Iain delivered a captivating talk, initially covering the life of IKB then linking the great innovations of his age to the major changes in the world. IKB was born in 1806 in Portsmouth and was 53 when he died in 1859. Educated in France. He is well known for his designs relating to the GWR, Clifton Suspension Bridge, SS Great Western and SS Great Britain in relation to Bristol. Do you know what the SS stands for?

The SS Great Britain full of innovation being the largest ship in the world at the time. Screw propelled and made of wrought iron. 14 days to New York when previously could take months albeit only 42 on first trip due to some scare mongering.

In the 1830s there were 3 major developments that would change the world, Trains, Ships and the Telegraph and IKB had some input into all 3. Iain made the connections, showing how these innovations increased trade around the world, making goods a lot cheaper, travel, distribution of foods improving the health for many people. An example being the Pineapple, once a status symbol costing thousands of pounds and not even eaten compared to today’s price. A fourth innovation was touched on, being Print (Newspapers), holding governments to account, albeit requiring distribution.

The talk finished with a chart demonstrating how these developments had impacted the UK. The population of the UK had grown from 10.5 million in 1800 to 41.5 million in 1900. There were a few questions from the audience, one being “How do you weigh large ships?”.