| This event took place Monday 8th October, 2001 |
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Adam Hart-Davis
The presenter of What the Victorians did for Us, joined us for a Live Chat and answered your questions about the Victorians and their inventions.
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Question from Jan: When did people begin to regard themselves as Victorians?
Adam Hart-Davis: I should think very soon after she came to the throne, 1837.
Question from Graeme: What was your favourite Victorian invention?
Adam Hart-Davis: I'm very fond of Thomas Gaddes's automatic egg boiler but the
velocity shower is a close second. I was in the shower naked last week.
Question from Joe: Great programmes! Do you think a remake Crystal Palace would have been better than the Dome?
Adam Hart-Davis: Yes. It would be cheaper, more effective, more fun. The Dome is a long way from anywhere. Crystal Palace is beautiful and the Dome is ugly.
Question from Sallie: What happened to the Crystal Palace?
Adam Hart-Davis: First of all it was taken down in the Autumn and rebuilt at Sidnum, it stayed there until it was burnt down in a fire. Very sad.
Question from Alex: Did the constructors of the Crystal Palace envisage such a short lifespan?
Adam Hart-Davis: Yes. It was only ever meant to be temporary. They thought it would be up for six months and then come down again.
Question from Graham: Adam, which modern device would you amaze the Victorians with if you were transported back in time?
Adam Hart-Davis: I think the mobile phone would blow them sideways.
Question from Dave: What Victorian influences are there in Dublin?
Adam Hart-Davis: I don't know Dublin well enough. I expect Guinness was around before the Victorians. Beautiful city though.
Question from Antony: What was the best bit of all for you, when you made these
programmes?
Adam Hart-Davis: There were many very good bits. The tug of war between the screw
propeller and paddle wheels was good. It was raining but it was wonderful fun. Possibly
going down the sewers too although I wouldn't want to do that again in a hurry.
Question from Phil: Why did the first telegraph line need 200 volts?
Adam Hart-Davis: To begin with they didn't have a clue how to do it and they
experimented with everything but it was difficult to get signals through because the
resistance was so high.
Question from Robin: Who was your favourite inventor/discoverer in the Victorian
period?
Adam Hart-Davis: Alexander Bain was fantastic. He patented the fax machine in 1843, at least one hundred years before it was any use. Discoverer - possibly John Franklin who failed to discover the north west passage after three horrendous trips. You'll have to read the book to find out about it, "What The Victorians Did For Us", in all good bookshops. You can win a copy on the BBC History website too.
Question from Joe: As the Victorian gentry had the wealth of empire pouring in, how could they treat their underlings so poorly, eg. working classes?
Adam Hart-Davis: Nobody has ever worked out how to treat the working class, it's
still a problem today. They were trying to behave in what they thought was a gentlemanly way and on the whole they made a mess of it, just like they do today.
Question from Jenny: Which invention that the Victorians made do you think was the most ahead of its time?
Adam Hart-Davis: Easily the fax machine. 1843. Invented by Alexander Bain from
Caithness.
Question from Andrew: What do you enjoy most about the models/experiments that you carry out?
Adam Hart-Davis: The best one is when I don't know whether they are going to work or not. If they do, it's truly wonderful.
Question from Marc: Do you think efficient steam transport would have been designed if the (petrol) motor car had not been invented?
Adam Hart-Davis: Yes. There was efficient steam transport, there was steam carriages on the road but they were crippled by road tolls. I think steam would have been absolutely fine.
Question from Jenny: What invention do you think touched most peoples lives in
Victorian England?
Adam Hart-Davis: Probably the railways. The railways brought about such colossal
changes. It's really hard to imagine what it was like before them. There was the telegraph. For example, football could be played against away teams and you could go away to the seaside which hadn't been possible. Stunning changes.
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