Gone but not forgotten: six engineering greats

Older issues of The Engineer, when the journal fulfilled more of a role as a newspaper for the sector than it does today, often included obituaries of notable figures from the engineering community. These often make surprising reading, as names still well-known today sometimes left a different impression on their contemporaries than we might suppose; and in other cases, notable personalities have not been remembered.

A classic example of someone upon whom legendary status has been conferred with hindsight, in Victorian Britain it seems that history’s most famous engineer was not well-regarded. Even praise for his achievements comes with caveats: “Notwithstanding the number and imposing character of his works many of them, often indeed through no fault of his own, have proved unsuccessful.” The obituary notes the high cost of his projects and claims that Brunel did not seek to promote new talent and often argued with contractors.

READ OUR REVISIT OF BRUNEL’S OBITUARY HERE