How It Works Book Of Great Inventors & Their Creation

GREAT I NVENTORS A ND THEIR CREATION S - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Above: Reconstruction of steam does. Asystem ofvalves allowed steam to tool kit his father had given him, Watt became a
fill the cylinder, then sprayed in coldwater to skilled craftsman from an earlyage. Following a
Watt's Workshop at the condense the steam. Having to cool the cylinder year working in Glasgow, anda year in London
Science Museum, London, down for each stroke ofthe piston, and then heat learning the trade ofmaking mathematical
it up with steam ready for the next stroke, made instruments such as theodolites and compasses,
after the contents were the engine incredibly inefficient. It was this fact Watt wanted to set up his own shop. After
removed from Heath field that Watt addressed that day in 1765. repairing an instrument for a professor at
Hall, Handsworth, in Glasgow University, he was offered a room there
Early experimenting to use as a workshop, and earned a living making
Birmingham.Wattwas and selling musical instruments as well as
using the bustson the james Watt was born in Greenock, a town on the mathematical ones.
workbench to testa River Clyde, west ofGlasgow in Scotland. His
father was a ship's instrument builder. Using a In 1763, Watt began experimenting with a
machine he invented model ofa Newcomen engine. He quickly
to copysculptures-a realized just how much fuel, steam and heat
kind ofthree- Newcomen's design wasted. Watt's great idea of
1765 was the 'separate condenser'. In Watt's
dimensional photocopier. design, the steam was condensed in a chamber
connected to but separate from the cylinder. The
' Watt quickly realizedjust how
much fuel, steamand heat

Newcomen's designwasted'

52

---------------------------------------------------------}AMES ~ATT

Right: Model ofan earlySavery
pumping engine.Steam from
the boiler (left) filled the
receiver (right);water rushed
into the receiver as the steam
condensed. Water was# = =
forced up through
another pipe
when new
steam was
admitted to
the cylinder.

Above: Watt rotative engine at the Science Museum, London.
In the background is the cylinder; to the right, the speed-
regulatinggovernor; in the foreground, the flywheel.

chamberwas held at a lower temperature, so Watt made many other important
that the cylinder could remain at boiling point. improvements to steam power- including, in
Watt patented his invention in 1769. The 1782, the 'double-acting' engine where steam
engineerand entrepreneur Matthew Boulton was admitted to the cylinder alternately above
(1728-1809) went into business with Watt in 1775. and below the piston, -all choreographed bya
Their partnership lasted until Watt's retirement clever system ofautomatic valves. He also
in 18oo and completely revolutionized the use of invented a steam-pressure gauge and a way of
steam engines in industry. measuring the efficiency ofa steam engine. In
1788, he invented the 'governor', a device that
Unti11782, steam engines were still used only automatically regulated the speed ofan engine.
to pump water in coal mines. That same year,
on Boulton's request, Watt invented a way to Watt was also a respected civil engineer,
make a steam engine produce a rotary motion, working mostly on canal projects. He is credited
rather than an up-and-down motion - and the with other inventions too, including a popular
resulting 'rotative' steam engines turned out to device for making multiple copies ofletters.
be an immediate success. Before long, Watt's However, steam was his life's work. In honour of
rotative engines were installed in textile mills, his achievements in steam power, the
iron foundries, flour mills, breweries and also international unit ofpower, the 'watt', is named
paper mills. after him.

53

·---- ·~· - - 1·

I•

.1'.•

,•.•

••

•

i

•

I'

... •.....

.. I •••4'•

I •

I.

,i

•••• I•

I

~• I
•
•/

lI

·i .
r•

~- - ·-·;·-~--------L-~~~ I

__ __,,. - -- - _.._4!.·-- ---. ~ I

.}

--·-- ..

- ·- ·----

Er.rle lJt~m;YmtJ.schln~ . Af. •1:20.

rT I i ...._ ____.1...__ __,_

r._.I..-IJL....ll.-.~...!...1-.LL: 1 I L __.i......._I . . __.I_.._.I._._~7 ..

·- -t l---..... .------ --· . .. ..... IC..L.C t , 20

- &!•"

II I
l I
•l I

I• I
I
••
II
l I
I
LI
I :•.
II
~

•

'

I ,. I I
I i• I
~; ~
·~ -:~
i l't •;' 1, • .. ~
•
'il .I :..,
it: l::. ; '

I I! :
I I ' ' ~•~i;;;f'};;;;~~

i : :
nI ...
i
• 'l I
Ii , I

l•

••••

,,,.. ••

1,: ...... t. .....I• ...•' :

1 t •....... I .,."'" I
'~ ..., • •.. ... ... ... ..... -..... ..... • - ... • • I
I
_,.,,. '; . ·-- .,. --:--\..._.·.~_-_._.....:.....~..=-·.-.· ~ I t

J I

· - - - - - - -·- ...... -- ·------ - - - - · - · · · · · · - · - - · · ...... - · · · · · - - - · - · - - ...... . · - - - - - - - - - - - ...... - - - - - 4

G REAT I NVENTORS A ND THEIR CREATIONS - -- - - - - - - -

ess than 200 years ago, there was
practically no way ofproducinga lasting
image ofa scene other than by drawing or
painting it. Photography, invented by french
scientist Nicephore Niepce, has hada profound
effect on art, education, history andscience.
Nicephore Niepce was born in Chalon-sur-
Saone, france. His father was a steward to a duke,
but little else is known ofhis childhood. When he
was 21, he left home to studyat a Catholic oratory
school in Angers, where he became interested in
physics and chemistry. His first name was
originally joseph; he began using the name
Nicephore, which means 'victory-bearer', when
he joined the fight against the monarchy in the
French Revolution in 1788.
It was in1793 that Niepce first hadthe idea of
producing permanent images. Around the same
time, heand his brother, Claude (1763-1828),
conceived ofa new typeofengine that would use
explosions inside a cylinderto drive a piston.

