The James Watt Podcast

James Watt podcast
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James Watt is a Scottish engineer and inventor who changed the world. His improvements to the steam engine drove the Industrial Revolution. His success was so great that a unit of power was named a Watt in his honour. The year 2019 marked the 200th anniversary of Watt’s death and the 250th anniversary of Watt’s patent (to use a separate condenser to improve the efficiency of a steam engine). This podcast reflects on his life and legacy and highlights areas to visit. Podcast series produced by The PR Store - www.theprstore.co.uk Supported by Historic Environment Scotland - www.hes.scot

  1. 01/21/2020

    James Watt - hero or villain?

    Professor Gordon Masterton from the University of Edinburgh ponders the legacy of James Watt during a talk at the Hippodrome Cinema, Bo'ness, in January 2020. With thanks to staff at Falkirk Community Trust.

    25 min

  2. 01/21/2020

    Walking in Watt's footsteps in Birmingham

    James Watt spent half his life in the Birmingham area. In 2019, a new walking guide was produced to highlight some of the sites associated with James Watt. Download a PDF here: j.mp/watt-birm-guide In this episode, we travel to Birmingham to visit places linked with James Watt – two churches, the home of his business partner Matthew Boulton and the impressive home of his son, James Watt Jnr. James Jnr is widely credited with the widespread memorialisation – and hero worship – of James Watt. With thanks to ASTON HALL, SOHO HOUSE, ST PAUL’S CHURCH and ST. MARY’S CHURCH, HANDSWORTH Music in this podcast: Excerpt from Prelude in C (BWV 846) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

    9 min

  3. 01/21/2020

    The Watt Institution in Greenock

    At the heart of Greenock – on the west coast of Scotland – is a complex which celebrates James Watt, learning and local heritage. This is the Watt Institution – a series of buildings housing the Watt Library, the Watt Hall and McLean Museum and Art Gallery.  The buildings cover part of Union Street and Kelly Street in the town. The Library was established first – to house a memorial statue of the great Greenock-born inventor James Watt and provide a new home for Greenock Library. The campus was then extended with the help of another architect to create the adjoining Hall and Museum. The final section was opened in 1876. In recent years the complex has undergone a £2 million refurbishment programme. It reopened to the public in November 2019. We spoke to Lorraine Murray, the archivist at Inverclyde Archives – part of Inverclyde Council – about the complex.

    6 min

  4. 01/21/2020

    James Watt at the Riverside Museum, Glasgow

    A new display – inspired by the achievements of the Scottish inventor James Watt – launched at Riverside Museum in Glasgow at the end of 2019. Watt’s development of the steam engine, 250 years ago, made it more efficient – radically reducing the amount of coal required and driving the Industrial Revolution. The new display at Riverside, the city’s transport museum is called Going Green – The Drive for Energy Efficiency (sponsored by Aggreko). It considers James Watt’s pioneering spirit and legacy in a modern-day context. The centrepiece of the exhibit is a Tesla Model S P85+, believed to be the first Tesla acquired by a public museum in Scotland. It is being shown alongside a rare Honda Insight Mk1, dating back to 2000. It is one of only 239 Mk1s sold in the UK and was the first hybrid car to be acquired for the city’s renowned Transport and Travel collection. The display also includes an item donated by a modern-day James Watt – that’s James Watt, the founder of the beer company Brewdog. He donated artwork from the firm’s Make Earth Great Again (mega) beer and a bottle of it too.

    7 min

  5. 01/21/2020

    The changing narrative about James Watt

    Researcher Kate Bowell has been looking at how the story of James Watt has been presented to audiences visiting the National Museum of Scotland. The Museum in Edinburgh is home to a Boulton and Watt engine, which takes pride of place in one of the first floor galleries. Kate has been examining labels and interpretative text used by the Museum to explain Watt’s story. She spoke about her work at the recent STICK conference in Stirling’s Engine Shed in 2019. She said – over time – progressive labels used by the museum praised Watt “more and more”. She says: “He becomes not just an inventor, but a genius.” Then “he moves from being a genius to being one of Scotland’s greatest minds of all time …. ” She also noted that after the 1960s, Watt wasn’t put on “as high a pedestal” by museum staff. Listen to her talk about her work here. Podcast produced by The PR Store

    4 min

  6. 01/20/2020

    James Watt at the National Museum of Scotland

    The Boulton and Watt engine on show at the National Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street in Edinburgh is one of the oldest surviving beam engines in the world. The metal and wood structure – weighing 20 tonnes – was made in London by Scottish inventor James Watt and dates from 1786. In this podcast, curator Ellie Swinbank tells you more about the exhibit, which is one of the key displays in the Science and Technology section of the museum. Visit the Museum website for more information.

