Victorian Engineers Scientists and Inventors The Victorian era

Victorian Engineers, Scientists and Inventors The Victorian era is the time when Queen Victoria was on the throne of the United Kingdom. She came to the throne in 1837 and died in 1901. People who lived during this period are known as Victorians. The Victorian age was a time of great innovation and change and produced many innovators, inventors and scientists. Innovator A person who introduces new methods, ideas or products.

Do You Recognise Any of These Victorian Inventions?

Isambard Kingdom Brunel In 1822, also Isambard tookworld’s on his first Brunel made the Born in Portsmouth, England inbiggest 1806 ship, called the Great job with his father, diggingtoatake people from Britain to Eastern. It was designed tunnel under River Australia. Thethe ship was. Thames. launched. It in 1839 but sadly never took years to Brunel make and Isambard waswas a mademany it to. Kingdom Australia. a dangerous mission, as it would famous engineer. He made many sometimes collapse on bridges, them. things, including ships, Other things Isambard However, it istunnels. still used Kingdom by trains railways and Brunel created include: today. • The Maidenhead Bridge across the River Thames Famous for making many • The Wye Bridge at Chepstow things, including ships, • Paddington Train Station bridges and railways

Alexander Graham Bell Born Edinburgh, in 1847 In in October 1876, Scotland Alexander was particularly Thomas talked to each other on interested in the different ways the telephone for the first time. thatasound could travel. In 1874, As child, Alexander always They were over two miles away Bell andtoa know skilledmore electrician wanted about the from each other at the time. called around Thomashim Watson started world and tried to working togetherbytoinventing invent what solve problems newis now known ashe telephone. things. When was 12 years In 1877, Alexander started his old, inventedcompany a machine tohis own he telephone and help the local mill owner. a invention became famous. As around Famous for inventing thank you, thereceived ownerthe ofmany the mill the world. He telephone allowed to use small for awards, Bell medals anda honours workshop to create more his inventions.

John Boyd Dunlop Born in there Dreghorn, 1840 A racing cyclist if he in could Sadly, wasasked a. Scotland problem with borrow John idea and the patent so. Dunlop’s Dunlop never then he started to the win invention, races. The became rich from John Boyd initially had the aas cyclist was Dunlop so successful, that and continued to earn his living career as a veterinary surgeon. tyres being made and sold a vet. started all over the world. In 1887, tyres he used to make Dunlop is a rubber name that many Famous for inventing the a tyre for his son’sand tricycle. people recognise associate pneumatic with tyres, tyre which are made in a variety of sizes Pneumatic for lots of different vehicles all means ‘filled with air’. over the world.

Margaret E. Knight Born in Maine, Charles USA in Annan 1838 In 1867, Margaret was employed Someone called by the Paper Bag tried to. Columbia steal her design but Companyonly and received in 1868, she Margaret took him to court and Margaret a basic invented aand machine that folded won the right tohad calltothe design education work in a cotton and own. glued paper to formher father sadly her mill as a child because flat-bottomed paper she bags. passed away when was young. She continued useful At 12, Margaretinventing witnessed an objects, including a number of accident the mill so Famous foratinventing thedecided to engines, for thedevice rest of her life. invent a safety flat bottomed paper bag for the mill machine, which is thought to have stopped it if something got caught in it.

Charles Darwin Born in in Shrewsbury, At 16, Darwin’s father England sent himin to 1809 Around 1831, Charles got the Edinburgh tototrain to become a opportunity become a naturalist doctor but he did not enjoy it and onboard HMS Beagle. He had to Charles Darwin is a famous scientist hated thecollect sight of blood! So his explore, and record known for his studies of plants father sent him to the Cambridge information about rocks, toand animals. become a vicar but that he was plants and animals theymore interested in learning about found on their trip. It was his nature and animals. He loved science at school and dream job! was always asking questions. When he was 13 years old, Evolution he Famous for his set. The up a sciencebylab in his process contributions to the which different kinds of living organisms are garden shed. to have developed from earlier forms over time. believed science of evolution

Charles Darwin In 1859, The Beagle’s Charles voyage Darwin lasted wrotefor a famous five years. book They all about travelled the things to the Galapagos he had foundislands on his travels. in South After America. 20 years When of studying, he went he ashore, had an Darwin idea thatfound the plants and creatures animalshethat had nobody collectedhad hadn’t ever always seen before! been like Hethat. took. Heseeds believed fromthat, the millions plants tooftake years home ago, with livinghim things and wrotealldown had started all of offhis in the findings. same way and had gradually, very slowly, changed. When he returned home to England, planted the seeds he In this wayhe lots of different animals hadplants bought and continued and hadback developed. This idea plants and animals. isstudying called ‘evolution’.