56



GREAT I NVENTORS AND THEIR CREATIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

''He tried to projectan image onto
a printing plate, hoping to find a

way to make it permanent '

Together, they invented the world's first internal printing plate, rather than having to etch it into Above: TileLadder,
combustion engine, the Pyreolophore. Its fuel was wood or metal. Niepce couldn't draw, so he photographedc.1845 by
a highly flammable powder ofspores from a decided to try and projectan image onto the plate William FoxTalbot
fungus called lycopodium jwhich, quite instead, hopingto find a wayto make the image (18oo- 1877)· Talbot invented
coincidentally, was laterused in photographic permanent. To project the image, he turned to an the calotype process, which
flash bulbsl. They received a patent in 1807, and existing technology called the 'camera obscura'.
two years later the brothers entereda government Popularwith Renaissance artists who wanted to involves making prints
competition to designa replacement for a huge produce an accurate representation ofa scene, the from negatives.
pumping machine on the River Seine in Paris. camera obscura-literally 'darkened chamber'- is
Theiringenious idea was highly favoured by the a simple closed box or room inwhich a lens casts
judging committee, but in the end the pumping an image on a screen.
machine was never replaced.
Picture taking
Shortlyafter its invention in1796, Niepce
learned abouta new methodofprinting Niepce had some success with paper coated with
illustrations, called lithography, which allowed light-sensitive compounds ofsilver. Images did
artists to draw their design directly onto a registeron the paper, but they completely

58

_________________________________________________________ JVJCEPHOREJVUPCE

•

Above: Diagramshowing howa pinholecamera obscura works. Making the hole bigger lets more -
light in, producing a brighter image, but the image becomes blurred.Alens brings it back into
focus, and two lenses can bring the image right way up. Above:An1825copy ofan
earlier print. Niepcesoaked
blackenedwhen theywere exposed to lightas etched into the metal wherever the bitumen was the print invarnish in order
they were removed from the camera. Also, this not present, leaving a plate from which he could to make it translucent, then
process produced negatives: the parts of the paper make prints. laid it on a copper plate
where the most light fell became the darkest parts coated with his bitumen
ofthe resulting image. So Niepce tried using Three years later, Niepce began taking pictures solution. After washing the
compounds that bleach in sunlight, instead of ofscenes, rather than 'photocopying' drawings. plate in acid, he was left with
those that darken. in 1822, Niepce turned to a He dissolved bitumen inlavender oil and applied an etching, from which to
substance called bitumen ofjudea, a thick, tarry the mixture to pewter plates. Then he exposed the make this print.
substance that hardens and bleaches when plates for several hours in his camera obscura.
exposed to light. His first real successes were in The bitumen bleachedand hardenedwhere light
producing permanently etched metal plates. for fell, while the unexposed bitumen- representing
this, he placed drawings on top ofa sheet ofglass, the darkest parts ofthe image- waswashedaway
which in turn Jay on the metal plate coatedwith to reveal the dark metal below. These photos were
bitumen. After exposure to light, for days ata notnegative but positive images. The oldest photo
time, he washed away the unhardened bitumen, still in existence is View from the Windowat le
then treated the plate with nitric acid. The acid Gras (18261, an eerie image ofoutbuildings taken
from the first floor of Niepce's house.

59

(13April1771-22April1833) '

D uring the 19th century, the railways
revolutionized traveland
communication for millions ofpeople.
The coming of the railways was made possible by
the invention ofhigh-pressure steam engines by
English engineer Richard Trevithick, who also
designed and built the first steam locomotives.

RichardTrevithick was born in the parish of
Jllogan in Cornwall, England. His father was the
manager ofseverallocal mines, and Richard
spent much ofhis early life gaining practical
knowledge ofsteam engines. He did not do well at
school, but he earned an excellent reputation
after he became a mine engineer, aged 19.

At that time, working engines used steam only
at atmospheric pressure or slightlyabove.
Trevithick realized early on thatsteam under
high pressure could lead to more compact, more
powerful engines. Most people atthe time,
includingsteam pioneer james Watt (1736-1819,
see page 50), feared 'strongsteam', believing that

60

Trevlthldc'sCoalbrookdale Locomotive- the
world's first locomotive to run on rails.The
Coalbrookdalewas bUilt fora collieryin

Newcastle, In tSoJ. Thiscontemporary illustration

Is the onlysource ofinformationabout it.

61

GREAT INVENTORS AND THEIR CREATIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Above: An artist's the risks ofexplosion were too high. Trevithick Above:Trevithick's demonstration ofthe potential ofsteam
impression ofTrevithick's began experimentingwith high-pressure steam trains in Euston, London, im8o8 - latercalled 'The Steam
in the1790s, and by1794, he had built his first Circus·.The locomotive was called Catch-Me-Who-Can,
London Steam Carriage of boiler designed to withstand high pressures, because - toshow that travel bysteamwould be faster -
1803,which was the world's from heavy cast iron. Trevithick raced it ina 24-hour raceagainst horses, andwon.
first reliableself-propelled
passenger-carryingvehicle. In 1797, Trevithickbuilt a model steam carriage In1803, Trevithick builtanother road vehicle,
-and by1801, he had builta full-size one, which he demonstrated in London. It attracteda
It had a topspeed ofabout15 nicknamed the 'Puffing Devil', which ran lot ofattention, but itwas more expensive, noisier
kilometres per hour19 miles successfullyin Camborne, Cornwall. However, and more inconvenient than horse-drawn
per hour}on the flat, and the Puffing Devil was destroyed in an accident so, carriages, andwent no further. In the same year,
in 1802, Trevithick designed a locomotive that one ofTrevithick's boilers exploded in
weighed abouta tonnewhen wouldrun on rails. At the time, rails were used Greenwich, London. This event could have set
with horse-drawn wagons, mainly in order to back hiswork; insteadTrevithick inventeda
fully laden. transport coal from mines to ports for onward safety device, a 'fusible plug', that he publicized
shipping.Trevithick's locomotive, built by the but did not patent, in orderto promote high-
celebrated Coalbrookdale Ironworks, was pressure steam.
possibly the first locomotive to run on rails.
However, little is known about the locomotive, Steam trains
and onlya single letterand drawing relating to
it survive. The world's first steamtrain- carriages pulled by
a locomotive- was the result ofa bet. The owner
ofthe Pen-y-Darren ironworks in MerthyrTydfiL
Wales, bet the manager ofa neighbouring
ironworks that a steam locomotive could be used
to pull carriages filled with iron from his premises
to a canal16 kilometres (9 miles) away. The

/\lthouotl Richard Trev1th1c" laid the loundat,ons of
tlw 'a1ivva~ 1t wa~ Pot U11lil tl!e !820s ~ hal ptople

began w see steam trains as .· sen0us alterna1 ive t
.~.

il(n se· urawn transoon h.; f!rst P.llhlic railw,>y

designed from the start ro use steam !)Ower was

OP.ened between Stockton anrl Darlingmn. 1

no' thern Enyland, in\825. Jwo of the shar.,llolders
ana eng1neers on rhat t1rst r.lllvvav.NE"r.;fath~r and
son George 178\ \848) anci H•)bert SteP.henson
(1803-1859).

62

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RICHARD T REVITHICK

ThePen-y-Darren Locomotive, • ·-

builtin 18o4, pulling wagons.
The locomotive was formed by
lifting one ofTrevithick's
existingstationary engines
onto wheelsatthe Pen-y-
Darrenironworksin Wales.It
·ran only three times, because
itwas too heavy forthe iron
rai Is.Afterthe engine's trials,
the railway returned to using
horse power.

