Richard Carrington’s first portrait discovered: A historic find for solar astronomy

According to CNN, when solar storm eruptions burst from the sun and reach Earth, their intensity is frequently measured against a historical benchmark: the Carrington Event. A recently uncovered portrait of 19th-century British solar astronomer Richard Carrington currently offers the first known photo of the man whose name is forever connected to this record-setting geomagnetic storm.

Carrington’s Sunspot Observations

The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) archives has Carrington’s original observations of sunspots from 1853 to 1861, which are among the most in demand for viewing because they include his illustration of the 1859 solar flare.

"But researchers wanting to see a photo of Carrington have been out of luck because none was on record," Bond stated.

The Hunt for a Portrait

Bond became fascinated in Carrington after reading Stuart Clark’s The Sun Kings. In the book, Clark states that he wished he could look at a portrait of Carrington. A 2021 research paper authored by RAS fellows also cited the hunt for the astronomer’s photo. Even online investigations produced no resemblance, except for an erroneous image which belongs to British mathematician Lord Kelvin taken almost 1900, over two decades following Carrington’s death.

During a June visit to the society’s library, Bond and Hisashi Hayakawa, assistant professor at Nagoya University’s Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research in Japan, discussed what a lost Carrington portrait might look like.

Carrington and the Portrait Club

Like other scientists of that era, Carrington was a member of the Literary and Scientific Portrait Club, Bond said. All members were needed to have a portrait taken at the Maull & Polyblank studio in London. The club functioned between 1854 and 1865, in the infancy of photography.

The National Portrait Gallery lists Carrington as a member and cites that his title from 1857 to 1862, secretary of the Royal Astronomical Society. The 2021 research paper also referenced an invitation letter addressed to George Airy, the Astronomer Royal, to join the portrait club. Ten club members who had already had their images taken signed the letter, including Carrington.

Despite thorough searches across museums and archives which also included the UK’s National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Society, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas no portrait was discovored.

Discovery via eBay

In a talk with Hayakawa, Bond opted to check auction sites for Maull & Polyblank images. As a joke, she checked eBay:

"Up popped a photographic shop in the USA selling a group of these photographs and one of them had ‘the late Carrington’ written on it in pencil on the mount," Bond cited in a statement. "The seller simply listed it as ‘Photo of Mr Carrington’, but with no biographical detail. I couldn’t believe it."

The image featured a young man, about 30 years old, the age Carrington would have been in 1856, with the letters FRS, short for Fellow of the Royal Society. The photo matched the Even online investigations produced no resemblance of other Portrait Club images. Bond bought it immediately.

Confirming the Authenticity

The inscription “the late Carrington” prompted concerns, as it was written following his passing in 1875. When the image arrived, Bond found faint writing on the photo itself:

"When I had the photograph in my hands, I could see some very faint writing on the image itself," she mentioned in a statement. "I couldn’t read it: it was completely unintelligible. When we put it on a light box it became clearer, but it was back to front."

She took the image to the John Rylands Library in Manchester, England, where experts confirmed markings were an inscription applied before the print was mounted

"This matters because it says: ‘R C Carrington, Esquire for C V Walker, Esquire,’" Bond stated.

Charles Vincent Walker, a friend of Carrington who nominated him to the Royal Society, likely owned the image. Bond further said:

"The mistake of the photographer’s assistant in writing on the back of the print — damaging what would have been an expensive photograph — made identification possible."

Archiving Carrington’s Portrait

Walker’s keepsake has been included in the RAS archives. Carrington’s portrait is already visible on his Wikipedia entry.

"It is fitting that his photograph should also belong to the society — it feels like he is coming home," Bond said. "The odds of this happening I cannot tell. I don’t know how many copies of this print exist. This could be the only one, but there is the possibility that there are others out there."

The discovery of this first portrait finally offers a human face to the astronomer who observed the initially recorded solar flare, linking 19th-century astronomical exploration with contemporary understanding.

Source: CNN

FAQs:

Q1. Who was Richard Carrington?
Richard Carrington was a 19th-century British astronomer well recognized for observing the first recorded solar flare. His work linked solar activity to geomagnetic storms on Earth.

Q2. What is the Carrington Event?
The Carrington Event was the largest recorded geomagnetic storm in 1859. It caused telegraph disruptions and auroras visible around the world.