As a civil engineer, Sir John Fowler (1817–98) devoted his life to the railways. His best-known achievements include the first railway bridge across the Thames in London, Manchester Central Station, the development of the London Underground and (with Sir Benjamin Baker) the Forth Bridge - arguably the most remarkable feat of engineering of the nineteenth century. Given access to friends and family papers, the author and social theorist Thomas Mackay (1849–1912) portrays a man who was fascinated by engineering as a child, and who continued to work up until his death. As a portrait of one of the architects of Victorian Britain, this biography, first published in 1900, will be of great interest to historians of the period as well as readers wishing to know more about the development of iconic infrastructure.
Contents
Preface; 1. Early life; 2. Subordinate employments; 3. The railway engineer, 1844–50; 4. Professional characteristics and work, 1850–60; 5. The Nene improvement and Norfolk Estuary; 6. Metropolitan Railway; 7. President of the Institution of Civil Engineers; 8. Mr Fowler and General Garibaldi; 9. A proposal for a Channel ferry; 10. Egypt; 11. The Forth Bridge; 12. The engineer at home; Appendix; Index.
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