BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Newcomen.com - ECPv6.16.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.newcomen.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Newcomen.com REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20220327T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20221030T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20230326T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20231029T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20240331T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20241027T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20250330T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20251026T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240326T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240326T191500 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20231002T145749Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231009T103951Z UID:12756-1711477800-1711480500@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The Ken Barraclough Memorial Lecture - The Beauty of Steel Project' by Viktor Mácha DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register.\nJoining us ON LINE – please email meetings.syorks@newcomen.com for zoom link. \nThis is a joint meeting with the Sheffield Metallurgical and Engineering Association \nWe are very fortunate this year to have Viktor Mácha of Viktor Mácha Industrial Photography\, to deliver the Barraclough lecture which he has intriguingly entitled: The Beauty of Steel Project. \nThe Members Dinner will take place after the lecture. Details will be available in the New Year. \nAbout the Speaker\nViktor Mácha (1984) comes from Prague where he attended Theology and Religious Studies at Charles University. Since 2006\, he has been travelling around the world at his own expense\, documenting the heavy industrial sites such as iron works\, steel works\, rolling mills\, forges\, foundries and coke plants. Currently his archive comprises of several hundred mills stretching from the American Midwest to the Asian part of Russian Urals. \nThe only aim of these photographs is to objectively document the technological processes connected with steel making and shaping. \nIt is possible that our generation will be one of the last to experience the fascinating world of dark\, rumbling factories. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-ken-barraclough-memorial-lecture-the-beauty-of-steel-project-by-viktor-macha/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Crowne Plaza Royal Victoria\, Victoria Station Road\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S4 7YE CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/24-03-26_KenBarracloughMemorialLecture_BeautyOfSteel_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240314T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240314T210000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20240312T094221Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240312T110057Z UID:13558-1710444600-1710450000@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Brunel's Swivel Bridge & Severn Tunnel’s Other Pumping Station' by Geoff Wallis & David Hardwick DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register.\nJoining us ONLINE – Please click this Zoom link 10 mins before event to join us. \nThis is a joint meeting with the Bristol Industrial Archaeology Society \nTwo short talks: \nUPDATE on Brunel's Swivel Bridge (AKA BOB- Brunel's Other Bridge)\nSpeaker – Geoff Wallis\nIn 2022\, The Newcomen Society's published volume 92 of " The International Journal for the History of Engineering & Technology" which was an edition focusing on this bridge regarding its history\, technical significance and the work that was being undertaken to preserve it. BIAS Newsletters have have also contained updates and information on progress on this important project. This talk will pull together recent developments and the latest regarding works undertaken and the options for preservation. \nThe Severn Tunnel's Other Pumping Station\nSpeaker – David Hardwick\nThe Severn Rail Tunnel and the pumping engines at Sudbrook have been the subject of various articles\, talks and publications. As well as a general overview\, this talk considers the lesser known pumping station on the opposite bank of the river. Very little has been written about this. The speaker recently obtained a number of historic images and this talk is intended as a discussion starter regarding what else might be available. \nAbout the Speakers\nDavid Hardwick is a Chartered Building Surveyor with over 35 years' experience\, mostly relating to historic properties. His Master's degree\, in Historical Archaeology of the Modern World from Bristol University\, reflects his passion for industrial heritage. He is a founder member of the South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group and a member of several other mining and industrial heritage organisations\, including the Newcomen Society for which he is currently both a trustee and the Western Region Chairman. David runs his own design and surveying consultancy\, specialising in building recording and analysis\, with an emphasis on historic buildings. He also provides trainings and lectures both locally and nationally at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels on heritage topics as well as building defects and construction technology\, both modern and historic. He is currently actively researching early engine house construction and the Celestine mining industry. \nGeoff Wallis is one of the founders and past managing directors of Dorothea Restoration Engineers Ltd\, the UK's foremost conservators of architectural & structural metalwork\, traditional mills and historic machinery. He is a Past President of the Newcomen Society and the Bristol Industrial Archaeological Society\, Course Leader of the Architectural & Structural Metalwork Conservation course at West Dean College\, and Council member of the National Heritage Ironwork Group\, The Avon Industrial Buildings Trust and the Museum of Bath at Work. Geoff has contributed to a number of books on practical conservation\, and lectures widely on the subject. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/brunels-swivel-bridge-severn-tunnels-other-pumping-station-by-geoff-wallis-david-hardwick/ LOCATION:BRISTOL BAWA\, 589 Southmead Rd\, Filton\, Bristol\, BS34 7RG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - Western Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/24-03-14_BrunelsSwivelBridge_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Western Branch":MAILTO:western@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240306T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240306T210000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20240223T110411Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240301T124719Z UID:13533-1709751600-1709758800@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'John Cooke Bourne and the first London to Birmingham Railway' by Felix Schmid DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register.Joining us ON LINE – click on this zoom link before the event to join in. \nThis is a joint meeting with Thinktank: Birmingham Science Museum \nFelix Schmid\, Professor emeritus of Railway Systems Engineering at the University of Birmingham\, will talk about the construction and early years of the London and Birmingham Railway. He will trace the history of this huge undertaking through the eyes of John Cooke Bourne\, using his watercolours and lithographs. Cooke Bourne lived from 1 September 1814 to February 1896 and also illustrated Brunel's construction of the Great Western Railway. Cooke Bourne's pictures illustrate the huge scale of this enterprise. \nFelix will discuss some of the technologies used in the construction of this first railway to reach London\, notably the equipment needed for the vast movements of earth required to build the railway. \nAbout the Speaker\nFelix Schmid is Professor emeritus of Railway Systems Engineering at the University of Birmingham. Felix is neither a historian nor an archaeologist but a railway systems engineer who enjoys discussing the history of railways and its pioneers. He is a member of Newcomen Council\, and has recently been elected as the next President of the Newcomen Society. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/john-cooke-bourne-and-the-first-london-to-birmingham-railway-by-felix-schmid/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/24-03-06_JohnCookeBourne_LondontoBirminghamRailway_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240306T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240306T200000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20240122T103543Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240229T093302Z UID:13468-1709748000-1709755200@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'How Chaddesley Corbett Changed the World' by David Hardwick DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register.