Monday, March 05, 2012

Who Is This Man?

 
I saw this portrait in the Huntington Library in San Marino (near Pasedena) California, USA. This man was the friend of a kite flyer, a pottery maker, and Erasmus Darwin. One of Ms. Sandwalk's direct ancestors worked for him.

He's very famous. You'll recognize the name instantly even if you don't recognize his face. Who is he?

I'll keep the comments invisible for 24 hours so you can post your guesses.
at

22 comments:

  1. Michael FisherMonday, March 05, 2012 11:16:00 AM

    it's aaaejmsttw

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michael FisherTuesday, March 06, 2012 3:56:00 PM

      I put one too many a's in: aaejmsttw = James Watt. Soho House where the Lunar Soc. met is only 4 miles from me here in Birmingham, UK.

      Delete
  2. Bayesian Bouffant, FCDMonday, March 05, 2012 11:33:00 AM

    Google Image search makes this way too easy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. John RunnelsMonday, March 05, 2012 12:20:00 PM

    James Watt.

    All persons mentioned were members of the Lunar Society -- except that I confess I don't know about Ms. Sandwalk's ancestors.

    ReplyDelete
  4. chris yMonday, March 05, 2012 12:51:00 PM

    From your description it ought to be Joseph Priestley, but it doesn't look like him.

    ReplyDelete
  5. QuidamMonday, March 05, 2012 1:51:00 PM

    Kite flyer = Benjamin Franklin
    Pottery maker = Josia Wedgewood
    Erasmus Darwin = himself.

    So this sounds like the Birmingham Lunar Society member, and my guess is Matthew Boulton.

    ReplyDelete
  6. QuidamMonday, March 05, 2012 2:08:00 PM

    Ahh, my bad - it is James Watt. Another member of the Lunar Society.

    http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/Sir-Henry-Raeburn/James-Watt.html

    ReplyDelete
  7. Arek W.Monday, March 05, 2012 3:12:00 PM

    I think it's James Watt. But I cheated (google).

    His assistant was William Playfair.
    http://sandwalk.blogspot.com/2008/10/bar-graphs-pie-charts-and-darwin_463.html

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousMonday, March 05, 2012 3:51:00 PM

    James Watt.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousMonday, March 05, 2012 5:00:00 PM

    It looks like Joseph Priestly.

    ReplyDelete
  10. FTFKDaDMonday, March 05, 2012 5:59:00 PM

    Josiah Wedgwood?

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousMonday, March 05, 2012 6:22:00 PM

    James Watt by Henry Raeburn

    A Scotsman painted by a Scotsman.

    ReplyDelete
  12. NALMonday, March 05, 2012 8:03:00 PM

    James Watt.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Suvrat KherMonday, March 05, 2012 10:25:00 PM

    Joseph Priestly?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Daniël MeltersMonday, March 05, 2012 11:38:00 PM

    James Watt

    ReplyDelete
  15. Veronica AbbassTuesday, March 06, 2012 12:39:00 AM

    The man in the portrait is Josiah Wedgwood (1730 - 1795).

    Is there a prize?

    ReplyDelete
  16. SigmundTuesday, March 06, 2012 3:53:00 AM

    James Watt?

    ReplyDelete
  17. RickTuesday, March 06, 2012 6:34:00 AM

    Joseph Wright of Derby

    ReplyDelete
  18. StarbuckTuesday, March 06, 2012 1:07:00 PM

    James Watt

    ReplyDelete
  19. Chas PetersonTuesday, March 06, 2012 1:59:00 PM

    Watt, what?

    ReplyDelete
  20. medical artistWednesday, March 07, 2012 5:18:00 AM

    I think that he is James Watt.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Joe FelsensteinThursday, March 08, 2012 2:16:00 AM

    Now that we know he is James Watt, this brings to mind one of the finer pieces of silliness in Sellers and Yeatman's inspired parody of English history, 1066 and All That. They mentioned the industrial and scientific advances in Britain in the 17th and 18th centuries due to people like James Watt and Robert Boyle, they declared that this inspired the saying that "Watt's potts never Boyle".

    ReplyDelete