The Mystery of the ‘James Watt Organ’ & Other Watt Stories More Musical than Steamy’

James Watt is rightly famed for his engineering innovations, especially the improvements to steam engines which benefitted the industrial processes of his era and those which came after. However, very few have noticed his involvement with emerging musical instruments, especially in his early career while he still worked and lived in Glasgow before his move to Birmingham. Dr. Nina Baker will share her discoveries about the musical instrument work of our reputedly tone-deaf engineering hero.

Dr Nina Baker has had a varied career, having become a merchant navy deck officer on leaving school and taken an engineering design degree in her 30s, from the University of Warwick. She then gained a PhD in concrete durability from the University of Liverpool. She has since worked as a materials lecturer in further education and as a research administrator and, until recently, as an elected city councillor. Now retired, her interest in promoting STEM careers for girls has led her to become an independent researcher, mainly specialising in the history of women in engineering.

Free entry, booking not required.

This event is organised by Newcomen Society, and is part of the Newcomen Midlands Lecture Programme 2019/2020