The metallurgical work of Henry Clifton Sorby and an annotated catalogue of his extant metallurgical specimens
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Published
Jan 1, 2022
Abstract
This paper describes the development of Henry Clifton Sorby’s metallurgical researches, 1863-5, his innovative specimen preparation and reflected light microscopical techniques and use of photomicrography. The chronology of the events leading to the eventual publication of these researches in 1886-7 and the further discoveries made by Sorby at this later period are discussed. The Catalogue lists, and includes descriptions of, the present condition of Sorby’s extant glass-mounted metallurgical specimens now held in the Collections of The University of Sheffield and the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society. The specimens in the former collection were bequeathed to the University by Sorby; the latter (except one) were discovered in 1987 in the effects of Dr Thomas Andrews. It is shown that nearly half of Sorby’s specimens came from one source and that each collection contains one specimen which may be identified as the first metallurgical mount ever made.
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References
Anon, 1863. Sorby papers at Sheffield University (newspaper cuttings of 1863).
Anon 1864, The Reader 5 March 1864, 301.
Anon 1864a, The Reader 12 March 1864, 331.
Anon 1864b, The Reader 26 March 1864, 399.
Anon 1864c, The Reader 9 April 1864, 436.
Bayles J C 1883, ‘Microscope analysis of the structures of Iron and Steel’, Trans Amer Inst Mining Engineers 11 (1882-1883), 261-274.
Beale W P 1864, Letter: W P Beale to H C Sorby 29 June 1864, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-257.
Beck R 1865, ‘Description of a New Form of Live Trap and Parabolic Illuminator’, Trans Micros Soc of London 13, 113-118.
Beck R 1866, ‘The Object Glass its own Condenser; or, a New Kind of Illumination for Opaque Objects under High Powers?’, Trans Micros Soc of London 14, 36-39.
Brearley H and Ibbotson F 1902, The Analysis of Steelworks Materials (London).
Crowder W 1857, Letters to HC Sorby, 9th & 12th January 1857 Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-82 and 51-83.
Dancer J B 1866, ‘On the Illumination of opaque objects under high powers of the microscope’ In: ‘Proceedings of Societies’, Trans Micros Soc of London 14, 130-132.
Desch C H 1921, The Services of Henry Clifton Sorby to Metallurgy Second Sorby Lecture, University of Sheffield (1921) (Sheffield).
Edyvean R G J 1988, ‘Henry Clifton Sorby (1826-1908) Studies in Marine Biology – The Algal Lantern Slides’, Archives of Natural History 15, 41-50.
Embrey P G and Fuller J P (eds) 1980, A Manual of Mineral Names 1892-1978 (London).
Entwisle A R 1964, ‘An Account of the Exhibits relating to Henry Clifton Sorby shown at the Sorby Centenary in Sheffield 1963’, Metallography 1963 (Spec Report No 80 of the Iron and Steel Inst), 313-326.
Forbes D 1855, Letters to HC Sorby 25 September and 24 November 1855 Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-56 and 51-61.
Garrison F L 1865, ‘The Microscopic structure of Iron and steel’, Trans Amer Inst Mining Engineers 14 (1885-1886), 64-75.
Glaisher J 1866, ‘President’s Address to the Microscopical Society of London’, Trans Micros Soc of London 14, 45-65.
Gore G 1865, Letter: G Gore to H C Sorby 17 January 1865, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-269.
Greg R H 1861, Letters: Robert Hyde Greg to H C Sorby 18 August and 29 October 1861, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-1972 and SLPS 51-204.
Gregory J R 1863, Letter to H C Sorby 30 July 1863, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-243.
Gregory J R 1863a, Letters to HC Sorby 6th and 20th August and 18 September 1863, Sheffield City Libraries Archives, SLPS 51-244, 51-245, 51-246.
Hammond C 1989, ‘The Contribution of Henry Clifton Sorby to the study of Reflected Light Microscopy of Iron and Steel’, Hist Met 23, 1-8.
