An experimental inquiry into the strenghth, elasticity, ductility and other properties of steel manufactured by The Barrow Haematite Steel Company, Lancaster, England 1869

This is the title page of a book from 1865, a study of steel manufactured by the Barrow Haematite Steel Company in Lancaster, England, written by William Fairbairn. What we see here is the social and cultural landscape of Victorian England at the height of the Industrial Revolution, complete with the belching smokestacks of industry. But this isn't just an image of industry; it’s a scientific inquiry, a sign of how industrial production was increasingly tied to scientific understanding and validation. Steel wasn't just something made in a factory; it was a material with specific, measurable properties. Consider the institutional context: Fairbairn was not just an engineer but also a Fellow of the Royal Society, signaling the growing importance of scientific expertise in industry. Further research into the archives of the Royal Society and engineering journals of the time would give us an even better sense of the cultural authority of the image.