Bence Jones’s history of the Royal Institution traces the founding of the famous London centre for science and public education, established by Count Rumford, and the careers of its first professors. The book recounts the early years of an institution that became renowned for both research and the popular communication of science.
Jones describes the personalities and discoveries associated with the Institution’s beginnings, including the work of its great early lecturers. As a former officer of the Institution himself, he writes with intimate knowledge of its history and ideals. For readers interested in the history of science, scientific institutions, and the public dissemination of knowledge in nineteenth-century Britain, the book provides a detailed and authoritative account.