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Shan Macdonald, Curatorial assistant for Scientific Instruments selected this object from the Hunterian Museum's collection. Shan writes - Sir William Thomson (Lord Kelvin 1824 - 1907) was appointed to the position of Chair of Natural Philosophy (the subject we now call Physics) in 1846. He remained at the University of Glasgow throughout his prolific career of discovery and invention, teaching for 53 years as Professor, then Dean, and Chancellor.

Lord Kelvin is perhaps most widely known for his work on thermodynamics, including the identification of absolute zero (-213.15º Celsius) using the Kelvin scale. He was an experimental teacher who made ground-breaking patents in the areas of electricity and communications, and collaborated with eminent contemporaries such as Faraday, Joule and Helmholtz.

He was knighted in 1866 by Queen Victoria in honour of his contribution to the transatlantic telegraph cable, later taking the title of 1st Baron Kelvin of Largs. Lord Kelvin is buried at Westminster Abbey.