The Bakerian Lecture, however, has long since passed from
the region of pay to that of honour, papers of mark only being
chosen for it by the council of the Society. Faraday's first
Bakerian Lecture, 'On the Manufacture of Glass for Optical Purposes,'
was delivered at the close of 1829. It is a most elaborate and
conscientious description of processes, precautions, and results:
the details were so exact and so minute, and the paper consequently
so long, that three successive sittings of the Royal Society were
taken up by the delivery of the lecture.[3] This glass did not turn
out to be of important practical use, but it happened afterwards to
be the foundation of two of Faraday's greatest discoveries.[4]
The experiments here referred to were commenced at the Falcon Glass
Works, on the premises of Messrs. Green and Pellatt, but Faraday
could not conveniently attend to them there. In 1827, therefore,
a furnace was erected in the yard of the Royal Institution; and it
was at this time, and with a view of assisting him at the furnace,
that Faraday engaged Sergeant Anderson, of the Royal Artillery,
the respectable, truthful, and altogether trustworthy man whose
appearance here is so fresh in our memories. Anderson continued to
be the reverential helper of Faraday and the faithful servant of
this Institution for nearly forty years.[5]
In 1831 Faraday published a paper, 'On a peculiar class of Optical
Deceptions,' to which I believe the beautiful optical toy called the
Chromatrope owes its origin.
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