author
James Mactear
A Scottish chemical engineer who also wrote about the long history of chemistry, he brought practical industry knowledge to his historical writing. Best known in bookshelves for On the Antiquity of the Chemical Art, he linked scientific progress with the craft traditions that came before it.
1 Audiobook
On the Antiquity of the Chemical Art
by James Mactear
About the author
Born in Glasgow on April 3, 1845, James MacTear became a prominent Scottish chemical engineer and industrial chemist. He was associated with the St Rollox Chemical Works in Glasgow, where he rose to become a partner and technical manager, and he was noted for work on chemical manufacturing processes.
Alongside his industrial career, he wrote about chemistry and its past. His best-known book, On the Antiquity of the Chemical Art, reflects his interest in how chemical knowledge developed over time and shows the perspective of someone deeply involved in the science as well as its history.
MacTear died on June 3, 1903. While reliable sources confirm his professional importance and his authorship, I could not confirm a suitable portrait image from the pages I checked, so no profile image is included here.