..... He builta circulartrackin Euston, London, to Below: Trevithick built the
promote the idea ofsteamtrains. Itwas the first ·nue boiler', in which
world's first fare-paying passenger railway '
hot exhaustgases pass
carriages were normally pulled by horses, so the who paid five shillings for the privilege Uater
rails already existed. Trevithick built a reduced to two shillings). It pulled a single through tubes inside the
locomotive, and in February1804, it successfully carriage at speeds ofabout20 kilometres per hour water tan kand out through
pulled 10.2 tonnes 110 tons) ofiron and about 70 112 miles perhour).
people the full distance. Although the rails broke the chimney.The
inseveral places underthe weight, the concept of Trevithickalso built a steam-powered high -press ure s team
steam trains was proven. Ayearlater, Trevithick dredging machine; he powered a barge using one
built a lighter locomotive for a colliery in ofhis engines; and in 1812, he even builtan produced made possible
Newcastle, butalthough itworked, it was not put engine to thresh corn. in addition to this, he more compact engines.
into service. inventedan early propeller for steamboats and a
device for heating homes, and he worked as an
In 1808, Trevithick built a circulartrack in engineer ona tunnel under the RiverThames in
Euston, London, to promote the idea ofsteam London, as well as on various projects in the silver
trains. This was the world's first fare-paying mines ofSouthAmerica. However, itis his
passenger railway. Fromjulyto Septemberthat pioneering contributions to the birth ofthe
year, Trevithick's locomotive, the Catch-Me-Who- railways for which RichardTrevithickwill
Can, ran around its track carrying passengers be remembered.

63

G REAT I NVENTORS A ND THEIR CREATIONS - - -- - - - - - -

(22 September1791-25August1867)

lectric motors, generatorsand
transformers have helped to define the
modern world. English chemistand
physicist Michael Faraday made the first
examples ofeach ofthese devices. More pure
scientist than inventor, Faraday nevertheless had
a practicalbent, which led him to find innovative
ways of using some of the incredible things he
created in his laboratory.
Michael Faraday was born in Newington Butts,
in London. Unlike most scientists ofhis day, he
was not born into a wealthy family and did not
benefit from much formal education. At the age of
13, his family securedan apprenticeship for him
as a bookbinder.
Faraday took the opportunity to read many of
the books he bound, and from these he developed
an interest in science.ln 1812, he was given tickets
to a lecture by English chemist Humphrey Davy
(1778-t82gl, who wasabout to retire from the
Royal Institution in London. Keen to move out of

64



GREAT INVENTORS AND THEIR CREATIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

bookbinding, Faraday wrote up his notes from the phenomenonto make an electric motor, but they
lecture, bound them and presented them to Davy could not get it to work.
in the hope ofbeing offereda job. Then, whena
positionbecame available, Davy employed Later in 1821, Faradaysucceededwhere Davy
Faraday as his assistant. and Wollaston had failed. He suspended a wire
over a magnet in a cup ofmercury. The wire
Other scientists rotated around the magnet whenever electric
current flowed through it, because ofthe
After Davy's retirement, Faraday travelled across interaction between the magnetic field produced
Europe with him, meetingsome ofthe most by the wire and the magnetic field ofthe magnet.
important scientists ofthe day. On his return, Crude though itwas, this was the precursor ofall
Faraday experimented in the field ofchemistry, electric motors, which today are found in washing
making several discoveries and inventing the machines, drills anda host ofother machinesand
earliest version of the Bunsen burner.Achance appliances. When Faraday published his results,
discovery in1819/20 by Danish experimenter he failed to credit Davy, and the resulting fuss
Hans Christian 0rsted (1777-1851) was to take caused Faraday to stop working on
Faraday ina newdirection. 0rsted had discovered electromagnetism until after Davy's death in1829.
thatwhenever electric current flows, it produces
magnetic forces. In 1821, Davyand his colleague ln1831 in the basement ofthe Royal Institution,
William Wollaston (1766-1828) tried to use this Faraday made a series ofgroundbreaking
discoveries with batteries and wires. First, he
''Faraday succeededwhere Davy
and Wollaston had failed

66

_________________________________________________________ AfJCHAELF~AY

Left: Replica oftheapparatus
used by Faraday in1831that

..__ _ _ _ch~anges movement energy into
- electrical energy.
Below: Faraday's Giant Electromagnet (1830), under the table in
a mock-up of his Iabat the Royal Institution, London.Faraday
discovered materials like waterand wood are repelled weakly
bya strong magnet - a property called 'diamagnetism'.

discovered thata magnetic field produced by wire spinning close to a Above: Replica of Faraday's
electric current in one wire can create, or 'induce', magnet's poles. Today, induction ring- the world's
electric current inanother wire nearby. Faraday generators thatsupply first transformer, consisting
wound two long insulatedwires arounda circular huge amounts ofelectric oftwo long wires coiled
iron ring, which intensifiedthe effect; what he power from power around an iron ring.A
had made was the world's first transformer. Today, stationsand wind turbines changing electric current
transformers are a vital part ofthe electricity can trace their lineage flowing in one coli produces
distribution network, and they are also found in directly back to Pixii's design. a changing magnetic field in
many home appliances, including mobile-phone the iron ring, which induces
chargers and televisions. Jn addition to his research and
his inventions, Faraday instigated avoltage in the othercoil.
Amonth later, Faraday fixed a copper disc regular Friday discourses and the celebrated
between the poles ofa strong magnet and Christmas lectures at the Royal Institution; he
attached wires to the disc, onevia the axle and himselfwas an inspiring lecturer. Later in his
one viaa sliding contact. When he rotated the career, Faraday campaigned to clean up air and
disc, an electric currentwas produced in the river pollution, and he was called upon to improve
wires. Thiswas the world's first electric generator. lighthouse technology and to investigate mining
Ayear later, french instrument maker Hippolyte disasters. The most important contributions
Pixii (1808-1835) read about Faraday's discovery Faraday made, however, were those he made in
and made an improved generator using coils of the basement ofthe Royal Institution.

67

/!_/'

//, . ~r

'

•

("·/"/ j_,/' ... v --c/.,•~, ~f./,../ ~,-f_/ _.,,/... _•. ; / ~ ~41 •'.;l / ,......-/r..--.- "} . ?1~~

~/'"c.-/ /'

l /.. h •·· , ...,, -:/?t ' .../..'r..t~7.,,/.,,,~/ - -/ " //4rr /- __.. G_o~ //.,LJ4..-. .... 1 ,.,._v"/i:. ,....__...../_ ·

'

,. ;y,.... L~/._

(• I , 4- _ _/,jf ,..7/,.•.A.-V
/J :.7 t ?£c ,.~· .-v~/ , , ;{!'~..J'-£ /--~ . . . L .,j

7&A d~ /· ~/,~I /t _/.:x.l --~

//{' ·7 -(_,~ .._jL//-J~1-:;j ~~~~7 ~~1- ._-L 4.£."' .-:;f ~ ~
--/4 A ..L /-- /.'7 -;d! @
-~ ,¢.,1

.N

•

•

j~JI vf//1 J ,._d /f1 / - • .-~

_ ._

I!L~ ..- _1,· . .J!t ~-~~-16 -#-~ ~ _.; ... ~':/LP~.?

