The English Mechanic and World of Science

The English Mechanic and World of Science, commonly referred to as English Mechanic, was a popular-sciencemagazine, published weekly from 1865 to 1926,^[1][2] generally consisting of 24 pages. It was aimed at people interested in inventions and gadgets and new discoveries in science, technology, and mathematics. A regular chess column was also included, written by James Pierce.

The magazine was founded as a 1d weekly The English Mechanic subtitled A Record of Mechanical Invention, Scientific and Industrial Progress, Building, Engineering, Manufactures, Arts &c. in 1865, and purchased in its first year of publication by John Passmore Edwards. Ebenezer J. Kibblewhite was a regular contributor, then became editor.

The publication featured a lively correspondence section, which occupied a quarter of its pages, each week headed by a quote from Montaigne.^[3]

I would have everyone write what he knows, and as much as he knows but no more . . . for such a person may have some particular knowledge and experience of the nature of such a river or such a fountain, [but] as to other things knows no more than everybody does . . .

The size and content grew rapidly in size and quality, and as of the issue of 12 January 1866 its price was increased to 2d. and had new, rather elegant, banner art, with its title shortened to English Mechanic, subtitled and Mirror of Science and Art, but pages titled English Mechanic and Mirror of Science.

Some time before 1876 it became English Mechanic subtitled and World of Science, with which is incorporated The Mechanic, Scientific Opinion, and The British & Foreign Mechanic. Pages were titled English Mechanic and World of Science

The magazine popularized amateur telescope construction in the UK and later in the United States after the Reverend William Frederick Archdall Ellison's articles on the subject were reprinted in the Scientific American. A letter by William H. S. Monck published in the magazine on 12 July 1890 led to the formation of the British Astronomical Association.^[4]

En el número de mayo de 1899 apareció un artículo de T. Hyler-White (1871-1920) sobre un triciclo motorizado que podía ser impulsado por un motor De Dion-Bouton de  1,75 hp . Posteriormente, a partir de enero de 1900, apareció una serie de 56 artículos más titulados "Un coche pequeño y cómo construirlo", que contenían los planos de lo que probablemente fue el primer coche en kit del Reino Unido . El diseño se basaba en el Benz Velo , ^{[ 5 ]} y se sugirió que se utilizara un motor Benz y que, para reducir costes, se utilizaran varias piezas de segunda mano, aunque se ofrecían algunas piezas nuevas fundidas con un servicio de mecanizado si era necesario.

Posteriormente aparecieron otras series de artículos con más diseños, entre los que se incluyen, en 1901, un coche de vapor; en 1902, un vehículo de vapor de tres ruedas; en 1904, un  coche bicilíndrico de 5 CV; en 1909, un vehículo de recreo con motor monocilíndrico; y finalmente, en 1913, un ciclomotor . ^{[ 6 ]}

Se desconoce cuántos coches se construyeron siguiendo los planos, pero al menos cuatro sobreviven. ^{[ 6 ]} Hoy en día se les conoce colectivamente como "English Mechanics", pero es probable que en aquella época se utilizaran diversos nombres.

Varios números de The English Mechanic y World of Science se encuentran en el Archivo de Internet :

• 1870, vol. XI
• 1878, vol. XXVII
• 1882, vol. XXXV
• 1883, vol. XXXVI
• 1884, vol. XXXVIII
• 1886, vol. XLVII
• 1891, vol. LIII
• 1892, vol. LIV
• 1892, vol. LV

• Escaneos comerciales en el sitio web englishmechanic.com [ enlace roto ] Archivado en English Mechanic
• Escaneos en el Archivo de Internet