Maxwell and the development of electromagnetic theorya).

This article presents an unpublished 1976 manuscript by Alfred M. Bork that serves as an introduction to James Clerk Maxwell’s foundational papers on electromagnetism, emphasizing their continued relevance. It traces Maxwell’s development of electromagnetic theory through his major early papers (1856–1868), highlighting key concepts such as Faraday’s lines of force, the electrotonic state (an early form of vector potential), the mechanical model of the electromagnetic field, and the introduction of displacement current leading to the electromagnetic theory of light. The manuscript also discusses Maxwell’s 1873 *Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism*, noting its influence on subsequent physics and its use of quaternion notation, as well as later developments by physicists like Hertz and Heaviside who reformulated Maxwell’s equations into modern vector calculus. This work provides historical context and detailed analysis valuable for researchers studying the origins and evolution of electromagnetic theory.