| Reference number | VF/16 |
| Alternative reference number | VF16 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Portrait of Sir William Huggins by Sir Leslie Ward |
| Artist | Ward, Leslie ['Spy'] |
| Vincent Brooks, Day & Son |
| Date | 09 April 1903 |
| Description | Vanity Fair cartoon titled 'Spectroscopic Astronomy' featuring Sir William Huggins. Full length, full face. Number 873 of the 'Men of the Day' series. |
| InscriptionContent | Recto inscription: 'VANITY FAIR April 9th 1903/ Vincent Brooks, Day & Son Ltd. lith./ "Spectroscopic Astronomy"' |
| Caption | MEN OF THE DAY. NO. 873.
SIR WILLIAM HUGGINS, F.R.S., D.C.L., LL.D., Ph.D., D.S.
HIS beginning is not so great as his present; for, though he was born in 1824, he has been mounting the ladder of scientific fame ever since, until now he has nearly reached the stars. The City of London School claims his early education; but nearly half a century ago he built a private observatory on Tulse Hill: though he did not marry until twenty years later, so devoted was he to those other worlds for which he has done so much. He practically invented, and has greatly developed, spectroscopic astronomy, receiving for his honour therein the best Medals of the Royal Society and the Royal Astronomical Society. Since then he has gone on prismatically and microscopically researching unknown worlds, with results that make him a far greater man than he looks. He has discovered more about comets than most of us yet know; he knows all about solar prominences; he has photograpehd stellar things that have been seen by no mortal eye, and planets, nebulae, and double stars are his playthings. He has been President of all our best scientific societies and associations; he has lectured much and learnedly; he has written many scientific and some very original papers, and he has been guilty of a sort of Stellar Atlas. His medals are many, his out-of-the-world knowledge is great, his observant energy is indefatigable as it has been fruitful, his earthly fame is world-wide, and he is a member of the Athenaeum Club. Yet with all his learning he is quite human; for he likes Art, Music, Botany and Fishing, while he collects antiquities prodigiously. Otherwise he is a delightful little man and an excellent talker on all subjects; who, while he can adapt himself to his company, is yet full of modesty. For he is an instructive man who has achieved much with a very bright pair of eyes.
He has a cultivated and artistic wife, and he wears a fine old cameo ring on his necktie. |
| Format | Lithograph |
| Physical description | Coloured lithograph on paper, mounted on card |
| Dimensions | 380mm x 263mm |
| Access status | Open |
| Copyright | The Royal Society |
| Provenance | Originally bound in volume owned by C S Sherrington as item 9, since disbound for framing |
| Related material | Colour transparency, Box N101, IM/002288 |
| Related records in the catalogue | IM/002288 |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | Name | Dates |
| NA7376 | Huggins; Sir; William (1824 - 1910); astronomer | 1824 - 1910 |