Registratie van elektriciteitsgolven opgewekt door een vonkinductor - Willem Cornelis van Dijk

A technical record of electrical wave patterns from a late nineteenth-century physics experiment, documenting discharges from a Ruhmkorff coil.

This print reproduces a scientific record of electrical oscillations, captured during experiments with a spark inductor. Willem Cornelis van Dijk, a Dutch physicist, documented these wave patterns to analyse the behaviour of electrical discharges. The visual evidence presented here consists of a series of rhythmic, zig-zag lines printed on a separate paper insert, which is mounted onto the page of a larger publication. The text below the image provides technical specifications, noting the use of a large Ruhmkorff coil without a capacitor, powered by ten Grove cells.

The aesthetic quality of this work lies in its stark, functional simplicity. It captures a moment in the history of physics where invisible forces were first being translated into physical, measurable marks on paper. The repetitive, mechanical nature of the lines reflects the precision required in late nineteenth-century laboratory settings. The paper shows signs of age, including foxing and the distinct yellowing of the mounted insert, which provides a tactile sense of its historical origin.

This piece is an example of early data visualisation. It moves away from artistic representation towards the objective recording of natural phenomena. The composition is minimal, focusing entirely on the wave patterns that define the electrical current. For those interested in the history of science, technology, or the intersection of empirical research and graphic documentation, this print offers a clear view into the methods of early electrical engineering. It serves as a record of the transition from theoretical study to practical application in the field of electromagnetism.