Welcome to the Newcomen website

  • The Ardnacrusha HEP Station

    Known as the Shannon Scheme, it was built by Siemens for the Irish Free State in 1925. Visited by the Newcomen 2012 Summer Meeting.

  • The Kiln at Irish Cement in Limerick

    Visited by the Society during the 2012 Summer Meeting to Ireland.

  • Newcomen Engine House in Steam

    The full-size replica Newcomen engine and engine house of 1712 at the Black Country Museum, Dudley, in steam for the first time to celebrate the tri-centenary of the original engine.

  • Battersea Power Station

    Battersea Power station, built in the 1930s

  • EDSAC

    The first practical stored-program electronic computer
    (© image reproduced by kind permission of Cambridge University)

  • Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    9 April 1806 - 15 September 1859

  • The Construction of Crystal Palace

    Built in 1851 from cast iron and glass to house the Great Exhibition
    (An engraving from Illustrated London News 1851. Image courtesy of Ironbridge Gorge Museum)

  • A British-built Locomotive from the mid 20th Century

    This example operated in Victoria, Australia
    (Photograph by Michael Bailey)

* * * * Newsflash * * * *

James Sutherland, Past President

The Society is saddened to report the death of James Sutherland, aged 90, on 18 May after a short illness. He was a Past President of the Society, a renowned civil engineer, founder of the Institution of Structural Engineers History Study Group and author of numerous papers on current and historical subjects. A full obituary will appear in due course.

Introduction

The Newcomen Society was founded in 1920. It is the oldest society in the world specialising in the history of engineering and technology and has published over a 1000 papers, an invaluable archive of original research material for historians. The Newcomen Society takes its name from Thomas Newcomen (bap. 1664, d.1729) who invented the first practical working steam engine, but its interests are broad and international, embracing all aspects of engineering from ancient times and the great inventions of the 18th and 19th centuries through to the sophisticated technologies of the 20th century and into the digital age.

Website & Database

The Newcomen Society is happy to report that development on its new website is well underway as you will see from the way news and events now appear. The new database is now live and it is possible  to join the Society on-line by clicking  ‘Become a Member’.

If you are a member please let us have your up to date email address so that we can send you mail alerts and news items speedily.

There will be additions to the Members’ Area in the next week or so.

Although the facility for members to download copies of archived papers is not yet in place, full members can apply to the office and pdfs of papers will be emailed free of charge. Contact office@newcomen.com.

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  • Upcoming Events

    1. Jul
      17
      Wed
      2013
      1. The 2013 Summer Meeting @ Manchester All Day
        The 2013 Summer Meeting @ Manchester
        (all-day)

        The Society has chosen  Manchester as the location of the Summer Meeting in 2013. Manchester holds a unique place in the History of Engineering and [...]
    2. Jul
      22
      Mon
      2013
      1. The 24th International Congress for the History of Science, Technology & Medicine @ Manchester All Day
        The 24th International Congress ... @ Manchester
        (all-day)

        The International Congress of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine is the largest event in the field, and takes place every four years. Recent [...]
    3. Sep
      10
      Tue
      2013
      1. 10:00 am Brunel in South Wales @ Brunel in South Wales
        Brunel in South Wales @ Brunel in South Wales
        10:00 am

        A tour of sites associated with the works of Brunel in South Wales will take in aspects associated with Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913) covering the [...]
    4. Sep
      24
      Tue
      2013
      1. 6:30 pm AGM & Hornblowers 18th Century Steam Engine Pioneers @ Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester
        AGM & Hornblowers 18th Cent... @ Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester
        6:30 pm

        The NW Branch AGM  followed by a lecture “Hornblowers – 18th Century Steam Engine Pioneers”by Brian Corfield (Member, North West Branch). Parking is available on [...]

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