Thomas Edison Born inwanted Ohio, America ina 1847 Thomas towas invent light in Edison’s lightbulb patented that did not needthere oils or gas to be 1879, however, has been lit. After someover tests and Edison changes, some debate whether Thomas As a teenager, Thomas sold created a lightbulb that Edisonand really was the first to candy newspapers onperson trains. He would stay lit using electricity invent the electric lightbulb asfor other quickly became a good businessman 13 ½started hours! inventors had madenewspapers early versions and selling on the of electric streets withlamps. four assistants. Edison’s invention Famous forfirst inventing thewas completed in 1877 – the phonograph. electric lightbulb It was a machine that could record and replay sound. The sound was played through a large horn.

Thomas Edison Soon after, the car maker Henry Ford asked Thomas Edison to design a battery for a car to start itself. Edison invented a machine called a kinetograph that could crush rocks that had been brought up from the mines. He also developed the carbon transmitter that improved the sound heard down a telephone line. Thomas Edison was a very careful worker, who is now known as one of the most important inventors in history.

Lewis Howard Latimer Although Thomas Edison is Latimer also invented a America threaded Born in Massachusetts, in generallysocket credited with inventing wooden for light bulbs, the 1848 the light bulb, his design usedina first toilet that could be used paper and filament which would trains a forerunner of the air Lewis Howard Latimer was aburn Black out quickly. Latimer and improved conditioner. American engineer inventor and the newly-invented incandescent a member of Thomas Edison’s light bulb by inventing a carbon research team, which was called filament (which he patented in "Edison's Pioneers. " 1881), which made possible the widespread use of electric light Invented carbon in publicthe and at home. filament to improve the electric lightbulb

Sarah Guppy She is most famous for patenting Born inalso Birmingham, England in a 1770 She invented a bedwas with a bridge design, which used reclining feature that doubled in Telford’s magnificent Menai as an exercise machine, a a Bridge. Sarah was also mentored Sarah Guppy an method of caulking wooden. Brunel young Isambard Kingdom engineer, inventor, ships and an attachment to tea with his winning entry for the campaigner, designer, and coffee urns that could Clifton Suspension reformer, writer, poach eggs and warm toast. Bridge Competition. environmentalist and business woman! Famous for patenting a type of bridge, caulking reclining bed (among other things), as To make (a boat) watertight by sealing up well as improving many designs, such any gaps in its hull. as candlesticks and stoves

Sarah Guppy She developed a scheme for recycling roadside manures for use as farm fertilizer and suggested safety procedures for railways. Guppy also copyrighted numerous designs for improved candlesticks, stoves and other appliances. She truly was an innovative woman of her time!

George Jennings Born in Hampshire, England in 1810 At the Great Exhibition ofvisitors 1851, For ‘spending a penny’, Jennings revealed ‘Monkey would have a cleanhis seat, a towel, Closets’. They were the a comb and a shoe shine. George Jennings was anfirst public toilets that anyone had who ever seen Sounds like it plumber, was pretty good engineer and, during the 827, 280 value for the money! invented firstexhibition, public visitors paid one penny each to use flushing toilets. them. This is where the phrase ‘spending a penny’ comes from! Famous for inventing the flushing toilet

Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen Before machines were Born in x-ray Lennep, Germany in 1845 invented, and other X-rays arebroken a type bones of radiation that things had to be a can’t be seen or diagnosed felt but thatby can Have youbest everguess broken a bone? If so, doctor’s when looking at pass through the body. you probably had an x-ray atdoctors the a patient. Thanks to x-rays, hospital. were able to ‘see’ inside the body! Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was a Röntgen mechanical received theengineer first Nobel German and Prize for physics in 1901 for his work. Famous for inventing x-rays physicist, who in 1895, produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range known as x-rays.

George Washington Carver George’s parents were slaves, owned by Born in America in the 1860 s the farmers Susan andearly Moses Carver. sure exactly when) before His(we’re fathernot had died in an accident he was born and when George was just a week old, kidnappers took was him, ahis George Washington Carver sister and mother in the night, to sell Black American teacher, scientist them. His brother James was saved by and inventor. the Carvers, who then also went out to find the rest of the family. They only He became as ‘the peanut managed to known find baby George. man’, due to inventing more than 100 uses for peanuts. Famous for inventing more than 100 uses for peanuts

George Washington Carver He invented morewas thanabolished 300 products from peanuts, including In 1865, slavery but Moses and his wife, Susan, plastics, soapto and wood He even invented plantdecided paints, to continue look afterstains. and educate George anda his based brotherpetrol. in their home. George was interested in science and the arts. In 1896, George became a teacher at Tuskegee University, where he taught for 47 years. During this time, he also worked on his inventions. soap paint glue face cream wood stains medicine coffee sweets ink plastics