\nJoining us ONLINE – please click this Zoom link 10 mins before the event to join in. \nThe Role of the Potter family in the Industrial Revolution\nThe beginning of the Industrial Revolution is often traced back to 1712 when Thomas Newcomen built a mechanical pump that was not powered by wind\, water\, or human/animal power in Dudley. There are\, however\, many myths and mistakes in this traditional narrative\, particularly regarding the role played by a small boy called Humphrey Potter in creating the first truly self-acting machine. The Potter family were from Chaddesley Corbett. \nThis talk looks at the facts around the earliest Newcomen Engines and what role the family played in changing the world. \nAbout the Speaker\nDavid Hardwick is a Chartered Building Surveyor specialising in historic properties and particularly in industrial archaeology. He is an experienced lecturer at colleges and universities in all aspects of construction and heritage\, as well as giving talks to a wide range of local and national history organisations. It is his passion for industrial archaeology and\, in particular\, mining history and the development of the early Newcomen Engines that results in his latest research. He is the current chairman of the Western Region of the Newcomen Society. \nThis paper is partly based on one delivered at the Early Steam Engines in Central European Mining Conference in Banská Štiavnica\, Slovakia on 7-8th October 2022. \nDavid will also be delivering a paper based on the early engine houses in Scotland at the Third International Early Engine House Conference to be hosted at the Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life at Coatbridge near Glasgow on 22nd to the 24th of March 2024. More details here. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/how-chaddesley-corbett-changed-the-world-by-david-hardwick/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/24-03-06_HowChaddesleyCorbettChangedtheWorld_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240219T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240219T201500 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20231002T142852Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240213T102911Z UID:12752-1708367400-1708373700@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Progress in Design and Manufacture: The Steam Locomotive 1825-1830' by Dr Michael Bailey DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register.\nJoining us ON LINE – to book an online place\, please visit: Book A Ticket. Zoom link will be sent out to those who have booked on weekend of 17/18th February \nRobert Stephenson & Co. of Newcastle on Tyne was set up to manufacture equipment for the emerging railway industry\, particularly locomotives\, in 1823. The company developed the locomotive\, already successfully operated at Killingworth and Hetton Collieries\, for ever-more demanding duties on the earliest steam operated public railways. \nGiant strides were made in improving design\, materials and manufacturing techniques before the ‘Stephenson’ form of locomotive was developed\, suitable for main line operation on the Liverpool & Manchester and other early main line railways in Britain\, Europe and the United States.\n \nAbout the Speaker\nDr. Michael Bailey is the President of the Stephenson Locomotive Society and a Past-President of the Newcomen Society. He has undertaken considerable work on the archaeology of early steam locomotives and has written extensively about early locomotive design and manufacturing progress during the 19th century. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/progress-in-design-and-manufacture-the-steam-locomotive-1825-1830-by-dr-michael-bailey/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/24-02-19_RobertStephensonSteamLocomotive_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240215T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240215T210000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20240112T143130Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240208T093719Z UID:13455-1708025400-1708030800@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Drifting into Digital Dependence - Control Systems in Merchant Shipping' by Vaughan Pomeroy DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register.\nJoining us ONLINE – Please click this Zoom Link 10 mins before event to join us. \nDigital systems can be found in all sorts of unlikely\, and arguably sometimes unnecessary\, places that we increasingly depend on in modern life. Unlike most changes in technology where take-up follows a similar pathway from early adoption to market dominance\, the digital revolution is more subtle. The distance between the operator or user and the 'machine' she controls becomes invaded by digital systems which have the seductive power to lull a sense of security whilst being an incomprehensible black box. \nUsing the modern merchant ship as the basis\, the talk will consider the pathway towards adoption of new technology\, the development of automation and the resulting impact on usability. When did we become dependent on digital systems without a manual work around? How should this sort of development be recorded for historical purposes to inform future generations? The speed of change is extraordinary\, and the drivers for adoption are not always clear. \nAbout the Speaker\nVaughan Pomeroy joined the British Aircraft Corporation at Weybridge from school in 1970 as an undergraduate apprentice. His daughter points out that it is now a museum! After graduating\, Vaughan returned to Weybridge working on aircraft systems\, particularly avionics. He joined the consulting engineers Mott\, Hay and Anderson in 1974 working on a variety of infrastructure projects\, before joining Lloyd's Register of Shipping in 1980. \nVaughan retired in 2010 as Technical Director\, since when he has worked with Southampton University and with universities in Singapore. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/drifting-into-digital-dependence-control-systems-in-merchant-shipping-by-vaughan-pomeroy/ LOCATION:BRISTOL BAWA\, 589 Southmead Rd\, Filton\, Bristol\, BS34 7RG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - Western Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/24-02-15_DigitalDependence_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Western Branch":MAILTO:western@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240214T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240214T200000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20230904T152130Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240111T095248Z UID:12642-1707933600-1707940800@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The Dickinson Lecture - Animal\, Vegetable & Mineral | a survey of materials used for balloon\, airship & aircraft coverings' by Dr Nina Baker DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. To reserve a spot for either option\, please visit the lecture’s Eventbrite page \nA survey of some materials used for balloon\, airship and aircraft coverings \nThe gas envelopes and outer coverings for early hot air and gas balloons\, airships and aircraft were made from a wide variety of natural fabrics with or without a similarly wide variety of coatings. Later on\, the march of progress produced artificial fibres and coatings. This paper will examine the origins and properties of the different animal and plant sources of the materials that made such flight possible. \nThe lecture will also delve into what is known of the women who did most of the actual work. From the earliest days of balloons and airships\, women's expertise was central to their construction\, starting with the Weinling family who\, in the 19th century\, were the first women employed by the UK government in technical work. The Weinlings introduced the use of cows' guts for the internal gas envelopes for military balloons and airships. These are stories almost unknown even to aviation enthusiasts more familiar with the famous male designers or even the famous female aviators\, but without these women's work none of the lighter-than-air aviation and much of the later heavier-than-air aviation would have happened.