author
William Garnett
1850–1932
A Victorian science teacher and writer, he helped bring physics to a wider public and kept close ties to the world of James Clerk Maxwell. His work ranged from mechanics and electricity to practical questions like electric street lighting and education reform.
2 Audiobooks
Heroes of Science: Physicists
by William Garnett
About the author
Born in Portsea, Hampshire, on December 30, 1850, William Garnett became a British professor and educational adviser with a strong grounding in physics and mechanics. Reliable source material identifies him as a physicist and educational administrator, and also as the biographer of James Clerk Maxwell.
Garnett is especially remembered for his connection to Maxwell. He edited Maxwell's Elementary Treatise on Electricity and wrote The Life of James Clerk Maxwell, helping preserve the story and scientific legacy of one of the great figures of nineteenth-century physics.
Alongside his writing, Garnett took a practical interest in electricity, including electric street lighting, and worked in education as well as science. That mix of teacher, organizer, and interpreter makes him an appealing figure for readers who enjoy the human side of scientific history.