#~-- I ¢ #/' ~~-*

•I

••

\ J----

• ...

\•• .0 ')

'1..•

. ~~/ ... ,~/. ,{

$

\~

'

-- - .... •

- o ... ~~

~.

•

----~--

!.rr ,_':) -. - ./.-/ .,.d_
•
'

!Ill j(/1 5

··-- ---

qs • ..

:C" ' ..•.. .•. • •

-7 •

• •,_

~ ::-~ --4 1

iI

••

G REAT I NVENTORS A ND THEIR CREATIONS - -- - - - - - - -

(26 December1791-18 October1871)

ong before the invention ofthe modern
computer, a determined genius named
Charles Babbage designed machines that
would carry out complicated mathematical
operations, and invented the world's first
programmable computing device. Babbage was a
brilliant mathematician, but healso contributed
to the development ofbusiness efficiencyand
railway travel.
As a child, Babbage was extremely inquisitive.
In his autobiography, he wrote thatwhenever he
had a new toy, he wouldask his mother "What's
inside it?" and broke things open to find out how
they worked. This curiositygave him an early
understanding of machines and mechanisms.
In 1810, he wentto study mathematicsat Trinity
College, Cambridge University. Atthe time,
mathematiciansand engineers completely relied
on books filled with tables ofnumbers in order to
carry out calculations. There were tables of
trigonometric functions (sine, cosine and tangent)

72



GREAT I NVENTORS AND THEIR CREATIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

and tables of logarithms. The books contained Above: Babbage'scollection ln1822, Babbage presented to the Royal
hundreds oftables, and each table contained of mathematical tables. His Astronomical Societya proposal to build a
thousands ofnumbers. The values in the tables engines were designed to calculating machine. The societygranted
were worked out by hand, by 'computers'- a word make these redundant. Babbage money to set about making his machine,
that then meant 'people who compute'. In1812, and he hired an engineer to oversee the job. In a
Babbage moved college, to Peterhouse. In the Top right: Babbage's workshop close to Babbage's house, with
library there, he realized that there were large Difference Engine No.1. It machine tools painstakingly designed by
numbers ofmistakes in the numerical tables, and was built in 1832 byjoseph Babbage himself, the engineerset to work. It was
that these mistakes were down to human error. At Clement, a skilled toolmaker an enormous task, and Babbage repeatedlyasked
the time, various mechanical calculating anddraughtsman. Itwas a for, and was granted, more money from the
machines existed, butthey were limited in what decimal digitalmachine; the British Government.
they could do. As such, Babbage envisageda value ofa number
machine thatwould beable to calculate these represented by the positions The Difference Engine
tables at speed as well as remove the risk of of toothedwheels marked
human error. with dedmal numbers. Babbage called his proposed device the
Difference Engine. It was never finished, because
''He envisageda machine that ofa dispute between Babbage and the engineer-
would calculate tables at speed and and perhaps also because it wasso complicated.
remove the risk ofhuman error The Government officially abandoned the project
in1842. Babbage later improved his design, which
he called Difference Engine 2.ln 1991, London's
Science Museum followed Babbage's design and
constructed it; in 2005, theyadded a printer that
had also been part of Babbage's original design.
Both machines worked perfectly.

In1827, his father, his wife and one ofhis sons
died, and Babbage stopped work and took time to
travel in Europe. While he was travelling, he

74

--------------------------------------------------------- C~s BABBAGE

Above: Babbage'scowcatcher in use on asteam locomotive in • - _~ -,.·.•-.----------------
Pakistan's North-West frontier Province.The concept was
used on trains around theworld. >,

dreamed up a more general calculating machine, . . ·-,.!
whichwould be able to follow sets ofinstructions.
Babbage envisaged a machine thatwould have ••
input via punched cards, would be able to store
answers, and would have a printer thatwould ••
output the results. By1835, he had produced the
first ofmany designs for an 'Analytical Engine'- • ...· ·-...
the forerunner to the modern programmable
computer. His design was expressed in 500 large •
engineering drawings, a thousand pages of
engineering calculations and thousands ofpages ••
ofsketches. Unfortunately, this machinewas also
never finished. • •

Babbage's designs inspired the pioneers ofthe • •
modern computer, and this is what he is
remembered for, but he also had a significant \
influence on other fields. While he was travelling
in Europe in the 182os, Babbage toured factories •· •
and studied the manufacturing process. In1832,
he published a book called On the Economy of •
MachineryandManufacture, which was the
beginning ofstudies into the efficiency of -•
business and industry- what is now called
operational research. He applied his methods to •I
mail in Britain, and the resultwas the world's first
cheap and efficient national postal system.

He also studied the efficiency ofthe railways,
which were in their infancy then. He invented a
special carriage filled with equipmentthatwould
record the bumps in the tracks duringa journey,
and a device to move objects offthe trackahead of
a train- affectionately calleda cowcatcher.

75

Design drawing. 1840, or 1'\ ,~ ~ t:
Babbage'sAnalytlcal ::: " p0
Engine, showingthe !<)0000; 0 ~ "
incredibly complex rr
arrangementorgears. Had It ;ooooo: .- ~XI • ..11
been built, this would have
been therirsttruly vv ..
automaticcalculating IIIII
machine. Babbagelntended ~
the machine to be powered
bya steam engine. ••• "',:. • ... 'l •
•
d
II f

•, , •

, • ,,,,

~t'7# ,,,.~~
./

,

•

•

I

•

®• '

- r

•

-----·'-. t • •

•

•
"' o: g ggg g a ; "' -0 .0 0[
L'l t<O~oOo~Oo§QoO!o~mom::soggogooosoCgo>ogOoOgoOgoOogOoOgo'go! r~;

~ gOOoOOo<IO§OoOOoOOtOmOOOiO§OO-OOft ~
-000
0000.0000000000 ; 000000000000 00

vv v

II1111 1

•

••• •

•••• . _,·'• ... ..

I• ,·. ',' ' •

I•

. ..0 .· ~·,

--'• .,.
•I
•••• •

0

• • •

r lrlllllll -11 II 1111111111

• .. \

J

•

GREAT I NVENTORS AND THEIR CREATIONS - -- - - - - - - - - - - 1 = =

•

(5 April1827-10 February1912)

ntil the late19th century, patients
undergoing even minorsurgery had
about as much chance ofdying
afterwards as they did ofsurviving. English
surgeon joseph Lister dramatically improved
patients' chances in the 187os, by introducing
antiseptics into surgery.
joseph Lister was born in Upton, in Essex,
England, to a wealthy Quaker family. His father
was a man ofscience, who made significant
improvements to microscope design. joseph
studied the arts and then medicine at University
College, London. Although born and educated in
England, he spent most ofhis career in Scotland.
In 1856, Lister became anassistantsurgeon at
the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Four years later,
hewas appointed ProfessorofSurgery at Glasgow
University Medical School. In 1861, Listerwas put
in charge ofa new buildingwithsurgical wards at
Glasgow Royal Infirmary. At the time, around half
ofthe patients died as a result ofsurgery- open