\n \nAbout the Lecturer\nDr Nina Baker has had a varied career\, having become a merchant navy deck officer on leaving school and later receiving an engineering design degree in her 30s\, from the University of Warwick. She then gained a PhD in concrete durability from the University of Liverpool. She has lived with her family in Glasgow since 1989\, working variously as a materials lecturer in further education and as a university research administrator and\, until 2017\, as an elected city councillor. \nNow retired\, her interest in promoting STEM careers for girls has led her to become an independent researcher\, mainly specialising in the history of women in engineering. She is Deacon of the Incorporation of Hammermen of Glasgow for 2022-2023. She has been a Deputy Lieutenant in the Glasgow Lieutenancy since 2017 and was appointed an OBE in the 2023 New Year's Honours' list\, for services to the history of women in engineering. \nSign Up For This Event Here URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-dickinson-lecture-animal-vegetable-and-mineral-by-dr-nina-baker/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/24-02-14_TheDickinsonLectureBalloonMaterials_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240122T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240122T201500 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20231002T135254Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240115T112548Z UID:12748-1705948200-1705954500@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Inspired By British Inventions: Joseph von Baader's Innovations' by Michael Eckert DESCRIPTION:ON LINE event only – please visit this Zoom link: 82824786912 shortly before the meeting \nJoseph von Baader’s (1763-1835) Technological Innovations in Bavaria From Hydraulic Machinery to Gas Light \nThe speaker will be joining us on-line from Munich. \nBavaria offered little incentives for the new industrial age around 1800. Yet – due to the activities of the entrepreneurial scientist Joseph von Baader – the Industrial Revolution became manifest in Bavaria at least marginally in the form of hydraulic machinery\, steam engines\, gas light and other novel technologies. Baader’s innovations were inspired by extended sojourns in Great Britain where he had visited James Watt‘s steam engines\, John Wilkinson‘s iron works and other industrial sites. \nUnlike the breeding grounds of the Industrial Revolution in England and Scotland\, however\, the Bavarian sites and circumstances for the realization of new technological inventions were unusual. Baader used the transformation of the Nymphenburg castle park in Munich from the Baroque into the then fashionable English landscape garden as an opportunity to install new pumps for powerful fountain jets. The castle park also served him as a proving ground for the demonstration of other new technologies (transportation systems\, steam engines and gas light). \nThis presentation will illustrate Baader’s activities by authentic documents\, drawings\, photographs and videos. The fountains at Nymphenburg are still driven by Baader’s hydraulic machinery which can be observed in operation at the original site. \nAbout the Speaker\nMichael Eckert currently works at the Forschungsinstitut Deutsches Museum where he undertakes research into Quantum Physics\, Theoretical Physics and Fluid Dynamics. His current project is on the history of turbulence. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/inspired-by-british-inventions-joseph-von-baaders-innovations-by-michael-eckert/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/24-01-22_JosephVonBaaderInnovations.1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240118T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240118T210000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20240108T165815Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240108T173105Z UID:13306-1705606200-1705611600@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Iron Stone & Steam: Brunel's Railway Kingdom' by Tim Bryan DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register.\nJoining us ONLINE – Please click this Zoom link 10 mins before event to join us. \nIsambard Kingdom Brunel: Victorian icon\, engineer\, artist\, architect\, designer and visionary\, entrepreneur and celebrity. His astounding feats changed the British landscape\, and this talk tells the story of his achievements and innovations as a railway engineer. \nNew to the developing world of railways in the early 1830s\, Brunel soon came to rival George and Robert Stephenson\, as he embarked on what he called ‘the finest work in England’. The construction of the Great Western Railway\, arguably the most revolutionary of British railways\, opened in 1841. The talk chronicles how\, in almost thirty tumultuous years\, Brunel created a rail network covering much of the South and West of England\, the Midlands and Wales. \nThe talk will also describe how Brunel’s successes were matched by ‘monumental failures’ – the ill-fated atmospheric system used on the South Devon Railway\, and the far-reaching implications of the broad gauge for his railways\, which ultimately cost millions of pounds when abolished. Iron\, Stone and Steam is also the story of the great engineer’s complex character and the roles of the people who helped the creative\, and sometimes dictatorial\, genius create his railway. \nAbout the Speaker\nTim Bryan was born in Bristol and since graduating from the University College of Wales Aberystwyth\, has worked extensively with industrial maritime and transport collections\, leading the curatorial team during the development of the STEAM Museum at Swindon\, before moving to the British Motor Museum as Head of Collections & Interpretation in 2004. He joined the SS Great Britain Trust as Director of the Brunel Institute in 2019\, and leads the collections\, conservation\, education and research teams there. \nA Fellow of the Museums Association and Chair of the Association of British Transport & Engineering Museums\, Tim has presented at conferences and seminars in the UK\, Italy\, Germany and the USA on a variety of railway\, museum and heritage subjects. and has written more than twenty books on railway history. His most recent title ‘Iron Stone & Steam: Brunel’s Railway Kingdom‘ was published in November 2023. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/iron-stone-steam-brunels-railway-kingdom-by-tim-bryan/ LOCATION:BRISTOL BAWA\, 589 Southmead Rd\, Filton\, Bristol\, BS34 7RG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - Western Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/24-01-18_BrunelsRailwayKingdom_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Western Branch":MAILTO:western@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240103T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240103T220000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20231229T160744Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231229T160744Z UID:13290-1704308400-1704319200@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The Birmingham Brass Industry: Origins\, Growth & Politics' by Dr Duncan Frankis DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. To reserve a spot for either option\, please visit the lecture’s Eventbrite page \nThis is a joint meeting with Thinktank: Birmingham Science Museum \nDr Duncan Frankis places this key industry in its economic and political context \nAbout the Speaker\nDr Duncan Frankis is a lecturer at Newman University\, Birmingham URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-birmingham-brass-industry-origins-growth-politics-by-dr-duncan-frankis/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/24-01-03_TheBirminghamBrassIndustry_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231211T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231211T201500 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20231002T132829Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231205T091443Z UID:12745-1702319400-1702325700@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'RAF Finningley in the Cold War' by Roger Thomas DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register.\nJoining us ON LINE – please click on this Zoom link. \nThis is a joint meeting with the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society \nRAF Finningley occupies an area of some 864 acres and was built in several phases from 1916\, then in 1936 and finally in 1994. Most of the older airfield buildings are built to ‘standard’ Air Ministry Works and Buildings Department designs\, constructed in a well-proportioned Neo-Georgian style\, typical of the RAF Expansion Schemes of the 1930s. During the Second World War\, a variety of structures were added to the site to improve its operational efficiency; these included three asphalt surfaced concrete runways\, a perimeter track\, frying-pan aircraft dispersals\, emergency water supply (EWS) fire pools\, air raid shelters\, blast shelters\, dual-purpose gun posts\, a two-bay turret trainer\, and additional bomb storage capacity. \nDuring the mid to late 1950s\, substantial work was carried out to up-grade the airfield to operate the Avro Vulcan ‘V’ Bombers. This work included the construction of a new 3\,000-yard-long runway (02/20)\, a Type B1 Unit Store (nuclear weapons store)\, a new Vertical Split air traffic control building (control tower)\, four aircraft dispersals\, a flight simulator building and an operations & briefing block. Once the Quick Reaction Alert nuclear role was transferred to the Royal Navy\, the airfield gained a primary training role with the construction of an Air Electronics\, Engineer and Loadmaster School (AEE&LS)\, and an Air Navigation School. The RAF finally severed its association with Finningley in 1995\, because of the ending of the Cold War. \nFollowing the closure of Doncaster City Airport\, Finningley was re-opened as Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport and the first commercial flight took off on the 28th April 2005. The airport closed in November 2022\, since when Doncaster Council has continued to pursue ways of re-opening the airport. During its period as a commercial airport\, many of the original ‘technical site’ buildings have been removed and new ones built\, making it much harder to understand the