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- Herausgeber: Science & Technology Publishing
- Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
- Sprache: Englisch
Søren Hjorth: Inventor of the Dynamo-electric Principle is a comprehensive biographical and historical account that sheds light on the life and groundbreaking achievements of Søren Hjorth, a Danish engineer and inventor whose pioneering work in the field of electricity laid the foundation for modern electrical engineering. The book meticulously traces Hjorth’s early life, education, and the scientific environment of 19th-century Europe, providing readers with a vivid context for his inventive genius. Central to the narrative is Hjorth’s discovery and development of the dynamo-electric principle, a revolutionary concept that enabled the efficient generation of electrical power through mechanical means. The book details Hjorth’s experiments, patents, and the technical challenges he overcame, highlighting his 1854 patent for the self-excited dynamo—a device that would later become fundamental to the generation of electricity worldwide. Through careful analysis of Hjorth’s correspondence, patent documents, and contemporary scientific literature, the author reconstructs the timeline of Hjorth’s work and its significance in the broader history of electrical science. The book also explores the recognition—or lack thereof—Hjorth received during his lifetime, contrasting his achievements with those of more widely known inventors such as Werner von Siemens and Michael Faraday. It delves into the reasons why Hjorth’s contributions were overlooked for many years and examines the eventual acknowledgment of his role as a true pioneer in the field. Richly illustrated with diagrams, facsimiles of original documents, and portraits, Søren Hjorth: Inventor of the Dynamo-electric Principle is both a tribute to an unsung hero of science and a detailed study of the evolution of electrical technology. It appeals to historians of science, engineers, and general readers interested in the origins of the technologies that power the modern world, offering a compelling narrative of innovation, perseverance, and the quest for scientific understanding.
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Seitenzahl: 38
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025
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SØREN HJORTH
SØREN HJORTH
PREFACE.
CONTENTS.
Childhood and Youth.
The Railway.
Electricity.
Hard Times.
SOURCES.
FOOTNOTES:
Transcriber’s Notes:
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SØREN HJORTH
INVENTOR OF THE DYNAMO-ELECTRIC PRINCIPLE
BY
SIGURD SMITHC. E., M. I. F.
PUBLISHED BY »ELEKTROTEKNISK FORENING« AT THE EXPENSE OF THE CARLSBERG FOUNDATION
KØBENHAVNPrinted by J. Jorgensen & Co. (M. A. Hannover) 1912
This pamphlet is published simultaneously in English and in Danish, and is distributed among interested institutions all over the world.
Translated by F. SODEMANN, C. E., M. I. F.
Handsworth, Birmingham,Feb. 6th, 1851.
... After this wonderful force has been discovered by Your Excellency, it has been my pride and interest that also the utilization thereof should be originated by a Dane....
(Fragment of a letter from Hjorth to H. C. Ørsted.)
PREFACE.
Since the Life and Works of Søren Hjorth, the Dane was published in the Danish technical journal the »Elektroteknikeren«, in 1907, a statement concerning Hjorth’s rights of priority to the invention of the dynamo-electric principle has been sent to the leading foreign technical periodicals, viz. »Elektrotechnische Zeitschrift«, »L’éclairage électrique«, and »Electrical Engineering«. As this statement still stands uncontradicted, it seems reasonable to consider Hjorth’s priority rights to this principle to be generally acknowledged, even in the great centres of civilization. Therefore I highly appreciated the courtesy of Mr. Hjorth’s heirs, after the death of his step-daughter, Miss D. Ancker, in the autumn of 1908, in offering me an opportunity to peruse the large collection of letters, rough-copies, drawings, and sketch-books left by Hjorth, which threw new light on his interesting life and work. Where it was previously necessary to resort to guesswork alone, we are now able to base our statements on established facts and to follow Hjorth’s train of ideas almost from his first, to his last invention, and to see where he has right and where he failed.
In the following pages, an account will be given of the results of these recent researches in connection with what was previously known about Hjorth.
Charlottenlund 1911.
Sigurd Smith.
CONTENTS.
SØREN HJORTH.
Childhood and Youth.
Søren Hjorth was born on the 13th of October, 1801. He spent his childhood at Vesterbygaard, an estate rented by his father, Jens Hjorth, in Jordløse Parish, north of Tissø. His mother’s maiden name was Margrethe Lassen. Of their numerous children only two, besides Søren, survived childhood.
The parents became early aware that their son possessed great mechanical genius. He received his first education from the parish school-master. After Hjorth was confirmed, his father leased the beautiful estate Dragsholm, in Odsherred County, where he remained for many years, and after the death of his first wife, he married baroness Zytphen-Adeler.
Though he did not have an opportunity of learning much in his childhood, Hjorth succeeded in his youth in passing an examination which admitted him to the Bar. Later on he became the steward of Bonderup Estate, near Korsør, but in this position he did not feel satisfied, and in 1828 he became a volunteer in the State Treasury, in Copenhagen. In 1836, he advanced to the position of Clerk of the Exchequer and secretary. Although Hjorth’s occupation, during the last 30 years of his life, was mainly that of a civil engineer, he always continued to be addressed as Secretary Hjorth, and by this title he is still remembered by some of his surviving contemporaries.
