Agnes Pockels was a self-taught physicist who conducted her experiments at home, publishing her findings in numerous papers over a 40-year period. Her pioneering work on surface films laid the foundation for future work in this field.

Pockels was born on February 14, 1862 in Brunswick, Germany to Captain Theodor Pockels and his wife. Her father's service in the Royal Austrian army required the family to move many times during her childhood, including an unfortunate post in a part of northern Italy with a high malaria infestation. This stay caused serious health problems for the whole family, which persisted for the rest of their lives. When, at age 41, Captain Pockels' illness forced an early discharg from the army, he returned with family to Brunswick in 1981.

Pockels excelled in all her classes at Municipal High School for Girls. She shared a love of the natural sciences with her younger brother Friedrich...