Hardwick D A and Williams W M 1980 ‘The Birth of Metallography – The work of Henry Clifton Sorby (1826-1908)’, Bull Can Inst Mining and Metall 73 No 813, 143-144.
Higham N 1963, A Very Scientific Gentleman: The Achievements of Henry Clifton Sorby, (London).
Judd J W 1908, “Henry Clifton Sorby and the Birth of Microscopical Petrology”, Geological Mag decade 5 V, 193
Moorehouse G W 1877, ‘Opaque Objects with High Powers’, The Monthly Microscopical Journal 18, 29-32.
Salmon B C 1861, Letter to HC Sorby 22 November 1861, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-209.
Sorby H C 1862, Sorby’s Diary for 1862. Sorby’s diaries covering the period 1859-1908 (with two gaps) are in the library of the University of Sheffield (special collections).
Sorby, H C 1863, Sorby’s Diary for 1863. Sorby’s diaries covering the period 1859-1908 (with two gaps) are in the library of the University of Sheffield (special collections).
Sorby H C 1864 ‘On the Microscopical Structure of Meteorites and Meteoric Iron’, Proc Roy Soc 13, 333-334.
Sorby H C 1886, ‘On the Application of Very High Powers to the Structure of Steel’, J Iron Steel Inst 1, 140-147.
Sorby H C 1887, ‘On The Microscopical Structure of Iron and Steel’, J Iron Steel Inst 1, 255-288.
Sorby H C 1898, ‘Fifty Years of Scientific Research’ in: Ann Rept Sheffield Lit Phil Soc.
Sorby H C 1906, Letter to RA Hadfield June 24th 1906, (Univ Sheffield Archive).
Suffolk W T 1870, On Microscopical Manipulation, Lectures to The Quekett Microscopical Club 1869, (London).
Vivian W 1858, Letter to H C Sorby 5 October 1858, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-124.
Wedding H 1885, ‘The properties of malleable iron, deduced from its microscopic structure’, J Iron Steel Inst 1, 187-204.
White W 1864, Letter to HC Sorby 23 January 1864, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-250.
Woodward H 1864, Letter: H Woodward to H C Sorby 28 September 1864, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-260.
Anon 1864, The Reader 5 March 1864, 301.
Anon 1864a, The Reader 12 March 1864, 331.
Anon 1864b, The Reader 26 March 1864, 399.
Anon 1864c, The Reader 9 April 1864, 436.
Bayles J C 1883, ‘Microscope analysis of the structures of Iron and Steel’, Trans Amer Inst Mining Engineers 11 (1882-1883), 261-274.
Beale W P 1864, Letter: W P Beale to H C Sorby 29 June 1864, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-257.
Beck R 1865, ‘Description of a New Form of Live Trap and Parabolic Illuminator’, Trans Micros Soc of London 13, 113-118.
Beck R 1866, ‘The Object Glass its own Condenser; or, a New Kind of Illumination for Opaque Objects under High Powers?’, Trans Micros Soc of London 14, 36-39.
Brearley H and Ibbotson F 1902, The Analysis of Steelworks Materials (London).
Crowder W 1857, Letters to HC Sorby, 9th & 12th January 1857 Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-82 and 51-83.
Dancer J B 1866, ‘On the Illumination of opaque objects under high powers of the microscope’ In: ‘Proceedings of Societies’, Trans Micros Soc of London 14, 130-132.
Desch C H 1921, The Services of Henry Clifton Sorby to Metallurgy Second Sorby Lecture, University of Sheffield (1921) (Sheffield).
Edyvean R G J 1988, ‘Henry Clifton Sorby (1826-1908) Studies in Marine Biology – The Algal Lantern Slides’, Archives of Natural History 15, 41-50.
Embrey P G and Fuller J P (eds) 1980, A Manual of Mineral Names 1892-1978 (London).
