In July I visited the World Heritage Site at Ironbridge and was keenly
interested in reasons given for this location being considered the birthplace
of the Industrial Revolution. After the visit and having read the literature,
it seemed to me that the most notable development that occurred there was the
accomplishment of making coke from coal.
However, coal (and cokemaking) are not subjects that fascinate much of the
public, probably even some of those interested in history. It occurred to me
that as a result, there is a paucity of information at Ironbridge, at least
on public display, describing Darby's achievement of producing coke -- and
the significance of the process.
I believe that some of the questions asked in this series of e-mails relate
to the points touched on above. One would expect that something so
significant as cokemaking would be duly noted at the museums at Ironbridge
and would therefore be described in appropriate detail. Comments invited.
Noel Kirshenbaum
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