David Allan Low

Born in Dundee in 1857, he trained early in engineering through an apprenticeship with Baxter Brothers, then continued his studies after winning a Whitworth Scholarship. His education took him to Owens College in Manchester, to Sir Joseph Whitworth and Company, and to the University of Glasgow, giving him a strong mix of workshop experience and academic grounding.

He began teaching in Glasgow and later moved to London, where he became closely associated with the People's Palace Technical Schools and then East London Technical College, later East London College of the University of London. Over the course of his career he became especially respected as a teacher of engineering and was eventually named emeritus professor.

He is best remembered today for practical engineering books such as A Manual of Machine Drawing and Design, Applied Mechanics, Practical Geometry and Graphics, and his Pocket-Book for Mechanical Engineers. He died in March 1937, leaving behind a reputation for making technical subjects clearer and more approachable for working engineers and students alike.