The life and work of Charles Tomlinson FRS: a career in Victorian science and technology

Abstract

Charles Tomlinson (1808–97) was an exceptionally versatile scientist of the Victorian era, who, in a long career as an educator, encyclopaedist and researcher contributed significantly to the advancement of science and technology. By his prolific authorship of some 50 books and 100 published papers and notes, he promoted the dissemination of scientific information, both to professionals and to a wider public that was beginning to appreciate the powerful influence of technology on the wealth and well-being of society. In his magnificent Cyclopaedia of the useful arts , he set a monument to the contemporary state of science, technology and the manufactures. His researches in the field of chemical physics, especially concerned with the phenomena of surface tension, supersaturation and meteorology, were recognized by his election as a Fellow of The Royal Society.