Entwisle A R 1964, ‘An Account of the Exhibits relating to Henry Clifton Sorby shown at the Sorby Centenary in Sheffield 1963’, Metallography 1963 (Spec Report No 80 of the Iron and Steel Inst), 313-326.
Forbes D 1855, Letters to HC Sorby 25 September and 24 November 1855 Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-56 and 51-61.
Garrison F L 1865, ‘The Microscopic structure of Iron and steel’, Trans Amer Inst Mining Engineers 14 (1885-1886), 64-75.
Glaisher J 1866, ‘President’s Address to the Microscopical Society of London’, Trans Micros Soc of London 14, 45-65.
Gore G 1865, Letter: G Gore to H C Sorby 17 January 1865, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-269.
Greg R H 1861, Letters: Robert Hyde Greg to H C Sorby 18 August and 29 October 1861, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-1972 and SLPS 51-204.
Gregory J R 1863, Letter to H C Sorby 30 July 1863, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-243.
Gregory J R 1863a, Letters to HC Sorby 6th and 20th August and 18 September 1863, Sheffield City Libraries Archives, SLPS 51-244, 51-245, 51-246.
Hammond C 1989, ‘The Contribution of Henry Clifton Sorby to the study of Reflected Light Microscopy of Iron and Steel’, Hist Met 23, 1-8.
Hardwick D A and Williams W M 1980 ‘The Birth of Metallography – The work of Henry Clifton Sorby (1826-1908)’, Bull Can Inst Mining and Metall 73 No 813, 143-144.
Higham N 1963, A Very Scientific Gentleman: The Achievements of Henry Clifton Sorby, (London).
Judd J W 1908, “Henry Clifton Sorby and the Birth of Microscopical Petrology”, Geological Mag decade 5 V, 193
Moorehouse G W 1877, ‘Opaque Objects with High Powers’, The Monthly Microscopical Journal 18, 29-32.
Salmon B C 1861, Letter to HC Sorby 22 November 1861, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-209.
Sorby H C 1862, Sorby’s Diary for 1862. Sorby’s diaries covering the period 1859-1908 (with two gaps) are in the library of the University of Sheffield (special collections).
Sorby, H C 1863, Sorby’s Diary for 1863. Sorby’s diaries covering the period 1859-1908 (with two gaps) are in the library of the University of Sheffield (special collections).
Sorby H C 1864 ‘On the Microscopical Structure of Meteorites and Meteoric Iron’, Proc Roy Soc 13, 333-334.
Sorby H C 1886, ‘On the Application of Very High Powers to the Structure of Steel’, J Iron Steel Inst 1, 140-147.
Sorby H C 1887, ‘On The Microscopical Structure of Iron and Steel’, J Iron Steel Inst 1, 255-288.
Sorby H C 1898, ‘Fifty Years of Scientific Research’ in: Ann Rept Sheffield Lit Phil Soc.
Sorby H C 1906, Letter to RA Hadfield June 24th 1906, (Univ Sheffield Archive).
Suffolk W T 1870, On Microscopical Manipulation, Lectures to The Quekett Microscopical Club 1869, (London).
Vivian W 1858, Letter to H C Sorby 5 October 1858, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-124.
Wedding H 1885, ‘The properties of malleable iron, deduced from its microscopic structure’, J Iron Steel Inst 1, 187-204.
White W 1864, Letter to HC Sorby 23 January 1864, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-250.
Woodward H 1864, Letter: H Woodward to H C Sorby 28 September 1864, Sheffield City Libraries Archives SLPS 51-260.
How to Cite
Edyvean, R., & Hammond, C. (2022). The metallurgical work of Henry Clifton Sorby and an annotated catalogue of his extant metallurgical specimens. Historical Metallurgy, 31(2), 54-85. https://www.hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/317
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How to Cite
Edyvean, R., & Hammond, C. (2022). The metallurgical work of Henry Clifton Sorby and an annotated catalogue of his extant metallurgical specimens. Historical Metallurgy, 31(2), 54-85. https://www.hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/317