Michael Faraday, physicist. Beautiful portrait engraving proof-plate c1873.

by Jeens, Charles Henry

Fine original miniature mezzotint and stipple copperplate engraving by Charles Henry Jeens (1827-1879) for a series of scientific 'worthies' c1873.

Often referred to as a chemist, Michael FARADAY (1791-1867), was an English physicist who was one of the greatist scientists of the 19th century. One of four children of an unwell blacksmith, the Faradays had a difficult life with barely enough to eat. Michael learnt basic reading, writing and mathematics in a church Sunday school. When quite young he delivered newspapers for a book dealer and bookbinder, to whom he was apprenticed from the age of 14. Faraday read some of the books brought in for rebinding, and was particularly fascinated by the article on electricity in the third edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica. 

Faraday made a crude electrostatic generator using old bottles and wood. He also built a weak voltaic pile and performed experiments in electrochemistry. Starting his professional life as a chemist, he wrote a manual of practical chemistry, discovered a number of new organic compounds, including benzene, and was the first to liquefy a "permanent" gas (i.e. one that was believed to be incapable of liquefaction). Faraday's major contribution to science was in the field of electricity and magnetism. He was the first to produce an electric current from a magnetic field, and invented the first electric motor and dynamo. He is most famous for his First and Second Laws of Electrolysis.

After an albumen carte-de-visite portrait, 87 x 57mm (3 1/2 x 2 1/4 inches), by 19th century photographers, John & Charles Watkins (active 1863-1870). The small (unnamed) portrait is printed on cream background against a white large page measuaring 440 x 290mm (17.25 x 11.5 inches). To the intaglio plate impression measures 230 x 153mm (9 x 6 inches).