Fame and celebrity are not things that just happen accidentally to an individual, but need to be deliberately cultivated and sustained in many contexts, and for different reasons, over time. The reputation of Michael Faraday is a very good place to study such processes since he and his work have been widely celebrated from the late nineteenth century onwards. This talk will look at how Faraday was commemorated in the 20th century, concentrating mostly on the massive celebrations held in 1931 to mark the centenary of his discovery of electro-magnetic induction. This will be viewed within the context of the electrical industry’s need to market itself and to associate itself with notions of modernity. For example, the Albert Hall was hired for a two week exhibition devoted to Faraday and the consequences of his work. The Queen’s Hall was hired for an evening event at which the Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald spoke at a time of great national crisis when he had just the previous day taken the country off the gold standard. What was the impact of these celebrations, and associated publications such as An errand boy who changed the world? In particular the talk will refer to Margaret Thatcher’s interest in Faraday and the issuing of the Faraday twenty pound note in the 1990s.

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