Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.16631

    A new kind of candlestick

    Date
    2 September 1663
    Creator
    Unknown, Artist
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Manuscript page number
    p112
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (page): 354mm
    width (page): 238mm
    Subject
    Content object
    Description
    A figure of a candlestick in a letter by Christian Huygens to Robert Moray dated 2 September 1663 [N.S], in which he describes his father, Constantijn's description of a candlestick that burns a candle more brightly than two torches together, consumes less wax, emits little smoke and needs no snuffers. The paper was read to the Royal Society on 13 August 1663.

    This manuscript is a copy of Register Book no. 2 (RBO/2i) and some letters to the Royal Society, all from between 1662 and 1664.

    The original letter in French is at EL/H1/21/001-02. Translations in English can be found in the Register Book at RBO/21/295-96 and RBO/2ii/198. There is another copy at MS/776/476-77.
    Object history
    At the meeting of the Royal Society on 13 August 1663, ‘Mons. Huygens presented a paper from his father Mons. Zuylichem, containing a description of a kind of candlestick, by means of which, the candle upon it gives more light than two torches together, consumes less wax, frees from the inconvenience of smoking in the narrowest room, and needs no snuffers. The paper was ordered to be translated from the French, and registered’ (Birch 1:300).
    Related fellows
    Christiaan Huygens (1629 - 2006, Dutch) , Natural philosopher
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > United Kingdom
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