Søren Hjorth: Inventor of the Dynamo-electric Principle

The biography traces Hjorth's life from modest beginnings through his practical experiments and administrative career, recounting his mechanical inventions and experiments with steam propulsion, involvement in early railway projects, and sustained investigations into electricity that led him to claim priority for the dynamo-electric principle. Drawing on letters, drawings, and notebooks recently made available, the author reconstructs the development of Hjorth's ideas, evaluates successes and failures, and outlines how his technical proposals were received by contemporaries and institutions. The pamphlet combines chronological narrative with analysis of sources and includes a bibliography and documentary notes.