Edward Sonstadt

1864 'The New Metal.— Magnesium was discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1807, but remained little else than chemical curiosity until 1862-63, when Mr. Edward Sonstadt patented a series of processes, whereby it may be produced in any quantity. Magnesiumis a metal as white as silver, and very light, its specific gravity being 1.74, about one fifth the weight of copper. In the form of wire it may now be purchased at 3d. per foot at all the principle metallurgists, opticians, and photograph-material dealers. If the end of a piece of wire be held in the flame of gas or candle, it at once takes fire, and burns gently with a dazzling white light, by which a photograph may be taken with perfection equal to sunshine. The wire supplies an excellent specimen of the metal, and the burning of few inches is a brilliant and interesting experiment.'

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