A Scottish inventor and engineer, Watt developed improvements for the steam engine, changing it into a source of power that changed the world and brought about the Industrial Revolution.
James Watt by Carl Frederik von Breda, 1792. National Portrait Gallery, London.
The new steam engine meant that factories were no longer dependent on water power, and therefore could work the year round, and could be located almost anywhere. Higher efficiency engines ultimately led to a revolution in transportation: the steamboat and the locomotive. Watt was said to be a great conversationalist and was much sought after as a dinner guest.
)
