George Gore

Born in Bristol in 1826, he left school young and began work as an errand boy and later as a cooper's apprentice. Much of his education was self-directed, and that habit of independent study shaped the rest of his life.

He became known for important research in electrochemistry and electrometallurgy, publishing many papers and earning election to the Royal Society in 1865. He was especially associated with work on electro-deposited antimony and with practical chemical research that connected science to industry.

Gore also wrote books for general readers as well as specialists, including works on scientific discovery, national progress, and morality. That mix of laboratory research and wide-ranging public writing makes him an appealing figure for listeners interested in both Victorian science and the larger ideas that grew around it.