ABSTRACT
DeLaRuewasborninGuernsey,theChannelIsland,in1815; hewaseducatedinParisandstudiedscienceprivately.Thoughhe enteredhisfather'sstationerybusinessatanearlyage,abudding interestinelectrochemistrysoongavewaytoastronomy.Before longanamateurastronomerofsomerenown,hebecameprolificin astrophotography,specializinginlunarphotography.Laterheinvented thephotoheliographwhichheputtogoodusetakingremarkable telescopicphotographsofsolarprominencesduringatotaleclipse. In1873heretiredfromastronomy,devotinghimselftothefamily businessandturningtophysics.CollaboratingwithHugoMullerin experimentsonthestriateddischarge,DeLaRue'sphotographicprowess resultedinphotographicplatesofthedischargeofexceptionalbeautyimageswidelydisseminated.HisFridayEveningDiscourseattheRoyal Institutionontheseexperiments'wasonaheroicscale'[4-1].Preparation
for the experiments consumed 9 18 000 cells.