site. This presentation aims to discuss the buildings and the associated technologies that they were designed to house\, with an emphasis placed upon the Second World War and the Cold War. \nAbout the Speaker\nRoger Thomas is the former Military Support Officer of English Heritage (EH). His interest in military architecture grew during the 1970s when he assisted Henry Wills in gathering data on pillboxes\, and in 1979\, he became a member of the Fortress Study Group (FSG). He joined the staff of the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME) in 1987\, working as an architectural photographer and buildings surveyor based at York\, working alongside the Threatened Buildings team. Seven years later he became RCHME’s Military Recording Officer\, also working closely with the Defence Estates Organisation; providing advice on military architecture\, equipment\, weaponry\, and history. \nIn 1992\, Roger was part of the FSG’s Holderness Pilot Study\, which in turn led to his involvement in the establishment of the Council for British Archaeology’s ‘Defence of Britain Project’. Following the merger of RCHME and English Heritage in 2000 he became the Military Support Officer\, a role that was abolished twelve years later\, as a result of re-structuring. Since then he has worked as an Assistant Listing Adviser (North) in Historic England’s North-east and Yorkshire listing team\, based at York. \nRoger is a member of Cadw’s Welsh Conflict Archaeology Advisory Panel (WelCAAP)\, a trustee of the Dyfed Archaeological Trust\, and of the Chapel Bay Fort and Museum Trust\, and is a member of the Cambrian Archaeological Association. He has authored\, co-authored\, and illustrated several books\, including: Cold War\, Building for Nuclear Confrontation 1946-1989; War Art – Murals and Graffiti – Military Life\, Power and Subversion; 20th Century Defences in Britain; and The Home Front in Britain 1914-18. He has also written numerous reports\, articles\, and guidebooks on military subjects\, including York Cold War Bunker; Survey of 19th and 20th Century Military Buildings of Pembrokeshire; and Historic Buildings Report – RAF Finningley. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/raf-finningley-in-the-cold-war-by-roger-thomas/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/23-12-11_RAFFinningleyInTheColdWar_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231206T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231206T203000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20231205T161130Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231205T162657Z UID:12970-1701887400-1701894600@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Where On Earth Am I?' by Jim Andrew DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register.\nJoining us ON LINE – please click on this Zoom link. \nThis Newcomen Midlands Public Lecture is held in conjunction with Think Tank: Birmingham Science Museum \nAt: \nThe Lecture Theatre\, Level Two\,\nThinktank: Birmingham Science Museum\,\nMillennium Point\,\nBirmingham B4 7XG \n[for Sat Nav use B4 7AP] \nJim Andrew gives an explanation of how marine navigation techniques\, and the necessary technology\, developed through the centuries. \nClick here for Zoom link URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/where-on-earth-am-i/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/23-12-06_WhoOnEarthAmI_Sextant_JimAndrew_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231123T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231123T210000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20230911T105816Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231108T113158Z UID:12683-1700767800-1700773200@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Simon Goodrich's Tour in 1799' by John Kanefsky DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register.\nJoining us ONLINE – please click this Zoom link 10 mins before the event to join in. \nSimon Goodrich was the Mechanist (Chief Engineer) of the Portsmouth Dockyard. In November and December 1799 he made fact-finding visits to a number of industrial cities and sites\, and his detailed notes\, preserved in the Science Museum\, contain many observations on the industrialists he met\, factories he visited and other aspects of his travels. \nThey are an important window on a critical period in the Industrial Revolution\, when new technologies and materials were being innovated\, and entrepreneurs were changing the economy of England. \nAbout the Speaker\nJohn Kanefsky studied and taught at the University of Exeter in the 1970s\, and was awarded his PhD "The Diffusion of Power Technology in British Industry 1760-1870" in 1979. \nHe joined the National Coal Board\, first as one of the authors of their history of coal mining then in management until privatisation. He was subsequently at the Coal Authority and thereafter had a varied career in the NHS and educational research before retirement. \nHe is now an Honorary Fellow of the University of Exeter. His research focuses on 18th century steam power and on Devon in the 18th and 19th centuries. \nClick here to join via Zoom URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/simon-goodrichs-tour-in-1799-by-john-kanefsky/ LOCATION:BRISTOL BAWA\, 589 Southmead Rd\, Filton\, Bristol\, BS34 7RG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - Western Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/23-11-23_SimonGoodrichTour1799_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Western Branch":MAILTO:western@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231120T140000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231120T201500 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20231002T115845Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231009T102232Z UID:12743-1700488800-1700511300@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The Development of Parsons Gas Turbines' by Geoff Horseman DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register.\nJoining us ON LINE – please email meetings.syorks@newcomen.com for zoom link. \n2:30pm – 16:15pm – The UK’s first industrial gas turbine \nThe UK’s first industrial gas turbine was developed by CA Parsons & Co beginning in the 1930s. The machine ran for the first time in 1945. All of the key elements: compressor\, turbine\, combustion chamber\, exhaust heat exchanger and control technology were developed by CA Parsons & Co Ltd independently. The unit had to use the fuel available in WWII i.e. pool oil\, and was used to investigate the viability of operation on residual fuel oil and pulverised coal. Geoff Horseman\, formerly Chief Turbine Engineer at Siemens CA Parsons Works\, will tell the story of this machine using information and photos from the original development files. \n6:30pm – 20:15pm – Parsons first gas turbine-generator: the Dunston ‘A’ unit of 1948 \nIn 1945\, CA Parsons & Co constructed the UK’s first industrial gas turbine in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. It was an immediate success. It was followed by an order in 1948 for one of the first gas turbine-generators for use at a British power station. This was a 15 MW unit for Dunston ‘A’ power station in Gateshead. \nThis machine had to achieve an efficiency comparable with the best steam power plants then entering service\, it had to operate for a life of at least 100\,000 running hours and yet still had to provide all of the benefits of gas turbines eg fast starting. The available materials allowed a firing temperature of just 650oC if this service life was to be achieved and the stresses in the major parts had to be just 25% of those permitted in jet engines of the day. This resulted in an arrangement with three compressors with intercooling between each stage driven by one HP and two LP turbines with reheat at entry to both LP turbines and exhaust heat recovery. \nThe low firing temperature resulted in a complex arrangement but it achieved a satisfactory efficiency and proved to be a key step towards the simpler\, more efficient\, more capable high temperature gas turbine-generators of today. \nAbout the Speaker\nGeoff Horseman was formerly Chief Turbine Engineer at Siemens CA Parsons Works. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-development-of-parsons-gas-turbines-by-geoff-horseman/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/23-11-20_ParsonsGasTurbines_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231114T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231114T200000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20230925T113321Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231108T100711Z UID:12726-1699984800-1699992000@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The Early Development of the Manufacture of Iron Armour Plate: 1853-1865' by David Boursnell DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register.