Lives of the electricians

A series of biographical sketches chronicles three major figures in electrical science, following their origins, formative studies, experimental discoveries, and the practical devices that resulted. One profile traces investigations into magnetism, radiant heat, atmospheric phenomena and public lectures; another details the conception and development of telegraphic apparatus, visual and measuring instruments, and early cable experiments; the final sketch follows an inventor who moved from art to devise a recording telegraph and relay. An introductory essay outlines the author’s aim to render technical ideas accessible and to link individual careers with wider technological change.