| AdminHistory | Born in Edinburgh on 18 October 1863, to Archibald Campbell Swinton of Kimmerghame and Georgina Caroline Swinton (née Sitwell), Alan Archibald Campbell Swinton is remembered for providing the theoretical basis for the electronic television, as well as his pioneering work in radiography and wireless telegraphy. Swinton enjoyed a close relationship with his parents and his sister, Alice Susan Lucy Campbell Swinton and half-sister, Catherine Margaret Campbell-Swinton, reflected in the correspondence series [ACS/1/1 and ACS/1/2/6]. He notified Alice, in particular, of his scientific breakthroughs. Swinton spoke to his sisters of his experience of the war, offering accounts of the bombing of London and Scarborough.
He attended Cragilfield Trinity School and Fettes College, individuals from the latter appear in the correspondence series of this collection [ACS/1/1]. Swinton demonstrated an aptitude for photography in early childhood, which he pursued for the rest of his life. This collection features an extensive collection of photographs, some of which are very early examples of colour photography [ACS/6/2]. Swinton's creativity is also evident in his original poetry, which can be found in ACS/2/5.
Swinton showed an affinity for engineering and undertook an apprenticeship in the engineering works of Sir William George Armstrong (FRS 1846) at Elswick-on-Tyne between 1882 and 1887, establishing a strong professional and personal relationship with Armstrong, with whom he corresponded extensively [ACS/1/1]. From 1883 onwards, following the publication of his book 'The Principles and Practice of Electric Lighting', he began taking a special interest in the electrical aspect of Armstrong's business.
Upon the completion of his apprenticeship in 1887, Swinton relocated to London to set up an independent practice as an electrical contractor and consulting engineer. His endeavours saw him installing electric lighting in numerous country houses and working with some of the earliest companies to supply electricity. Most notable of those were the first to employ steam turbines, including the Scarborough Electric Supply Company and the Cambridge Electric Supply Company, of which latter he became managing director. He was additionally involved with Messrs Crompton & Co, of which he became chairman, and was consultant to Sir William Armstrong.
Swinton’s skill in the practical application of new discoveries marked him out as a pioneer: at the forefront of the application of electricity in Britain and the first in England to take a photograph produced by X-Rays, publishing his images in Nature (1896), within a month of the announcement of Wilhelm Röntgen's discovery, opening the door to medical application of this technology. These images can be found in this collection, both in the form of original glass plates, as photographic prints, and printed in journals and newspapers, spanning ACS/5 and ACS/6 series. He shared his observations on X-rays and cathode rays widely and before the Royal Society, as well as other learned societies. Swinton’s discovery of the high temperatures obtainable by the focusing of cathode rays resulted in a study of the luminosity of rare earths, and was demonstrated by the conversion of a diamond into coke. Swinton, in association with Sir Charles Parsons was heavily involved with the early development of the steam turbine and the construction of the 'Turbinia', a torpedo-boat destroyer, which reached high speeds of 33½ knots. Photographs of the 'Turbinia' can be found in ACS/6.
This collection reflects Swinton’s extensive social circle, comprising exchanges with eminent contemporary scientists [ACS/1/1] such as Sir William Crookes (FRS 1863), William Thomson [Lord Kelvin] (FRS 1851), Oliver Lodge (FRS 1887), and Silvanus Phillips Thompson (FRS 1891), for example. The photographic series, and personal diaries [ACS/2] evidence the status of Swinton’s London home, 40 Chester Square, as a venue for hosting numerous events and dinner parties, bringing together the most eminent men of science of the day. Swinton was responsible for introducing Guglielmo Marconi to William Henry Preece (FRS 1881), engineer-in-chief to the Post Office, which resulted in vast and rapid developments in radio telegraphy. Additionally, Swinton investigated the papers left by David Edward Hughes (FRS 1880), proving that Hughes completed successful experiments in wireless telegraphy over short distances, years prior to Hertz’s discovery. Swinton's writings on this can be found under ACS/2/6.
Swinton proposed the use of cathode ray tubes for the transmission of pictures and their reception or display, thus providing the theoretical basis for the television, but failing to patent the idea. He described it in a letter of 12 June 1908, to Nature and demonstrated his scheme to the Röntgen Society in 1911. He strongly opposed the crude and limiting mechanical equipment of the Baird Company, who pressured the British Broadcasting Company to adopt their equipment for use in routine public television, urging for the development of an all-electric system. Owing to lack of funding, inadequate research facilities to enable him to realise his idea, and subsequent progress in the field, Swinton’s contribution was overlooked, and largely forgotten.
Despite this, various posthumous efforts were made to recognise Swinton's contribution to the development of television, by individuals such as Thornton Howard Bridgewater (1908-1997), who produced a monograph on Swinton, and was instrumental in the creation of a commemorative plaque in Edinburgh, evidenced in ACS/4/10. Other individuals have worked hard to raise the profile of Swinton by delivering lectures.
Cataloguing of this collection is ongoing. |