\nJoining us ON LINE – please click on this Zoom link 10 minutes before the event (6pm) to join in. \nThe development & manufacture of Naval Armour plating in the mid-19th century \nAbout the Speaker\nDavid Boursnell is a published author & researcher of Naval Armour – both manufacturers & manufacturing\, and a consultant to Kelham Island Industrial Museum\, Sheffield \nClick here to join via Zoom URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-early-development-of-the-manufacture-of-iron-armour-plate-1853-1865-by-david-boursnell/ LOCATION:NEWCASTLE Discovery Museum\, Blandford Square\, Newcastle upon Tyne\, Tyne & Wear\, NE1 4HZ CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - North East Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/23-11-14_NavalArmourPlating_1920x1280.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231108T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231108T200000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20230904T141703Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230905T160418Z UID:12619-1699466400-1699473600@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Rochester Bridge in the 19th century: from medieval stone to modern steel' by Sue Threader DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. To reserve a spot for either option\, please visit the lecture’s Eventbrite page \nAs the 18th century came to a close and the Industrial Revolution was well-established\, the only river crossing at Rochester was still a narrow stone medieval bridge which had been built in 1393 through charitable donations. In 1792\, the Wardens of the Bridge appointed their first salaried engineer and began a process of modernisation and innovation under the guidance of some of the most important and impressive civil engineers of the day\, including Rennie\, Telford and Sir William Cubitt. By the turn of the 20th century the medieval bridge had been replaced by the substantial and highly-decorated Old Bridge that is still in use as the only road crossing on the A2 from Rochester to Strood today. \nThis lecture will explore the evolution of Rochester Bridge\, a story which reflected much of the wider change going on in the 19th century bridge engineering profession. It will also explain the political and social background to the changes and how the ancient charity which owns and maintains the bridge was also forced to evolve as the demands for efficient road and river traffic grew. \nAbout the Lecturer\nSue Threader is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers with senior-level experience in the public\, private and charity sectors. She is the first woman chief executive of the medieval trust that owns Rochester Bridge\, which is managed with Net Zero Carbon emissions. Sue writes on historic bridge engineering and has appeared on Channel 5 with Rob Bell sharing her expertise. She is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Engineers\, member of the ICE Archives Panel and is the lead editor of a new website celebrating the work of John Rennie. \nSue holds an Honorary Doctorate and an ICE award for outstanding career contribution to civil engineering. She has been a finalist for Charity Chief Executive of the Year three times. \nSign Up For This Event Here URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/rochester-bridge-in-the-19th-century-from-medieval-stone-to-modern-steel-by-sue-threader/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/23-11-08_RochesterBridgeInThe19thCentury_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231101T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231101T210000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20231025T100345Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231025T152215Z UID:12911-1698865200-1698872400@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The Early Years of Jodrell Bank' by Mark Edwards DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. To reserve a spot for either option\, please visit the lecture’s Eventbrite page \nThis is a joint meeting with Thinktank: Birmingham Science Museum \nMark Edwards relates how a leading radio observatory developed by chance at Manchester University's Jodrell Bank site. \nAbout the Speaker\nMark Edwards is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and studied radio astronomy at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in the 1970s before working as a software engineer at Marconi in Coventry where he helped to develop the System X local telephone exchanges for BT. \nNow retired\, Mark continues to follow his interest in astronomy by making daily observations of the ionosphere and presenting monthly skynotes at the Coventry and Warwickshire Astronomical Society. \nSign Up For This Event Here URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-early-years-of-jodrell-bank-by-mark-edwards/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/23-11-01_TheEarlyYearsOfJodrellBank_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231030T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231030T201500 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20231002T114404Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231009T101738Z UID:12741-1698690600-1698696900@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'RAF Planes that won the Battle of Britain were built on German Machinery' by Dr Jonathan Aylen DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register.\nJoining us ON LINE – please email meetings.syorks@newcomen.com for zoom link. \nWhy the Jewish Refugee Engineer\, Ludwig Loewy was crucial to Britain \nRAF planes for the Battle of Britain used new technology for aircraft construction and more powerful engines. But the light alloys used to build them were manufactured on German machinery. Dr Jonathan Aylen tells the compelling story of Ludwig Loewy\, a refugee Jewish engineer who fled from the Nazis and brought the crucial light-metals technology needed for rearmament from Germany to Britain in 1936. \nLoewy is a familiar name in Sheffield as the mill builder Davy-United changed their name to Davy-Loewy following merger with Loewy's company based in Poole\, Dorset. Less well known is the huge contribution of Ludwig Loewy to the development of the Chesterfield Tube Company\, particularly their Heavy Tube Department which made boiler and condenser tubes for naval warships during the Second World War. \nAbout the Speaker\nDr Jonathan Aylen is immediate Past-President of the Newcomen Society and Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research within Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester. A former economist\, he now specialises in innovation management and environmental management. For the past decade he has also undertaken historical research. \nDr Aylen has contributed papers to the Newcomen Society’s International Journal of the History of Engineering and Technology on the transfer of steel technology from the USA to Wales\, on early process control computers and on weapons design and development\, including the Bloodhound Guided missile and the Blue Danube bomb. \nDr Aylen has travelled widely throughout the world steel industry\, given advice to international bodies and governments on steel issues and commented frequently on television and radio. He recently published a book with Ruggero Ranieri\, Ribbon of Fire\, on how the wide strip mill for steel came to Europe from the USA. \nJonathan’s current research focuses on Cold War technology and\, in particular\, the use of American TOPS computer software by British Rail in the 1970’s. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/raf-planes-that-won-the-battle-of-britain-were-built-on-german-machinery-by-dr-jonathan-aylen-3/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/23-12-13_RAFPlanesThatWonBattleOfBritain_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231019T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231019T210000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20230927T083900Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231004T131801Z UID:12730-1697743800-1697749200@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'History of Diamond Core Drilling' by Professor Roger Burt DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. To reserve a spot for either option\, please visit the lecture’s Eventbrite page \nDiamond drilling was one of the most important\, yet under-researched mechanical technologies to be introduced during the late nineteenth century. A relatively simple arrangement\, it was designed on a principle first explored by the ancient Greeks using a round\, hollow drill-bit\, tipped with rough diamonds\, working by rotation rather than impact\, to cut through rock and extract an intact 'core' of the ground through which it passed. \nIt provided the first opportunity for exploration geologists and miners to 'see' into the underlying geological strata\, without the costly and time-consuming process of sinking man-sized shafts and tunnels. It proved critical to the discovery and development of the world's non-surface exposing mineral deposits – such as the great Minnesota iron range – and thus facilitated the great outpouring of metalliferous minerals that has supplied world industrialization. \nLater it became the principal method for discovering and producing oil\, and today it provides the base technology for fracking. As we begin the exploration of the moon\, mars and the planets and asteroids around us\, it continues