In a rather neat little garden outside the building that used to house the Institute of Electrical Engineers (now the conference venue of their successor body, the Institute of Engineering and Technology) you’ll find a statue of noted British scientist Michael Faraday.
Despite not having a university education, Faraday discovered the existence of electromagnetic fields, made the first steps in understanding electromagnetic induction (key to the development of devices such as transformers and electrical motors) as well as building the foundations for an understanding of the physical laws governing electrolysis. It’s rather fitting that his statue stands proudly outside the Institute whose members have benefited so greatly from his work.
The building itself hides a few secrets – walk down to the corner of Savoy Place and Savoy Hill and you’ll find a plaque carved into the stone which reveals that during the 1920s and early 1930s the BBC made their early radio broadcasts from the premises…
About Pete Stean
