Innovators, Engineers, and Technologists

Abstract

Moving information, goods, and people at ever-increasing speed and efficiency contributed to the innovations that brought about industrial revolutions. Memorials honor inventors in electricity and electronics, telecommunications, computation, mining and steel production, geology, chemical engineering, biotechnology, civil engineering, transportation, and innovations in chronometry as well as those who applied the new technologies for defense and invented holography. Some of the names of honorees are Leonardo, Benjamin Franklin, Sir Francis Ronalds, Lord Kelvin (again), Hertha Ayrton, Guglielmo Marconi, John Logie Baird, Charles Babbage, Countess Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing, William Smith, Henry Bessemer, Sir Charles Lyell, Alfred Nobel, Chaim Weizmann, John Rennie, James Walker, Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Sir Joseph William Bazalgette, James Henry Greathead, James Watt, Richard Trevithick, Robert Stephenson, Sir George Cayley, Count von Rumford, Sir Henry Thomas Tizard, and Dennis Gabor.

The memorials manifest the inclusiveness of the British scientific community and also of British society with regard to immigrants. Furthermore, there appears hardly any political bias in recognizing achievement as there has been hardly any in letting all those gifted and willing to work thrive. There were a few exceptions; the time of the Restoration, in the 1660s, comes to mind only to underline the lack of political considerations over time. Another negative example is the persecution of some creative individuals on account of their sexual orientation. Alan Turing is a conspicuous example whose recognition in terms of memorials is also on the rise. A point here concerns women scientists who have been underrepresented in scientific life and in memorials, but, hopefully, this is changing. It is demonstrated by a number of examples in this book that science and the prerequisite education, whether formal or self-education, aided people of disadvantaged social status in crossing social boundaries and rising to high societal positions.

A large number of memorials are presented in the following pages. There are two additional venues relatively seldom mentioned though they represent an exceptional wealth of memorials to scientists. One is the National Portrait Gallery that does not charge admission to visit where the images of many of the scientists, explorers, medical people, and innovators are on display. The other is Westminster Abbey, serving as a mausoleum for the remains of many of the most distinguished Britons and displaying memorials to many whose remains rest elsewhere. It is possible to visit it for a fee. Both these venues eminently augment our collection.

A final note concerns the titles and nationalities that our description uses. We indicate “Sir” or “Dame” as they are part of the names, but rarely others unless some exceptional circumstance warrants it. Also, we do not distinguish the national origins among the British, viz., English, Scottish, Irish, or Welsh.