78



GREAT I NVENTORS A ND THEIR CREATION S - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Above: F'renchchemistand wounds often festered, becomingbadly infected an easy connection to make. But it badly missed
microbiologist Louis Pasteur and inflamedand full ofpus. Untreated, this the point: believing that pollutedair caused
in an 1885 painting by Albert 'wound sepsis' was often life-threatening. The disease, surgeons carried out operations without
Eledfelt (1854-1905).ln the prevailing explanation ofinfection was the washing their hands andsurgical wards were not
187os, Pasteurcarried out so-called 'miasma theory': the idea that polluted kept clean.
experiments that airwas the cause ofdisease. In the filthy air ofthe
highlighted the existenceof disease-ridden cities of the 19th century, tills was Impressive results
airborne microbes.
In 1865, Lister read a report by French chemist and
microbiologist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)
suggesting that fermentation and rotting are
caused byairborne micro-organisms. Pasteuralso
showedhow micro-organisms can be killed by
heat, filtration or chemical attack. When Lister
heard of Pasteur's work, he realized that airborne
micro-organisms might actually be causing
wounds to turn septic. He had heard that carbolic
add (phenol, C6H50H) had been used to stop
sewage from smelling bad, and had also been
sprayed onto fields, where it reduced the
incidence ofdisease in cows. And so, he and his
surgeons began applying carbolicacid solution to
wounds, and using dressings that had been
soaked ina the same solution. In 1869, he
developed a spray that would fill the air with
carbolicacid- the aimbeingto kill airborne
germs. Lister also told his surgeons to wash their
hands before and after operations and to wash
theirsurgical instruments in carbolic acid
solution. His results were impressive: his surgical
wards remained free ofsepsis fornine months,

••
emmelweb realized that the CIOCLOr
no studems whc drd not wash tileir ·

80

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - J OSEPH L ISTER

Left:Carbolic acidsolutionspray, used to sterilize
toolsand openwounds, as pioneered byjoseph
Lister.This example is from France; French
surgeons quicklyadopted Lister'ssterilesurgical

procedures, in part because it had saved
many lives in the Franco-Prussian war.

and Lister had proved that carbolic acidwas an Right: Glasgow slum, 1868. Above:joseph Lister, centre,
effective antiseptic. As inalllargecitiesatthe directingthe use ofhis
time, poorsanitationand carbolicspray duringa
Othersurgeons were slowto copy Lister's overcrowding led to the surgical operation, around
procedures, largely because many were reluctant spread ofinfectious 1865. Note the use ofa cloth
to accept the idea that disease canbe caused by diseases.Thisgave rise to soaked in etherasan
micro-organisms-an idea known as the 'germ the miasma theory, in a naesthet ic (left).
theory of disease'. When, gradually, surgeons did which 'foulair' was
begin using his techniques, post-operative blamed for disease. The
survival rates increased dramatically. It was after miasma theorywas
surgeons in the Franco-Prussian War oft870-1871 eventuallysuperseded by
used Lister's techniques, saving the lives ofmany
wounded soldiers, that Lister's fame spread across the germtheoryofdisease.
Europe, and he began to receive the recognition
he deserved. In18n Lister moved back to King's LawsonTait(1845-1899) defined modern aseptic
College, London, where he managed to convince surgical practices- even though he was not
many ofthe still-scepticalsurgeons by convinced ofthe existence ofgerms. Lister's
successfully performing a complex knee pioneering investigations into wound sepsis, his
replacement operationthat had nearlyalways application ofthe germ theory ofdisease and his
proved fatal. He continued to experiment success in reducing mortalitymake his
tirelessly on improving surgical techniques and contributions to surgery ofutmostimportance.
reducing mortality until his retirement in 1893-

Although Lister is famous for his antiseptic
methods, he also worked on 'aseptic' ones:
attempting to keep operating theatres free of
germs rather than killing them. Scottishsurgeon

81

GREAT INVENTORS AND THEIR CREATIONS - - - - - - - - - ----+- - - - - - - - - -

(21 October1833-10 December1896)

F ewscientists have left a legacy more noble
than Alfred Nobel. This Swedish chemist
not only invented dynamite, butalso
urged otherscientists to explore newavenues of
study by establishing the world's most
prestigious accolade for intellectual achievement:
the Nobel prize.

Since the award was founded in 1901, the
greatest minds have been rewarded for their
services to the advancement ofscience and other
arts. This peer-assessed award, Nobel hoped,
would inspire people to push the boundaries for
the benefit ofhumanity. Past winners include
such geniuses asAlbert Einstein, Marie Curie and
Alexander Fleming.

AlfredBernhard Nobelwas born in Stockholm,
Sweden, on 21 October1833 to Immanueland
Andriette. His mechanical engineer father
enjoyedvarying degrees ofsuccesswith a
number ofinventing and manufacturing business
ventures. In 1837- however, Immanuel left in

82

·- - ALFRED NoBEL

In the first20yearsalter
dynamite was patented,
66,5ootonswasproduced

acrosstheglobe.

83

GREAT INVENTORS AND THEIR CREATIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

he lrtmP. of thl5 .ate1 1ai? Dynam1te.

search ofbetter fortune in Russia. By1842 he had Nobel spent manyyears
establisheda profitable business producing inventing and developing
equipment for the Russian military, and so the
rest ofthe Nobel family moved outto join him. detonation devices '

Togetherwith his three brothers- Robert, set up a small factory in which he began to
Ludwig and Emil - Alfred was home-educated by manufacture an exciting but highlyvolatile
private tutors. Taking a cue from his explosive called nitroglycerin, which had
entrepreneurial father, who also designed and recently been inventedbyanother of Pelouze's
made mines, Alfred developed a talent for students: Ascanio Sobrero. While Nobel
chemistry - and explosives in particular. In1850 recognised the industrial potential ofthis
Alfred travelled to Paris to study chemistry under explosive, the use ofnitroglycerinwas just not
French professorTheophile-Jules Pelouze, who practical due to its unstable nature. The challenge
had been carryingout experiments using was to find a way to control nitroglycerin so it
concentrated nitric acid to develop explosive could be safely handled.
materials in his laboratory.
Nobelspent many years perfecting the formula
Explosive experiments for his explosives, as well as inventing and
developing detonation devices. Eventually his
On his return to Russia Nobel beganworking in research led him to discovera way to make
his father's factory manufacturing military nitroglycerin stable and practical for the
equipment for the Crimean War.Once the conflict construction and mining industries. This
was overin 1856, the company struggled to turn a
profitand, by1859, the firm had gone bust, forcing
the Nobelsto return to Sweden. Alfred's two elder
brothers, Robert and Ludwig, remained in Russia
hoping to salvage whatwas left of the business.

