Carl August von Steinheil
| Carl August von Steinheil | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
12 October 1801 Ribeauvillé, Alsace |
| Died | 14 September 1870 (aged 68) Munich, Bavaria |
| Resting place |
Alter Südfriedhof, Munich 48°07′38″N 11°33′54″E / 48.127222°N 11.565°ECoordinates: 48°07′38″N 11°33′54″E / 48.127222°N 11.565°E |
| Citizenship | German |
| Fields | Astronomy, Physics, Engineering, Mathematics |
| Institutions |
University of Munich Austrian Trade Ministry C. A. Steinheil & Söhne Deutsch-Österreichischer Telegraphenverein Trade Ministry of Bavaria |
| Alma mater | University of Erlangen |
Carl August von Steinheil (12 October 1801 – 14 September 1870) was a German physicist, inventor, engineer and astronomer.
Steinheil was born in Ribeauvillé, Alsace. He studied law in Erlangen since 1821. He then studied astronomy in Göttingen and Königsberg. He continued his studies in astronomy and physics while living in his father's manor in Perlachseck near Munich. From 1832 to 1849, Steinheil was professor for mathematics and physics at the University of Munich.
In 1839, Steinheil used silver chloride and a cardboard camera to make pictures in negative from the Museum of Art and the Munich Frauenkirche, then taking another picture of the negative to get a positive, the actual black and white reproduction of a view on the object. The pictures produced were round with a diameter of 4 cm, the method was later named the “Steinheil method.” It was the first daguerreotype in Germany.
In 1846, Steinheil travelled to Naples to install a new system for weight and measure units. Three years later, he was appointed to the Board of Telegraphy of the Austrian Trade Ministry. Steinheil was tasked with designing a telegraph network for the entire empire, and helped to form the Deutsch-Österreichischer Telegraphenverein (German-Austrian Telegraph Society). In 1851, he started the Swiss telegraph network. Steinheil returned Munich as konservator (curator) of the mathematical-physical collections and ministerial secretary in the Trade Ministry of Bavaria.
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