Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.19809

    ‘Sketches at the conversazione’

    Date
    1889
    Sitter
    Shelford Bidwell (1848 - 1909, British) , Physicist
    Charles Vernon Boys (1855 - 1944, British) , Physicist
    Joseph Wilson Swan (1828, British) , Chemist
    Harry Marshall Ward (1854 - 1906, British) , Botanist
    Creator
    Paul Hermann Naumann (German-British) , Engraver
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Material
    Technique
    Dimensions
    height (print): 285mm
    width (print): 396mm
    Subject
    Description
    Portraits of eight exhibitors at the Royal Society’s conversazione, or soirée, at Burlington House, London, on the evening of 8 May 1889. All in formal evening dress. Left to right (above): Professor H. Marshall Ward, Mr. A. W. Clayden, Mr. J., Wilson Swan and Captain H. Capel Holden, R.A. Left to right (below): Mr. C. V. Boys, Mr. James Pitkin, Mr. Shelford Bidwell, Mr. Eric Stuart Bruce. Each portrait has a brief note of the exhibitor’s name and exhibit title, below.

    Full page illustration from the Illustrated London News, 1 June 1889, p.685. Captioned below: ‘SKETCHES AT THE CONVERSAZIONE OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY, MAY 8’. The print is signed lower right, ‘P. NAUMANN Sc.’

    The accompanying article (p.685) describes the exhibits of the scientists portrayed.

    Shelford Bidwell (1848-1909) British physicist and developer of telephotography.
    Sir Charles Vernon Boys (1855-1944) British physicist and inventor, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1888.
    Eric Henry Stuart Bruce (1856-1935) British inventor and aeronautical writer.
    Arthur William Clayden (1855-1944) British geologist and meteorologist.
    Sir (Henry) Capel Lofft Holden, (1856-1937) British army officer and inventor.
    James Pitkin (fl.1850-1890) British instrument maker.
    Sir Joseph Wilson Swan (1828-1914) British chemist and inventor, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1894.
    Harry Marshall Ward (1854-1906) British botanist, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1888.
    Object history
    Purchased by the Royal Society.
    Associated place
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