Published in this edition in 1855, The Electric Telegraph Popularised is a work of popular science by the Irish scientific writer Dionysius Lardner. At this time the telegraph had only recently come into widespread use and it was less than fifty years since the first working telegraph was built by the English inventor Sir Francis Ronalds in 1816.
The Electric Telegraph Popularised served as a bridge between existing scientific knowledge that would have been limited to the small scientific community and the broader Victorian middle class that had emerged since the Industrial Revolution and demonstrated an appetite for reading works of popular science. In his text Lardner breaks down complicated concepts into accessible language, explaining how electric currents travel along wires, how signals are encoded, and how telegraph networks were physically constructed and maintained. He uses diagrams and outlines of simple experiments to make abstract principles relatable to readers without existing scientific knowledge. The book contains around one hundred illustrations of telegraphs as well as telegraph stations and the laying of cables from ships.
What makes this book especially interesting is that it is both a manual on how telegraphs work and a consideration of the impact they would have on society at the time and in the future. Lardner was aware of the social and economic implications of the telegraph and he discusses how the invention would transform journalism, finance, diplomacy, and personal correspondence.
This book is part of the collection of Sir Francis Ronalds, which comprises about 2000 volumes and 4000 pamphlets on electricity and magnetism. Originally bequeathed to his brother-in-law with the wish that the library remain intact, it was transferred to the IET in 1876.
Despite being a prolific writer and well known across multiple disciplines at the time he was alive, Lardner is a less well know figure today, in part at least because no invention or theory carries his name. However, works like the one discussed show that he was a pioneer in popularising knowledge, driving interest in science and technology and democratising the ideas of the scientific community for a broader audience.
Who was Dionysus Lardner?
Born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1793, Dionysius Lardner was the son of William O’Brien Lardner, a solicitor, and Mary Ann Lardner. He entered Trinity College Dublin, where he initially studied law before switching to science and mathematics. His first publication was A series of lectures upon Locke’s Essay, in 1824. He also published several mathematical works, including one on geometry which became popular as a college textbook and was frequently reprinted.
By the 1820s, Lardner had made a name for himself in academic circles. He became Professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy at University College London, a role that would cement his place as a key science educator during a time when industrialization and technological innovation were transforming society. One of his notable associations was with Charles Babbage, the computing pioneer. Lardner helped promote Babbage’s work on the Difference Engine, giving lectures and writing about its potential. He was also respected as an economist and his work Railway Economy is cited in Karl Marx’s Capital.
Lardner was a prolific writer and his most celebrated project was the Cabinet Cyclopaedia, a vast collection of more than 130 volumes covering everything from history to natural philosophy. It was designed for the growing literate middle class, and Lardner recruited a range of well-known writers of the time as contributors including Mary Shelley, Thomas Moore, and James Mackintosh. Another series was The Museum of Science and Art, of which The Electric Telegraph Popularised forms one volume of, a multi-volume series that used illustrations and simple explanations to introduce topics like electricity, astronomy, and mechanics. This series reached a wide audience and went through multiple editions.
Lardner had a complex personal life that made him a controversial figure in society at the time. In 1815 he married Cecilia Flood but they separated in 1820 and were divorced in 1835. Around the time of the separation, he began a relationship with Anne Maria Darley Boursiquot, the wife of a Dublin wine merchant. He is believed to be the father of her son, Dion Boucicault, who became an actor and dramatist.
Lardner’s career suffered a significant setback in 1840 as a result of his relationship with Mary Spicer Heaviside. She was the wife of Captain Richard Heaviside. Lardner fled to Paris with Mary, but Richard Heaviside followed and as we well as flogging Lardner, successfully sued him for adultery and was awarded £8,000. The Heavisides divorced in 1845, and in 1846, Lardner married Mary Heaviside. This episode of his life effectively ended his career in England.
Following a career lecturing in the US between 1841 and 1844, Lardner moved to Paris in 1845. He worked as an expert witness in court disputes for a number of railway businesses and had a particular interest in the financial side of railway management. He died in Naples, Italy, in 1859, and is buried in the Cimitero degli Inglesi.
By Daniel Simkin,
Deputy Library Manager
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