Jeremy Norman’sHistoryofInformation.com Exploring the History of Information and Media through Timelines
Jeremy Norman’s_thumb.jpg "Painting by George Garrard of the Whitbread brewery in London at the time of the steam engine")
Painting by George Garrard of the Whitbread brewery in London at the time of the steam engine's use.
A: Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, B: London, England, United Kingdom
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The Whitbread Engine, designed by mechanical engineer James Watt and manufactured for Boulton and Watt of Birmingham for installation in the Whitbread brewery in London in 1785, is one of the first rotative steam engines ever built, and is the oldest surviving. A rotative engine is a type of beam engine where the reciprocating motion of the beam is converted to rotary motion, producing a continuous power source suitable for driving machinery.
On decommissioning in 1887 the Whitbread Engine was sent to Australia's Powerhouse Museum (then known as the Technological, Industrial and Sanitary Museum) and has since been restored to full working order.
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