Alfred, meanwhile, started experimenting
with explosives in his father's lab. By 1862 he had

84

------------------------------------------------------------ ALFREDlVOBEL

- . - I ,, • • u #

. _...,

....... ,..,./ ... ... ..__
*""'-···"'- ••_ ..... ..c.("•• ··-
~--

. . .. .:;1/ ... ......... ......~" ... .c-- ..... , ..:
-· -.•,--;·r-··-· 1(...·~-- _,. .,
•
. '-.-~~
.
IV•~ _. ... _.,. • , •• ";)'Y'- ..,.., ,..... • ..,.._.._...,.

~- r-:':- - .,. -.....a. • ,

·- ,....~ • ·- H'" --M•-"-•- ...;" .-•· - •· ~
' - ., ~- ·"';;'' - - - - - ,.,;!;. ~ ~- -·~·

• v:...u - ~-~

"?/]//. /

Above: Nobel's application for patent, regarding his percussion
cap and principles for initial ignition ofnitroglycerine.

developmentwas the invention ofdynamite (see Above: CCC crew member loading a hole underastump with dynamite,
The big idea' boxout), for which Nobel obtained Lolo NationalForest(Montana}.
the patent in1867. With a commercial product on
his hands, Nobel became a wealthy man at the
heart ofa brand-new industry. He established
some 16 factories for producing explosives in
almostas many countries.

Nobel diedat the age of63 ofa heart attack at
his home in San Remo, Italy. Without the help ofa
lawyer, a year before his death Nobel hadsigned
his last will and testament. ln it he bequeathed
much ofhis wealth to the establishment ofan
annual prize that he hoped would stimulate
scientific progress. In this document he wrote:
The whole ofmy remaining realisable estate
shall be dealt with in the following way: the
capital, invested insafe securities by my
executors, shall constitute a fund, the interest on
which shall be annually distributed in the form
ofprizes to those who, during the preceding
year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit
on mankind.'

85

GREAT INVENTORS AND THEIR CREATIONS - - - - - - - - - - -

(25 November1844-4April1929)

T he person responsible for designing the
first true motor car, German engineer
Karl Benz, had no idea what effect his
invention would have on the world. By
increasing mobility, less than 100 years after the
rise of the railways, the motor car once again
revolutionized patterns ofwork, play and the
distribution ofgoods, and its rapid uptake in the
2oth century changed the landscape very
quickly and dramatically.

Karl Benz was born in Karlsruhe, Baden (now
in Germany). His father died when Karl was just
two years old, but his mother encouraged him
greatly, working hard to put him through
grammarschool and the Karlsruhe
Polytechnische Schute (Institute ofTechnology).
It was his dream from very early on to invent a
form of transport that would run without horses
and off rails.

The idea ofself-propelled road vehicles was
already popular before Benz was born. Some

86



GREAT I NVENTORS AND THEIR CREATIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Above: Replica of Benz's engineers had made 'cars'- mostlysteam invented in1859 by Belgian engineer Etienne
patent motor car, showing carriages and electric vehicles; all of themwere Lenoir (1822-1900).
the single-cylinder, adaptations of horse-drawn carts and none was
four-stroke engine, particularly effective. The most crucial invention The next step towards motor cars proper was
horizontalflywheel and belt in the development ofthe motor car was the the 'four-stroke' engine designed by German
drive.The original ran on internal combustion engine. In a steam engine, inventor Nikolaus Otto (1832-1891) in 1876. The
ligroin, a mixture of the combustion- the fire that heats the steam- is four strokes- intake ofthe fuel-air mixture;
hydrocarbons verysimi Jar produced outside the cylinder. The first practical compression of that mixture; ignition; and
to petrol. Also visible are the engines in which combustion took place inside exhaust- still form the basis ofpetrol engines
fuel tank, in the foreground, the cylinder, and drove a piston directly, today. Otto's engine was the first real alternative
appeared in the 185os. The most important was to the steam engine.
and the cooling water tank.
Motoring dreams

Karl Benz closely followed developments in
engine design after leaving college, and worked
towards his dream ofbuilding a motor car. He
had been employed on mechanical engineering
projects, and in1871 had moved to the nearby
city of Mannheim.In the 187os, Benz designed a
reliable two-stroke petrol engine (in which the
four operations of the four-stroke engine are
combined into one upward and one downward
stroke), for which he was granted a patent in
1879. Four years later, he formed a company with
two other people: Benz & Company Rheinische
Gasmotoren-Fabrik. The company began as a
bicycle repair shop, and quickly grew when it
began making machines and engines.

Benz & Company did rather well, giving Benz
the time and the confidence that he needed to

88

KARL B ENZ

pursue his dream. By the end of1885, Benz's car powered vehicle, and not simplyas a cartwith an Above: By t888, Benz had
was finally ready. It was a three-wheeled engine attached. improved his design, and
carriage powered by a single-cylinder four- began producingcars in
stroke engine, which he had created specially. After a few improvements, including the greater numbers. French
Benz's motor car incorporated several very world's first carburettor, the first Benz Patent engineerand entrepreneur
important innovations ofhis own design. These Motorwagen was sold in 1887. Benz began Emi le Roger, in Paris, held
included an electric starter coil, differential production of the car, and advertised it for sale in the sole rights to sell
gears, a basic clutch and a water-cooling system 1888; it was the first commercially available Benz's cars outside
for the engine. Despite his hard work and his production car in history. Uptake was very slow, Germany, and helped to
obvious brilliance, Benz had not quite worked however, so Benz's wife Bertha (1849-19441 popularize the vehicle.
out how to achieve steering with four wheels. He decided to try to raise awareness. In August1888,
therefore took the easy option and had three she drove with her two sons from Mannheirn to
wheels, the single front wheel being turned by a her home town ofPforzheim and back- this was
'tiller'-type handle. a total distance ofnearly 200 kilometres (12o
miles). The stunt generated a great deal of
Benz applied for a patent in january1886, and publicity - and thanks at least in part to that
itwas granted in November of thatyear. His publicity, Benz's Motorwagen ended up
application was successful because his motor car becoming a real success. The age of motoring
had been designed from the start as a self- had begun.

89

KAISERLICHES PATENTAMT.

PATENTSCHRIFT

N2 37435 -

BENZ & CO. tN MANNHEIM.

Fahrzeug mlt Gasmoloreobetrleb.

Patutin lm llutteheft Rdtht vom •9 JMuo.r tl!6 ab.

