8 HISTORY OF ELECTRO-METALLURGY. 



but it was immediately afterwards read before the Polytechnic Insti- 

 stitution of Liverpool, at their meeting on the 13th September, 1839, 

 which was upwards of three months after the publication of Mr. 

 Jordan's letter in the London Mechanics' Magazine. Mr. Spencer's 

 paper was accompanied with specimens both of electrotypes and of 

 printing from electrotypes. The publication of this paper acted like 

 an electric shock upon society, and men both of science and art 

 became active competitors in this new field of application ; the one 

 class anxious to bear away the honours arising from some important 

 improvement the other, the profits which might follow some novel 

 application of the process to their own or some other branch of 

 manufacture. Indeed, thousands of all classes and ages, who had 

 never previously given science a passing thought, became fascinated 

 with the new art, and the process being simple and easy to perform 

 the amateurs soon became excellent electrotypists. With these 

 combined efforts, it need not be wondered at, that in a very short 

 time improvements of great scientific interest were pointed out, and 

 applications of the greatest importance to the arts and manufactures 

 of this country were introduced. In consequence, some of our old 

 and standard manufactures, as we shall subsequently have occasion 

 to notice at some length, have already been revolutionized. 



Historical Anomaly. During a period of nearly five years while 

 the country was passing through an electrotyping mania Mr. 

 Spencer held the undivided honour of being the first to apply the 

 deposition of metals to practical purposes in this country ; but early 

 in 1844, Mr. Henry Dircks, in a letter to the London Mechanics' 

 Magazine, revived Mr. Jordan's letter, and told us that he was aware 

 of its existence from the time of its first publication. We cannot 

 eulogise either the policy, or the love of scientific truth, which in- 

 duced Mr. Dircks to remain silent so long, and see the claims of Mr. 

 Jordan set aside by one whom he considered to be a mere pretender 

 to the merit of the discovery. Nor, after a careful and impartial 

 examination of all the details published on the subject, can we agree 

 to his condemnation of Mr. Spencer's prior claims. 



It is to be regretted that Mr. Jordan's diffidence, which in this 

 case was far from being commendable, prevented his setting the 

 public right upon this important matter. As a consequence, he 

 must now be content with a much smaller share of the honour of a 

 discovery than he might have enjoyed. 



On reviewing the circumstances of this discovery, it strikes us as 

 being a remarkable instance of the unity of intellectual perception in 

 reference to the general principles of Nature, and their applications ; 

 for we believe that Professor Jacobi, Mr. Jordan, and Mr. Spencer, 

 viewed the subject of electro depositions in the same light, and, 

 according to their several abilities, presented to the public the same 



