George Adams Junior
George Adams junior (* 1750 in London , † 1795 ) was an English instrument maker and author of scientific books.
Life
George adams jr. was born in London in 1750. His father, George Adams senior , ran a successful instrument manufacture that was particularly famous for its telescopes and microscopes. After the death of his father in 1773, George Adams took over the company and the titles "Mathematical Instrument Maker to His Majesty's Office of Ordnance , Mathematical Instrument Maker in Ordinary to His Majesty and Optician to the Prince of Wales . He continued to run the company successfully up to his." early death 1795. Thereafter it was continued by his younger brother Dudley.
Services
Adams was regarded by contemporaries as one of the leading manufacturers of mathematical and scientific instruments. He constructed and sold, among other things: compasses and other drawing devices, surveying instruments, target devices for howitzers and mortars, telescopes, compasses, glasses, microscopes, planetariums, electric batteries, electrometers, magnets, pumps, Magdeburg hemispheres, barometers, thermometers, hygrometers. He also offered a variety of experimental setups for demonstrating physical phenomena of all kinds.
The universal education of George Adams, however, went beyond the technique of instrument making. For example, he adds a treatise on insects and a list of species of freshwater polyps and ciliate animals to a book on microscopes (Damerow, Lefevre, introduction p. 8). From observational data from William Herschel , he estimated the total number of fixed stars in the universe to be 75 million.
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg mentioned George Adams several times in his Sudel books and visited him in 1775 during a trip to England.
Works (selection)
- An essay on electricity explaining the theory and practice of that useful science; and the mode of applying it for medical purposes. To which is added an essay on magnetism. London 1784. German translation by Johann Samuel Traugott Gehler: Experiment on electricity, which explains the theory and practice of this science through a number of methodically ordered experiments, along with an experiment on magnetism. Leipzig 1785 ( digitized version and full text in the German text archive )
- Essays on the microscope. London 1787
- An essay on vision, briefly explaining the fabrice of the eye and the nature of vision; intended for the service of those whose eyes are weak or impaired. London 1789. German translation by Fr. Kries-Gotha: Instructions for the preservation of the face and the knowledge of the nature of sight. Leipzig 1794
- Astronomical and geographical essays. London 1789
- A short dissertation on the barometer, thermometer, and other meteorological instruments; together with an account on the prognostic signs of the weather. London 1790
- Geometrical and graphical essays containing a general description of the mathematical instruments used in geometry, civil and military surveying, leveling, and perspective. London 1791. German translation by Johann Gottlieb Geißler: Geometric and graphic experiments or description of the mathematical instruments used in geometry, civil and military surveying, leveling and perspective. Leipzig 1795
literature
Peter Damerow and Wolfgang Lefèvre (Eds.): George Adams: Geometrical and graphical experiments ... (Based on the German edition of 1795) Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 1985. Contains excerpts from the book by George Adams as well as detailed explanations.
Individual evidence
- ↑ George Adams: Astronomical and geographical essays. London 1789
- ^ Georg Christoph Lichtenberg: Writings and letters ; Commentary on volumes I and II by Wolfgang Promies. Hanser Verlag, Munich 1992, p. 1375.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Adams, George Jr. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British instrument maker and author of scientific books |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1750 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | London |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1795 |