Innovation and Industrialization in the Victorian Age

Innovation and Industrialization in the Victorian Age

Our March 25th visit to the Science Museum in South Kensington, along with the two H.G. Wells readings, allowed to me further understand the age of innovation in the Victorian Age and, more broadly, the industrialization of the 1800's. 

H.G. Wells describes both the potential disasters and triumphs associated with science and innovation, respectively, in "The Argonauts of the Air" and "Under the Knife." In "Argonauts of the Air," Wells closely follows the work of the inventor Monson, and his process in constructing a flying machine. While building the flying machine, which requires Monson to put all of his money into the invention, he faces much backlash from the public due to the overwhelming skepticism of the feasibility of the machine. When Monson and the engineer he worked with throughout the development process have completed the machine, it comes time to test it; the flying machine ends up crashing in South Kensington near the Royal College of Music.

While Wells explores the time and money that can amount to disaster in science and innovation, he also showcases the potential for science to triumph in “Under the Knife.” This short story delves into the mind of a patient, who experiences nightmares about the potential tragic situations that might result from his upcoming surgery. While the paranoia of the patient shows the potential disaster of medicine, the ending of the story, and the fact that patient survives the surgery and is in better health because of it, makes the case that science and innovation can do wonders for the world.

The interesting juxtaposition of the two H.G. Wells stories made me think closely about the Victorian understanding of science while at the Science Museum. The sections of the museum dedicated to construction of the steam engine and the locomotion in the 1800’s brought to my attention the extent of innovation that took place in Victorian England. The ways in which the train revolutionized communication and supply chains was something I have studied in my history classes, and also something that I examine in my international studies classes on the global economy. Tying these ideas back to the stories by Wells, it makes me curious why Victorian Londoners were so skeptical of science. After all, it was not long after the publishing of “Argonauts of the Air” that the Wright Brothers successfully accomplished the first flight.

My history classes, and the sections of the museum dedicated to science innovation and inventions for 1800’s factories, made me also critically think about quality of life and factory work in Victorian England. The rise of industrialization and factories in nineteenth century England played a significant role in the shaping of socioeconomic classes, and more specifically, the growing divide between the working and elite classes in London. The working conditions in the 1800’s contributed to the unsanitary streets and overall poor living conditions that we also explored in the East London walking tour.

It is interesting because I am very aware of the 1800’s Industrial Age, and the impact it has had, on today’s global economies and societies, but I never once thought about these phenomena all occurred during the Victorian Age. It was interesting to think about invention, science, and industrialization through a Victorian lens via the Wells readings and the visit to the Science Museum.