments begun in 1859 compared the absorption of radiant heat by different gases. Water vapour and carbon dioxide showed substantial absorption, and Tyndall presented this research in a Royal Institution discourse in 1861. The work connected atmospheric composition with the passage of heat, providing experimental evidence relevant to the atmosphere’s insulating effect.

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The Royal Institution preserves Tyndall’s correspondence, journals, experimental notebooks and lecture notes, alongside related papers of Louisa Tyndall and other associates. These records document the experiments, exchanges and preparations behind his published and public work.

References: [1]