Person Reaumur; Rene-Antoine Ferchault de (1683 - 1757) Reaumur Rene-Antoine Ferchault de Renatus Antonius de Renatus Antonius de Reaumur 1683 - 1757 French Male La Rochelle, France 28 February 1683 Near St-Julien-du-Terroux, France 17 or 18 October 1757

Mathematics Technology Natural history Biology Experimental physics Asked in 1709 by the French government to find uses for spider silk, and demonstrated that it was useable for fabrics in the same manner as the silk of silkworms. Diligently collected the material from egg sacs of spiders, then had a large number of them washed, boiled and cleansed, then allowed to dry. Sacs were carded with fine combs and worked into slender thread of a pleasing grey colour. Two pairs of stockings and gloves made from this natural silk were presented to the 'Academie Royale des Sciences'. This accomplishment proved to be so sensational that in the following year the Academie commissioned Reamur to investigate the possibility of extensive uses of spider silk. After a thorough study however, he concluded that there was little likelihood that such spider silk as was available in Europe could become a profitable industry. Fellow 09/11/1738 Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DSB Notes: BR and DSB give death date as 18 October 1757; the latter is also source of precise birth date International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 28 Feb 1683 - 17 or 18 Oct 1757 NA6798 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 28/03/2023 RS_NET\JonathanB Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/59144347 4ba1ead7-d821-4cf0-9681-3d3dbe8323a4