Vorlicgcn.lc Construction bezwt.:kl den Be· S)'Siem 1, wcrd~'ll don 7.Um ~trofsttn TI1dl

uieb h•uptSI.:hli.:h lei.:httr FuhrwcrLe un.l conJ•n•irt un I tretcn "icJcr :ol~ \V.1<>er untcn

klc'"'' S..hilfc, "it M)l,hc zur 6cfUr.lcru:t0 in Jcn Cyi10J<e cin lxr nodu •OIHICJt>tnc

'on 1 ~i) 4 Penonen •en-cnJtl \\tr<kn. D3mJ1f emwet.:hl dur..:h dt.: Ocll:lung 2.
Oat :tum Bctt ocb d~:s Moto,. nOthigc Go.s
Auf der beiliescnden Zci~hnung ist tin Utiner
"ird au> kidn •crdun,tcnd~'ll Oclen, wic
\\'ogen ""'h An der Tricyde$, rur :: Penoncn
Li~troin, Jnrgutclh. Um •lets cin sleich·
ert..&ut. dargem~llt. Ein kleiner GMmotor,
'l~idiVid wcl.:hen s~·••m, dicnt Dis Triebkr.,r. maf-iges GaSf;cmcnsc zu crhohtn, ist es n6thig,
lkrsdbc erhlh "'"' G11> JU~ conem rntlzu ·
fbhrcnJen App:>rot , in wekhcm G;a nu• dafs ncbcn dcm ~tlckhmll(~i~tw Lufttullill und

Ligroin oJtr onJcrcn verga3Cndcn Stolfcn cr· der gleid1 l10hcn Tempcnnur des l.it~roin&

l<Uill wirJ. Der Cylinder de~ \lo1ors wir.i ~ud1 Jcr Swn.J .lea lctttcocn im Kupfcrk~'>~>cl-t
durclo VerJompfcn von \\'u.er auf glei~her
ein mO).tli<hSI ~ltidltr >ei. Ulld ill LU diC:>CIO
Tempc:ntur gehnhen.
Zweck der Vorrntlubchultcr ~ mit dem Kul'fer-
Dtr Mo1or is1 in der Weise ongeorJnct
worden, do(s •~in S.:hw1.1ngraJ in cincr hori ku~el 4 t.lurde cine enge Hohre o, die in ein
zomolen l~benc M.:h drcln und Jic Krofl dur.lt wcite< \IVo•~er.eandii!ID\ 7 munJcr, vcrhunden
~wei Kc~tclrl!Jer auf .tic Triebrlld<r tll>cnr4gen
..,jr.J, llicnlunh cncidn mon ni<hl nur vull · An dcr 1\dhrc l$1 cin kleincr llohn 8 on-