to provide the main means of examining the surface and the rocks below. \nAbout the Speaker\nProfessor Roger Burt is the Emeritus Professor of Mining History at the University of Exeter and past President of the American Mining History Association and the International Mining History Congress. \nProfessor Burt has published numerous books and articles on mining history in the UK and overseas and his forthcoming book on Cornish mining during the early twentieth century\, to be published later this year\, discusses many of the issues raised in this lecture. \nSign Up For This Event Here URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/history-of-diamond-core-drilling-by-professor-roger-burt/ LOCATION:BRISTOL BAWA\, 589 Southmead Rd\, Filton\, Bristol\, BS34 7RG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - Western Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/23-10-19_HistoryOfDiamondCoreDrilling_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Western Branch":MAILTO:western@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231011T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231011T200000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20230905T093752Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231004T140042Z UID:12653-1697047200-1697054400@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Failure of marine medium speed diesel engines' by Peter Filcek DESCRIPTION:This event replaces the originally planned lecture The Craftsman Engineer and the Industrial Revolution which was cancelled due to health problems and is both an in-person and on-line event. To reserve a spot for either option\, please visit the lecture’s Eventbrite page. \nThe Technical Investigation Department (TID) was founded in 1947 with the purpose of giving “Lloyd’s Register of Shipping a capability to explore marine failures … with a view to improving the Rules”. The basic tenet was “when you can measure what you are speaking about and can express it in numbers\, you know something about it” (Lord Kelvin). \nTID investigated a wide range of failures in the marine industry and some statistics on relative failure occurrences are given. Medium speed diesel engines are the most common power source and failures are therefore perhaps of the widest interest\, especially to the Chief Engineers responsible for operating the machinery\, the Engineer Superintendents and the Underwriters. \nEight failure cases are presented with a wide range of origins: mechanical overload\, fatigue\, crack initiation by rubbing\, bearing failures\, human error and operational problems. The use of metallurgical examination\, fatigue theory and fracture mechanics is described. \nAbout the Lecturer\nPeter Filcek worked for the Technical Investigation Department (TID) of the ship Classification Society\, Lloyd’s Register of Shipping. \nSign Up For This Event Here URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/failure-of-marine-medium-speed-diesel-engines-by-peter-filcek/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/23-10-11_FailureOfMarineDieselEngines_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231004T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231004T210000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20230914T103045Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231004T130957Z UID:12708-1696446000-1696453200@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'John Snow And The Fight Against Cholera' by David Moore DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. To reserve a spot for either option\, please visit the lecture’s Eventbrite page \nThis is a joint meeting with Thinktank: Birmingham Science Museum \nDavid Moore describes how John Snow identified the source of a cholera outbreak in London and showed it to be a water-borne disease. \nAbout the Speaker\nDavid Moore has given several talks to Newcomen Midlands in the last few years. He has been heavily involved with the trust that has rescued and preserved the Sandfields steam pumping engine at Lichfield\, Staffordshire. \nSign Up For This Event Here URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/john-snow-and-the-fight-against-cholera-by-david-moore/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/23-10-04_JohnSnowAndTheFightAgainstCholera_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230925T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230925T203000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20230916T111930Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230916T111930Z UID:12715-1695666600-1695673800@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The River Don Engine' by Greg Harris DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. Sign up link coming soon. \nBuilt by Davy Brothers in 1904 to drive the armour plate rolling mill at Charles Cammell's Grimesthorpe works\, the River Don engine is the last surviving example of four 12\,000 hp (8.9 MW) rapid reversing engines constructed to the same design. \nThe talk will explore the history of the engine through stories and facts\, including photographs\, working drawings\, and a 3D computer model. These show the engine and rolling mill at work at Cammell Lairds from 1913 and subsequently at River Don in the 1950s\, 60s\, and 70s. The engine's move to and restoration at Kelham Island in 1978 and again after the 2018 flood will be described and the development of the 3D virtual model of the engine created for the museum by the speaker will be outlined. \nAbout the Speaker\nIn 1989 Greg attended Parkwood Art College in Sheffield to study Art and Design. He obtained an NVQ in Auto Cad and then achieved his H.N.D at Norton College. Out of the blue he received a phone call from a small games company in Sheffield offering him a job. He really enjoyed the work and found like-minded people to work with. He also got the chance to work with game pioneers and learnt to use 3Ds Max which helped him to produce the virtual model for Kelham Island Museum of the River Don Engine which he will discuss. \nAfter finishing off working with games in 2012\, Greg became a self-employed artist and went on to produce a large range of illustrations depicting Sheffield past and present which is on sale in local galleries & museums throughout Sheffield. He also designed the mural for the Special Olympics held in Sheffield 2017 which was displayed on Pond Street and was invited onto Radio Sheffield to talk about creating the mural. Greg also sculpts\, as well as volunteering at Kelham and the Lowedges Community Centre\, supporting the craft group. \nSign Up For This Event Here (pending) URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-river-don-engine-by-greg-harris/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/23-09-25_TheRiverDonEngine_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230510T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230510T200000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20221113T113850Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230504T100714Z UID:10800-1683741600-1683748800@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Refugees from Nazism in the British Clothing Industry' by Anna Nyburg PhD DESCRIPTION:This is a repeat of a highly popular presentation put on at Manchester’s Anthony Burgess Foundation in February \nThis event is both an in-person and on-line event. To reserve a spot for either option\, please visit the lecture’s Eventbrite page. \nThe Lecture will describe the influence of European Immigration\, under the rise of Nazism\, on the Clothing Industry. \nBased on her book The Clothes on our Backs: How Refugees from Nazism revitalised the British Fashion Industry\, in which she considers the trade in pre-war Germany and in particular\, the more modern approach there compared to Britain. The expulsion of Jews and pathways into Britain follows\, and then the wartime production changes. Individual case studies then show the refugees’ wide range of experiences in this country\, but also their contribution to all aspects of the industry from manufacture to display. \nAbout the Presenter\nAnna Nyburg’s PhD in 2009 was in Exile Studies and focused on the refugees from Nazism who transformed art publishing. The doctorate formed the basis of her book Emigres: The Transformation of Art Publishing in Britain. Since then she has published further books on design and related areas\, as well as co-making a film called Refuge Britain: Stories émigré Designers to be shown at the Victoria & Albert Museum. The Clothes on our Backs is her third book. \nNow a trustee of Insiders/Outsiders\, she works on events for their festival. As a committee member of the Research Centre for German and Austrian Exile Studies\, she is organising a conference on the Refugees in Trade and Industry in 2023. \nDr. Nyburg is an Honorary Lecturer in the Centre for Languages\, Culture and Communication at Imperial College London where she taught languages for some 3 decades. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/refugees-from-nazism-in-the-british-clothing-industry-by-anna-nyburg-phd-london/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/23-02-28_RefugeesFromNazismInBritishClothingIndustry_1920x1080.