University College, London: Department of Physics Class Book

Class register for the Department of Physics for the sessions 1880/81 to 1891/92.

The Department of Physics was effectively founded in 1865 when Richard Potter resigned the Chair of Natural Philosophy and his subject was shared between T A Hirst and Carey Foster as Professors of Mathematical and Experimental Physics respectively. In 1867, Hirst succeeded De Morgan in Mathematics and Carey Foster became Professor of what was now called Physics. His great achievement was the introduction of the systematic teaching of experimental physics to students. He founded new Physics laboratories, named after him, in 1893 and resigned the Chair in 1898. In 1900 Carey Foster became the first Principal of the College, an office created for him.

Open

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Presented by Dr Gibbs in July 1961.