51llndiftc l.en~bJrl..cil de., Fohrr.cugeJ, $Ondcrn Jicbracht, urn den Zulluh nodt 13cuurl regulirtn
uo kl1nn. n l)ur~h die CIP.,dhro i•t du
auch Sid1erhtit t;egcn ein Ln1follen dts$elbcn
trQpfcuwei>e l~io urttcn <lcs frisdtcu Lig• oius
llcim fuhrcn !.Ieiner Curvcn odcr bel Hinder·
wnhrzunthmcn und zuglcich der Sund des•
niMcn nut Jcn Fnhhtrnfsen.
aclben lm AJ'porm 11u comrollrcn.
Die Kllhlun~ <les ArbeitscylinJer5 des Motor•
~~~hich1 dur.:h Wasser, "elchel die ring· Oal lnl!~lli!$Ctzcn, S1lllhuhcn und Brcmsen
fllrmigen Zwischcnrttum.. QU<fllllt c~w!lhnli.:h dt1 Fuhrwerlic• ftC<~hithl durch den IIebei 9 ·
1~($1 num d.s Kohlwu\:iCr bc:i Ga<mororcn mit
gc~lgcr Geschwin,ligken Jurd1 de!n Ci~Jtr Ocr Motor wlrJ1 bcvor man Jcn \Vagcn be-
•i.:ll.bt"c:;;en, indcn1 d..- k.ihc unitn trill mig!, in Scuieb gcbro.:hl. Dobei 1\Chl der
urhl dn trt\·lrmte oben ilbAieC~L Es iSI tbcr
duu dn grof1er \\'.wc:rvoiTllth nGthig. wic l le~el I Miuc. Will man dot Fuhmcrk

ihn lekhtc Fuhrwcrl.e xu LanJ nkht gut mit· in 13c" .vnagn~.sct\z\cOn~1u'rod1 &~dcelrh mon den llcbelg
lbhr~'ll kOnnen, und dohcr folgcnJt Einrich1un1 Treibriemen vom
gttrolfen ,.,orden: OJ< \\'a<qr um deo Cy- na<h '

linder verdompft Die Dllmpfe strcicheu dun;h l.eer\t"l ouf die fcSIC S~hcibe SClCbObeo wirJ.

du oberhalb des Cylindm ang<'brxhte Robr- Bcim 1\nhohm bewcg1 man den Hebel 9

wieJcr eul Moue , unJ will m•n bremsen, so

drucJ,I m.., ihn ober Mute ruclt~"aru. Ocr

ausJcrOd.lc Ricmen blcib1 dobci in seiner

SteUung und nur die Brcmac wird ansnogcn.

l!m lU bcwirken, Jafs, \\CliO dcr Ricmen lUI

Leerla1.1l gcstclh in, denelbe bei wcilerer Rbclc'

KAI SERLI C HES PAlEN I AMl .

PATENTSCHRIFT

M 37435

.;-. '·

•

'• '

I

•I• '

-~-· 11 •l0:f:a::;:;:::F::f~,:..J...____;~~.,.. -. r".'

:• '• Jy. S·

'•l :•'•• •

•• ''

:) ,..... •

... .( I•

.I

.- .1'' •I ·~......

. ·,•••• ••••

G REAT I NVENTORS A ND THEIR CREATIONS - -- - - - - - - -

•

(nFebruruy1847-18 October1931)

F or thesheernumberofimportant
inventions he pioneered, Thomas Edison is
one of the best-knownand most prolific
inventors ofall time. He was granted a total of
1,093 US patents, but perhaps his greatest
invention ofall was something he could not
patent: organized, systematic research.

Home-schooled from the age of12, Edison set
up his first laboratory in his bedroomat his
family's home in Port Huron, Michigan. Much of
his early effortwas dedicated to improving the
telegraph, a system that had revolutionized
long-distance communication in the 184os. At14,
Edison built a working telegraphat home; bythe
age of16, hewas workingas a telegraph operator
at his local telegraph office; and for the next five
years he travelled, working ata number of
telegraph offices in several cities. Eventually, he
decided to devote all his time to inventing.

Edison's first successful inventionwas the
'Universal Stock Ticker' (1870) - a device with

92



GREAT INVENTORS AND THEIR CREATIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Above: The galvanizing I which dealers could receive the currentshare
room in Edison's Menlo prices across the telegraph system, from the New
Park laboratory.His early York Stock Exchange. He sold the rights to this
electric bulbs can be seen invention, and with the money he made, he set up
on the table. a workshop in Newark, New jersey, inwhich he
employed 8o people. One ofhis employees was
Right: One of the most 16-year-old Mary Stilwell, who became his first
important earlyinventions wife in 1871.
to come !rom WestOrange,
in 1894. was the Other inventions
Kinetoscope, the first device
forshowing moving In 1873. he invented the 'QuadruplexTelegraph',
pictures. Edison came up which made it possible to transmit and receive
with the idea aftermeeting four telegraph signals simultaneously on a single
English inventor Eadweard wire. He sold the rights to this invention to
Muybridge,who pioneered Western Union - it saved them millions ofdollars
the photographyof in wiring- and the proceeds helped him move his
movement. The Kinetoscope workshop to new premises. In1876, Edison
and an associated camera bought 34acres{14hectares) of land in the
were developed by a British countryside ofMenlo Park, Newjersey, where he
assistant of Edison, WKL
Dickson, and led to the
invention ofcinema.

94

THOMAS EDISON

•

Above: The Dynamo Room at PearlStreetStation, New York. Pearl Street, the first central power
plant in the US, was built by Edison's Electric Illuminating Company and startedgenerating
electricity on 4September1882. By1884 it wasserving 508 customers and powering10,164lamps.

w• apped <~round a cylinde• tuH •ed bv a · and c• an~ improvements that made it practicable for the I
first time. His use ofa carbonized bamboo
set up a full research and development laboratory filament meanta bulb would light for 40 Above: An 'Ediswan' lamp,
- the first ofits kind anywhere in the world. At hours instead ofjust a few minutes. He c.189o. English physicistSir
Menlo Park, Edisonsetabout trying to improve demonstrated the newtechnology in joseph Wilson Swan
the recently-invented telephone. In 18n he Decemben87g, lightingthe workshop (1828-1914)took Edison's
invented a sensitive microphone, filled with in a public demonstration. lamp and improved upon
compressed carbon, which improved the it further.
distance overwhich telephone calls couldbe Edison set up a bulb-makingfactory
made. His inventionwas part ofnearly every atMenlo Park, and his success with
telephone until the 1970s. electric light led him to work ona system
to distribute electric power. He patented
As an offshoot ofhis research into the the system in 188o, and by1882, he had set
telephone, Edison and his team inventeda device up a power station at PearlStreet, New York.
for recording sound: the phonograph. Itwas an
instant success, and Edison travelled extensively In 1884, Edison's wife died. He married again,
to demonstrate his new invention. He was even to Mina Miller, in 1886. The following year, Edison
called to the White House to show it to the then US moved his operation to a new laboratory in West
President, Rutherford Hayes. One journalist Orange, also in Newjersey. He headed the West
referred to Edisonas the Wizard of Menlo Park-a Orange laboratory until his death in1931. During
name that stuck. this period, his research team invented the first
device for showing moving pictures {using 35mm
Perhaps the most importantinventionto come sprocketed film, which laterbecame the film
out ofMenlo Parkwas the lightbulb. As is true of industry standard), a new type ofbattery, a
nearly all his inventions, Edison did not actually device for separating iron ore, anall-concrete
invent the light bulb: he made significant house, and an electric locomotive.

After Edison died, US President Herbert Hoover
encouraged Americans to turn off their lights for
one minute, in tribute to the contributions made
byAmerica's greatest inventor.

''Edison did not invent the light bulb: he made
improvements that made it practicable,

95

T. A.. EDISON .

Eleot.rio-Lamp.

No. 223,898. Patented Jan. 27, 1880.

cJ ut;cn(()£

/ff<Jrnru; (( 6 tt.Aorv

-r ~-d?'l:'q.%;,.ed0
:::>-:::::::::::: if cY

...-...--• •a--...

2 8heete- 8hut t

T. A.. EDISON.
Ph onograph.

No. 227,679. Patented May tB, t880.

r•

-··-....·-- ---··

GREAT I NVENTORS AND THEIR CREATIONS - - -- - - - - - -

(3 March1847-2August1922)

P robably the most lucrative patent ofall
time was awarded to a Scottish-
Canadian-American inventor in 1876, for a
device that had the magical ability to transmit the
sound ofthe humanvoice across long distances.
The inventor's name wasAlexander Graham Bell,
and the device was the telephone.

Alexander Graham Bell was born in Edinburgh,
Scotland. His father and grandfather were
pioneers in the field ofspeech and elocution, and
his mother had a condition that resulted in
progressive hearing loss. These influences
inspired Bell to study language and the human
voice. The young Bell attended a prestigious
school in Edinburgh, and when he leftaged16, he
taught musicand elocution beforestudying in
Edinburgh and London. After his studies, Bell
taught deaf people to speak, usinga method his
father had developed, and it was during this time
he began experiments in the transmission of
sound using electricity.

98



GREAT I NVENTORS AND THEIR CREATIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Above: In tBn news ofBell'ssuccess spread worldwide.Britain's Above: The firstwi reless telephonecall, using a photophone transmitter, inApril t88o.
Queen Victoria even asked Bell to demonstrate it at herresidence on Sound made a tiny mirrorvibrate inside the transmitter, which changed the intensityof
the Isle ofWight. This telephone and "terminal panel' were part of the a light beam reflected offit.At the receiver, a light-sensitive cell detected the changes in

resulting installation. intensityand reproduced the speech sounds.

Bell lost both his brothers to tuberculosis, and sent as pulses ofelectridty with a distinct

in1870 his own precarious state ofhealth frequency ofalternating current. Bell's financial

deteriorated. His parents decided the family backers were keen for him to perfect his device,

should emigrate to Canada. Within a year of but Bell was much more interested in trying to

arriving, Bell had become a Canadian citizen, and adapt his device to transmit the human voice

his health had improved. The family settled on a through a wire, somethingthat many thought

farm, and Bell continued his experimentswith was impossible. In 1875, Bell was getting close, but

sound and electricity. He spent time teaching deaf his knowledge ofelectricitywas lacking.

people in Montreal, Canada, and in various Fortunately, thatyear he metan electrical

American cities. Eventually, he settledin Boston, technician calledThomas Watson !1854-1934),

where he founded a school for the deafand whom he engaged as his assistant.

became professor ofvocalphysiology at Boston Success
University. However, in 1873- becoming

increasingly preoccupied with his attempts to When Bell was granted the patent for the

transmit sound with electricity, he resigned his telephone, his device had notyet transmitted any

position. He retained two deaf people as private speech. But three days later, on10 March 1876,

students; as luckwouldhave it, their wealthy Bell and Watson achievedsuccess. Bell, in one

parents became interested in what he was trying room, spoke into the device, and in an adjoining

to achieve, and helped fund his work. room, Watson heard the now famous words, "Mr

By1874, Bell had builta device called a Watson, come here- Iwant to see you." In the

harmonic telegraph, which was designed to following months, Bell and Watson made

transmitseveral telegraph messages at the same improvements to the microphone, and his

timethrough a single wire. Each message was device transmitted speech over increasing

' ' Bell improved Edison's most distances- and began to generate huge interest
famous creation: an early sound- from scientists as well as the press. In18n he
and his financial backersformed the Bell
Telephone Company.

recording device, the phonograph' ' Bell's inventionswere notonlyrestricted to the
telegraph and the telephone. He improved

100