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230424T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230424T203000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20220801T211037Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230421T091117Z UID:10673-1682361000-1682368200@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Lady Charlotte Guest and Dowlais Ironworks' by Victoria Owens DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there is no need to register\nJoining us ONLINE- please use this Zoom Link which will be live from about 6:00 pm \nDr Victoria Owens examines how a pioneering businesswoman came to head the world’s largest ironworks. \nWhen impoverished aristocrat Lady Charlotte Bertie married wealthy Welsh ironmaster John Guest of Dowlais in 1833\, her relatives looked on with dismay. Yet despite their vast difference of background and age\, over their nineteen-year long marriage\, husband and wife enjoyed great happiness and much adventure. There would be ten children and while John built up an immense commercial empire\, Charlotte championed Welsh culture. \nCrucially\, she taught herself John’s business from the inside. Over the years\, she made the keenest observation of iron production\, the fluctuations of the trade and the engineering innovations that touched upon its developments. When John died in 1852\, she was therefore uniquely well-placed to succeed him as head of the works – a remarkable position for a Victorian woman. Not only did she endeavour to introduce reforms\, but also – rather to her dismay – had to weather a potentially destructive strike. But success came at a price and with her star in the ascendant\, Lady Charlotte suddenly chose to abandon all\, leave Wales and marry her sons’ tutor! \nThis presentation (& Victoria’s book on the subject) traces the ardent\, creative years of her first marriage\, explores her determination – widowed – to preserve John’s legacy\, and observes her growing devotion to her second husband\, the scholarly Charles Schreiber. \nWe would like to congratulate Victoria on winning the 2021 Wales Book of the Year Non-fiction Award for her book Lady Charlotte Guest – the exceptional life of a female industrialist and copies will be available at the meeting. \nAbout The Lecturer\nA member of the Newcomen Society\, Dr Victoria Owens has worked in local government and the book trade. Now an independent scholar\, her book Lady Charlotte Guest – the exceptional life of a female industrialist was shortlisted for the 2021 Wales Book of the Year and won the non-fiction award. Her other publications include James Brindley and the Duke of Bridgewater: Canal Visionaries (Amberley Publishing 2015) and Aqueducts and Viaducts of Britain (Amberley Publishing 2019). She is currently working on a life of L.T.C Tom Rolt\, to be published in 2024. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/lady-charlotte-guest-and-dowlais-ironworks-by-victoria-owens/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/LadyCharlotteGuest_900x506.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230412T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230412T200000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20220801T210805Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230411T081613Z UID:10671-1681322400-1681329600@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'On Metrology' by Terry Quinn (CANCELLED - please read) DESCRIPTION:Unfortunately\, due to the uncertain nature of events in France and particularly in Paris\, our lecturer is unable to travel to give his lecture. This event has therefore been cancelled & will be rescheduled at a later date.\nThis event is both an in-person and on-line event. To reserve a spot for either option\, please visit the lecture’s Eventbrite page. \nTerry Quinn graduated in physics just one year before the great revolution in metrology began with the redefinition of the Metre in terms of the wavelength of light. From antiquity\, practical dimensional measurement standards had all been based upon material artifacts and measurement of time on the rotation of the Earth. All of that changed in 2018 when the base units of the SI were redefined in terms of fixed values of a set of fundamental and atomic constants. In this lecture\, Quinn will explain how practical measurement standards can be obtained from such definitions. \nThe above image shows “Toise du Perou” (the official unit of length in France just before the metric system). This is one of two Toises that were used to decide between two theories for the shape of the Earth – one by Newton in which the earth was flattened at the Poles and one supported in France by Cassini\, who maintained that it is pointed like an upright rugby football. One Toise was taken to Lapland (the Toise du Nord) and one (this one) to Perou where the length on the ground of one degree of latitude was measured. The expeditions lasted some years in the 1740s and\, of course\, the results supported Newton’s theory. (Photo TJQ at the Paris Observatory 2017). \nAbout The Lecturer\nTerry Quinn graduated in Physics from Southampton University in 1959\, moving to Oxford for his D. Phil in what was then the Metallurgy Department. The thesis supervisor was Professor William Hume-Rothery FRS. \nIn 1962\, Quinn joined the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington where he worked on high-temperature measurement and standards. In 1967/68\, Quinn spent a year at the then National Bureau of Standards in Washington\, moving to the BIPM\, Paris in 1977 as Deputy Director\, becoming Director in 1988. He was Lady Margaret Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Cavendish Laboratory\, Cambridge in 1984/84 and retired from the BIPM in 2003. Quinn was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2002. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/on-metrology-by-terry-quinn-postponed-from-jan-2022/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/23-04-12_Metrology_TerryQuinn_ToiseDuPerou_1920x1080.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230328T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230328T203000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20220801T210202Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230322T102618Z UID:10667-1680028200-1680035400@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Scottish Agricultural Implements' by Dr Heather Holmes DESCRIPTION:Due to unforseen circumstances this lecture is now\nOnline only for Mailing List Members.\nWe apologise for the change of plan. \nIn Scotland\, the making of agricultural implements and machines developed into an important business during the second half of the nineteenth century with some firms becoming nationally and even internationally known. Their businesses ranged from small family run ones to large enterprises with branches throughout the Empire and activities were also wide ranging\, comprising a variety of trades\, including engineering\, ironfounding\, steam engine making and millwrighting. \nThis paper looks at challenges and opportunities arising from developing a directory of Scottish agricultural implement and machine makers between 1843 and 1914. This includes consideration of the sources of evidence recording the makers; the nature and character of the makers and their activity; the documentation of their activities; relations between makers; and application of the methodology of the directory other parts of Britain. \nAbout The Lecturer\nDr Heather Holmes is an independent researcher. She received her doctorate from the University of Edinburgh in 1997. From a farming background at Balerno\, Midlothian\, she has an interest in the material culture of Scottish agriculture including agricultural implements\, machines\, newspapers and books. Her books include “As good as a holiday”: Potato harvesting in the Lothians from 1870 to the present (2000)\, Tattie howkers: Irish potato workers in Ayrshire (2005) and Scottish agricultural implement and machine makers 1843 to 1914: a directory (Scottish Record Society\, 2020). \nShe runs the associated website and facebook pages of Scottish agricultural implement makers and has been published in a range of journals including The Agricultural History Review\, Folk Life: Journal of Ethnological Studies and Journal of the Edinburgh Bibliographical Society. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/scottish-agricultural-implements-by-heather-holmes/ LOCATION:This is an Online Event CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/23-03-28_ScottishAgriculturalImplements_1920x1080.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - North Western Branch":MAILTO:catherine.casson@manchester.ac.uk END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230308T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230308T200000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20220801T205806Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230113T114236Z UID:10665-1678298400-1678305600@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Edmund Beckett Denison\, the father of Big Ben' by Chris McKay DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. To reserve a spot for either option\, please visit the lecture’s Eventbrite page. \nWhen the Old Houses of Parliament burned down in 1844\, the plan was for a magnificent new replacement complete with clock tower. \nFrom the very beginning the clock procurement was fraught with difficulties.  