Heinrich Daniel Ruhmkorff (1803-1877), German inventor. Ruhmkorff was born in Germany, later moving to England and setting up his own business in Paris, France, in 1855. He invented an early induction coil (patented in 1851), and was awarded a large sum of money (50,000 francs) by Napoleon III in 1864 (the Volta Prize: Le Prix Volta). Ruhmkorff was not the first to invent the induction coil (invented by Charles Page in 1834), but Ruhmkorff's success meant that it was often referred to as a Ruhmkorff coil. He Artwork from 'Electricite' (1911) by Max de Nansouty, part of the 'Les merveilles de la science' series of 1867-1891 by Louis Figuier.