What the Industrial Revolution Did For Us

Episode
City Living
Broadcast Info
2003 (29 mins)
Description
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, the day-to-day lives of ordinary Britons had remained unchanged for centuries. Homes were largely rural and functional, and the idea of decorative and comfortable surrounding along with home ‘entertainment’ was the reserve of a handful of the privileged nobility. The Industrial Revolution ushered in the middle class and homes irrevocably changed. The programme considers such innovations as: William Murdoch’s experiments with gas lighting; Alessandro Volta’s electric battery; Alexander Cummings’ s-bend toilet; Josiah Wedgewood’s ingenious designs and marketing skills; Samuel Pratt’s spiral spring and Williams Perkins’ serendipitous discovers of new colours through the dye mauvine. city housing 19th Century coal gas lamps Wedgewood factory Stanhope press Koenig-Bauer-Steam Printer reconstructions
Genre
History; Design; Technology

How to cite this record

The Open University, "What the Industrial Revolution Did For Us". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ou/search/index.php/prog/6794 (Accessed 10 Jan 2025)