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#technicianjourney

Stories and musings about technicians.

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Category Archives: London

Robert Hooke

Robert Hooke

Hooke was a 17th century polymath who started his scientific career as a technician working primarily for Robert Boyle.

Posted byAndy ConnellyMay 13, 2023May 13, 2023Posted in17th century, Biology, Chemistry, Location, London, Oxford, Physics, Subject area, UK, When they workedLeave a comment on Robert Hooke

Neil Papworth

Neil Papworth sent the first ever text message in 1991 when working as a technician. The message red “Merry Christmas”.

Posted byAndy ConnellyAugust 29, 2019January 4, 2022Posted in21st century, Computing, Location, London, Subject area, UK, When they workedLeave a comment on Neil Papworth

Gladys Trim

M. Sterne, Gladys Trim November 1970, Journal of Medical Microbiology 3: 649-654

Gladys Trim (1915-?) started work in the Veterinary Department at the Wellcome Laboratories aged 15. Initially she was not doing technical work but helping other
women in the office with the filing. After 42 years she had worked her way up to senior technician with her name included on several publications.

Posted byAndy ConnellyOctober 14, 2018January 4, 2022Posted in20th century, Biology, Location, London, Subject area, UK, When they workedLeave a comment on Gladys Trim

Den Busby

Dennis Busby, 1969 & 2013 (Archives of the NIMR at Mill Hill and Mr Busby)

Den Busby (1919-?) worked at the National Institute for Medical Research from the age of 15. He started work there in 1934 so his career spanned a time of great change for science technicians with improving conditions and a breaking down of old social barriers in the laboratory.

Posted byAndy ConnellyOctober 8, 2018January 4, 2022Posted in21st century, Biology, Location, London, Subject area, UK, When they worked3 Comments on Den Busby

Caroline Herschel: technician to the stars

Caroline Herschel (1750-1848)

Caroline Herschel (1750-1848) was an assistant to her brother William Herschel and a successful comet hunter in her own right. She was the first salaried female in the history of astronomy.

Posted byAndy ConnellyAugust 17, 2018January 4, 2022Posted in18th century, Astronomy, Germany, Location, London, Subject area, UK, When they workedLeave a comment on Caroline Herschel: technician to the stars

Michael Faraday

Michael Faraday in his late thirties

Michael Faraday (1791-1867) apprenticed to a book binder aged 14 he went on to become an assistant to Humphry Davy and eventually one of the greatest scientific discoverers of all time.

Posted byAndy ConnellyJuly 9, 2018January 4, 2022Posted in19th century, Location, London, Physics, Subject area, UK1 Comment on Michael Faraday

Margaret Flamsteed

Flamsteed House Greenwich (National Maritime Museum)

Margaret Flamsteed (c. 1670-1730) was wife and assistant to John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal. Without her his greatest achievements would never have been published.

Posted byAndy ConnellyJune 25, 2018January 4, 2022Posted in17th century, Astronomy, Location, London, Subject area, UK, When they workedLeave a comment on Margaret Flamsteed

Christopher White

Old Ashmolean 1685

Christopher White (c.1650-1695?) was the first professional laboratory technician. Working in Oxford he was apothecary, alchemist, experimenter, teacher, and demonstrator.

Posted byAndy ConnellyJune 18, 2018January 4, 2022Posted in17th century, Chemistry, Location, London, Oxford, Subject area, Teaching, When they workedLeave a comment on Christopher White

Freda Collier

Freda Collier

Freda Collier (1916-2013) worked with Rosalind Franklin as her x-ray photographer and most likely took the famous “photo 51”, an image that inspired the solution to the structure of DNA.

Posted byAndy ConnellyJune 11, 2018January 4, 2022Posted in20th century, Location, London, Physics, Subject area, UK, When they workedLeave a comment on Freda Collier

Denis Papin – a technician under pressure

Denis Papin (1647-1712) fleeing religious persecution in France he found work in London with Robert Boyle and at the Royal Society. He is the forgotten inventor of the pressure cooker and the first practical steam engine.

Posted byAndy ConnellyNovember 27, 2017January 4, 2022Posted in18th century, Chemistry, France, Location, London, Paris, Physics, Subject area, UK, When they worked1 Comment on Denis Papin – a technician under pressure

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