First in a new series of posts looking at the London’s scientific museums, statues, plaques and locations.
Where? Outside the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Savoy Place, Embankment.
What? Michael Faraday (1791-1867) would make the top five of most people’s great British scientists. He’s commonly associated with the Royal Institution, where he initiated the Christmas Lectures and made many pioneering experiments into electromagnetism. Less well appreciated are his efforts in chemistry. He was the first person to isolate benzene, which later prompted a letter to Nature calling for an annual commemorative rest-day for chemists.
A more tangible and lasting commemoration to the London-born scientist stands on the Thames Embankment, surveying the passing motor vehicles whose electrical components owe their breath of life to Faraday. The statue is by Anglo-Irish sculptor John Foley, whose most famous work is the figure of the titular consort in the Albert Memorial, as well as the group Asia on the corner of that memorial.
Faraday is also commemorated by a box-shaped memorial on a roundabout in Elephant and Castle. But more of that another time…
Yay! I am already a fan of this series. I have been planning to do a series of posts on sciency tourist locations all over the world, after noticing that I had visited quite a lot of them (the Atomium in Brussels, an original meter in Paris, the La Brea tar pits in L.A., etc.). But I haven’t done anything scientifically interesting in London, so this should be fun.
I’ve also been thinking of finding the spots of scientific interest in Toronto, but there just isn’t much. It’ll be along the lines of “a famous scientist sat in this bar once”, and “these Nobel Prize winners spent some time in Toronto and this is where they bought their groceries”.
Nice post Matt – reminded me that I had lectures on science at the IET one summer while I was still at school though I confess I can’t remember the statue of Faraday! If you’re out snapping Prince Albert in Kensington Gardens, make sure to drop by for coffee…
When do these famous walking tours of London happen? And will there be a Darwin/evolution themed one this year? Or one for the IYA?