3 
1913-14.] Presentation of Bust of Lord Kelvin 
Two years after he joined the Society, he made his first communication, 
which was printed in our Transactions for the year 1849. It is interesting 
to note that this communication was on the subject of heat, and for ten 
years after that date he produced a series of most important memoirs 
on heat and other forms of activity, showing himself to be one of the 
most active-minded and original-minded men engaged in physical science. 
Our Transactions are a valuable record of all the early work which 
he gave to the world; and he looked upon the Society as the medium 
through which his ideas were to be submitted to the consideration of his 
fellow men of science. 
“ I can only refer to the numerous communications Kelvin made to the 
Society ; and it is interesting to note that there was a communication from 
him in our Proceedings for 1906, the year before he died. This was a 
great feature in Lord Kelvin’s intellectual career — he had an active mind 
to the end. The last communication published in our Proceedings was on 
the initiation of deep-sea waves. The sea and the deep sea exercised 
indeed an important influence over his practical career. As we all know, 
it was through Lord Kelvin’s investigations that the laying and the 
commercial working of the Atlantic cable were brought about, and his 
improved compass has been a boon to all seamen. In 1873 Kelvin was 
elected our President for the period of five years. In 1886 he was for a 
second time chosen for a similar period. He had served for four years of 
the second period when the Council of our Society received an informal 
intimation from the Council of the Royal Society of London that they wished 
Lord Kelvin to be their President. It was felt that it would be difficult 
to discharge the duties of this office if he remained President of the 
Edinburgh Royal Society. Accordingly it was suggested that we might 
be able to surrender Lord Kelvin to the Royal Society of London. This 
our Council agreed to do ; and in 1890 Lord Kelvin became their President. 
When in 1895 he retired from his Presidentship in London, he was for the 
third time appointed our President, and he continued in this office till his 
death in 1907. We can at once understand how Lady Kelvin should feel 
desirous that, so far as marble can perpetuate personality and expression, 
there should be such a perpetual memorial of her great husband in the 
building of the Society which he had adorned in the double capacity of 
Fellow and President. I ask Professor Crum Brown, as the mouthpiece of 
Lady Kelvin on this occasion, to be good enough to convey to her Ladyship 
our most devoted and hearty thanks for this admirable bust of her late 
husband, which will form one of the precious possessions of the Society.” 