    3 min

  7. 01/19/2020

    Scotland’s first rotative Boulton & Watt engine at Kennetpans

    Today it’s just a ruin on the north side of the River Forth. But Kennetpans Distillery, near Kincardine in central Scotland, was once the largest distillery in the country and is said to be the “birthplace” of the Scottish whisky industry. It was also once home to Scotland’s first rotative Boulton and Watt steam engine. The distillery was founded in the early 18th century by brothers John and James Stein. The buildings which survive today probably date from the 1770s. (See a map to the site here.) They were in production until the site closed in 1825. The site then started to fall into disrepair – and internal machinery and fittings removed. In recent years, work has taken place to revamp the ruinous site – removing vegetation, consolidating buildings and creating new interpretation. There have also been events to explain the buildings’ history to local people. Historian Bill Whitehead has been delving into the history of Kennetpans. He spoke at a conference on Watt at the University of Birmingham and chatted later about his research. FIND OUT MORE The Kennetpans Trust website The Scotsman: “Ruined whisky distillery gets a new lease of life” Alloa Advertiser: “Project to restore ‘origin of Scottish Whisky’ at Kennetpans” Travels With A Kilt: Kennetpans Distillery The Inner Forth Landscape Initiative Kennetpans Distillery: The Site and the Wider Landscape Video: Kennetpans: The Birthplace of Scotch Whisky Distilling

    4 min

  8. 01/19/2020

    James Watt at the National Galleries of Scotland

    Art lovers can come face-to-face with inventor James Watt through the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland. You can view online images from the NGS collection here. We asked Helen Smailes, Senior Curator of British Art (Paintings and Sculpture), at NGS to pick out some of her highlights. THE BUST She started by talking about a marble bust of Watt by Sir Francis Chantrey, which is on display in the entrance hall of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh’s Queen Street. This bust dates from around 1815 and was used by Chantrey as the basis of much larger statues. (Several of these were made – with one currently on loan to the National Museum of Scotland in the city’s Chambers Street.) THE PAINTING Helen went on to discuss a half-length oil portrait by John Partridge, inspired by an original painting by Sir William Beechey. (The Beechey original, initially retained by the artist, was shown at the Royal Academy in London in 1802, just under two years after Watt retired formally from participation in the partnership with Boulton. The Partridge copy is said to have been given by Watt’s son to his father’s medical attendant during the final illness of the great engineer – so it is particularly special. THE DRAWING Helen went on to pick out her third choice – a large chalk drawing in profile by the Paisley modeller John Henning, created in 1809. It was commissioned by the Scots judge and litterateur Francis, Lord Jeffrey (who also penned the 1819 obituary of Watt for the newly-founded Scotsman newspaper). A version of this drawing was used by Henning as the basis of cameos. Helen also mentioned Watt’s appearance in the stunning frieze which surrounds the entrance hall of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. THE MASTERPIECE  Her last choice was an imposing painting by James Eckford Lauder. Entitled “James Watt and the Steam Engine: the Dawn of the Nineteenth Century (1855)” – this huge oil painting is the ultimate incarnation of the kettle legend surrounding James Watt.  According to Helen it is “strongly reminiscent” of Joseph Wright of Derby’s celebrations of 18th century technical and scientific innovations (the best known are “A Philosopher Giving That Lecture on the Orrery in Which a Lamp Is Put in Place of the Sun” (Derby Art Gallery) and “An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump” (National Gallery, London).

    14 min
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James Watt is a Scottish engineer and inventor who changed the world. His improvements to the steam engine drove the Industrial Revolution. His success was so great that a unit of power was named a Watt in his honour. The year 2019 marked the 200th anniversary of Watt’s death and the 250th anniversary of Watt’s patent (to use a separate condenser to improve the efficiency of a steam engine). This podcast reflects on his life and legacy and highlights areas to visit. Podcast series produced by The PR Store - www.theprstore.co.uk Supported by Historic Environment Scotland - www.hes.scot

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  • Creator
    James Watt podcast
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    22
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    © James Watt podcast
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    The James Watt Podcast