A change happened when George Biddle Airy\, the Astronomer Royal\, was appointed referee for the Great Clock.  He specified that the first blow on the hour bell should be accurate to a second.  London clockmakers said the specification was impossible but Edward John Dent wanted to tender for the clock.  Airy co-opted the help of Edmund Beckett Denison\, a successful lawyer who had been educated in mechanics by a village carpenter. \nDenison wrote a book in 1850 ‘A Rudimentary Treatise on Clocks Watches and Bells’.  It was the first easy-reading on clocks.  Denison was a crusty character – if it was not for his determination and faith in himself\, then the Great Clock might still be under construction! \nAbout The Lecturer\nAfter graduating from Sussex University\, Chris McKay spent 23 years in the electronics industry.  Following redundancy\, he fell into teaching technology in schools\, ending up as the head of department in a top prep school.  Following this\, he spent some years restoring turret clocks. \nMcKay has always been interested in turret clocks and his book ‘The Turret Clock Keeper’s Handbook’ explains how to look after the church clock.  ‘The Repair\, Restoration\, Conservation and Preservation of Turret Clocks’ followed to fill a big gap in horological education. \nWhen 13 years old\, McKay found Edmund Beckett Denison’s book on Clocks Watches and Bells and was fascinated by the description of Big Ben.  After many years and much research\, in 2010 Oxford University Press published Chris’s book ‘Big Ben:  The Great Clock and Bells at the Palace of Westminster’. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/edmund-beckett-denison-the-father-of-big-ben-by-chris-mckay/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/23-03-10_EdmundBeckettDenisonTheFatherOfBigBen_ChrisMcKay_1920x1080.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230208T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230208T200000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20220801T082302Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260128T234309Z UID:10653-1675879200-1675886400@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Mechanisation in UK Coal Mining - the Nationalised Years' by Drs Mark Pegg & John Kanefsky DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Crown Copyright (Expired – Pre 01-06-1957) \nThis event is both an in-person and on-line event. To reserve a spot for either option\, please visit the lecture’s Eventbrite page. \nThe rise and fall of the coal industry was one of the key drivers of Britain’s industrial\, technological and economic history over three centuries and more. \nIncreasing mechanisation under the nationalised industry after WW2\, and the managed retreat from large scale coal mining\, presents a fascinating study in the history of engineering and technology. \nDrs Pegg and Kanefsky had ringside seats in the cataclysmic changes in the industry from the late 1970s\, both as researchers and managers.  This presentation focuses on how the previously sluggish mechanisation of mining under private ownership accelerated under state ownership\, and analyses the key economic and technical drivers of increasing capital intensity.  As well as the better known underground mines\, it also looks briefly at how the mechanisation of the opencast sector developed. \nLarge scale coal mining is of course now a thing of the past in the UK\, and seems likely to remain so as geology\, politics and economics combine against any revival\, but is still a huge industry worldwide. \nAbout The Lecturers\nDr Mark Pegg  MA(Oxon) D.Phil Cgr CCMI FCIPD\nMark teaches\, consults and researches on strategy\, leadership and team development. After Oxford University he worked in the UK coal mining industry in deep mines and headquarters where he was the Chairman’s personal assistant researching modern coal mining history. After working as a management consultant\, he became a Director of a Business School and CEO of the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education with extensive experience in the UK\, Europe\, Middle East\, Far East and Africa.  Recent clients included Rolls-Royce plc and the UK Senior Civil Service. He is a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. \nDr John Kanefsky PhD MBA\nJohn studied and taught at the University of Exeter in the 1970s\, and was awarded his PhD “The Diffusion of Power Technology in British Industry 1760-1870” in 1979. \nHe then joined the National Coal Board\, first as one of the authors of their history of coal mining and co-curator of the COAL art exhibition then\, until privatisation\, in management at national HQ (focusing on capital investment and corporate affairs) and at Opencast HQ where he led on planning and licensing.  He was subsequently at the Coal Authority and thereafter had a varied career in the NHS and educational research before retirement. \nHe is now an Honorary Fellow of the University of Exeter.  His current research focuses on 18th century steam power and on Devon in the 18th and 19th centuries. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/mechanisation-in-uk-coal-mining-the-nationalised-years-by-mark-pegg-john-kanefsky/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/23-02-08_MechanisationInUKCoalMiningV2_1920x1080.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230201T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230201T210000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20230113T093225Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230113T093933Z UID:12142-1675278000-1675285200@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Reverse Engineering' by Dr. John Moyle DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. To reserve a spot for either option\, please visit the lecture’s Eventbrite page. \nDr. John Moyle will talk on the subject of “Reverse Engineering”\, sometimes called “back engineering”. This is a process in which machines\, weapons\, architectural structures\, software and other products are “deconstructed” to extract design information from them. \nAbout The Lecturer\nDr. John Moyle is a Chartered Engineer\, retired Physician & Anaesthetist plus historian with a particular interest in telegraphy and medical technology. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/reverse-engineering-by-dr-john-moyle/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/23-02-01_ReverseEngineering_1920x1200.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230111T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230111T200000 DTSTAMP:20260709T104418 CREATED:20220801T081530Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230103T132905Z UID:10647-1673460000-1673467200@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:Presidential Address: 'Trying to secure the past' - innovation studies & the evolution of technology by Jonathan Aylen DESCRIPTION:This event is also the Society’s Presidential Address & is both an in-person and on-line event. To reserve a spot for either option\, please visit the lecture’s Eventbrite page. \nTechnical development often follows an evolutionary path.  There may be a variety of solutions to a technical problem. A preferred approach often emerges.  In turn\, this may become a “dominant design”.  Sometimes technology gets locked-in to a preferred solution which may not be the best outcome\, but satisfactory for the time being. Evolution need not produce optimal outcomes. \nThis lecture gives examples of the evolution of technical knowledge\, showing practical engineering solutions adopted by a range of twentieth century technologies.  Evolution of technology is “Lamarckian” rather than “Darwinian” as solutions are directly incorporated into successive generations of a technology. \nThe central problem of an evolutionary approach is the elimination of human agents from the story – those who create the technology and those who guide its adoption.  But evolution does have much to teach us\, for example about selection of new technologies for a low carbon future. \nAbout the Lecturer\nDr Jonathan Aylen is immediate past President of the Newcomen Society who has researched a range of twentieth century technologies including missile guidance systems\, nuclear weapons\, rolling mill design and computer use in steel production and on the railways.  Currently Dr Aylen is a visiting senior research fellow at the University of Manchester. For more info please visit his Newcomen profile Dr. Jonathan Aylen URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/presidential-address-trying-to-secure-the-past-innovation-studies-the-evolution-of-technology-by-jonathan-aylen/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Newcomen Online Lecture,UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/23-01-11_SecuringThePast_Argus-200-Ferrite-Core-Memory-JA-copyright_1920x1272.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR