Context
Frederick Lanchester (1868-1946) engineer, scientist and mathematician, was a prolific inventor. His varied interests included laying down the first principles of flight, designing and building the first all-British motorboat and the first all-British, four-wheel petrol motor car.
Fredrick’s work on heavier than air flying machines was profound. His studies led to his 1897 patented inventions, incorporating contra-rotating propellers, a rudder, fins and planes, a space called a 'car' for an 'aeronaut' and elliptical wings which preceded the forerunner to the Spitfire by decades - and all this six years before the Wright brothers flew.
His writing on military principles and strategy has been adapted for business use and the book is still in print with sales exceeding 3 million copies. The Japanese revere his name and see him as a ‘Management Guru’.
His inventions from the 1890s for the fast-developing motor-vehicle included the disc brake, turbocharging, rack and pinion steering, power steering, four-wheel drive, automatic engine lubrication and balancing and he built and ran the first petrol-electric hybrid car.
He wrote papers on colour photography, relativity (debating with Einstein) and radiation. He set up a manufacturing company to build sound recording and reproduction. He was an accomplished musician and poet. This man was a true polymath; Britain’s own Leonardo da Vinci.
Ambitions for the Scheme
The ambition for the commission is to engage with the public to appreciate and understand the contributions made by these Great Britons and to encourage them to find out more by visiting the Lanchester Interactive Archive in the Coventry University Lanchester Library. At the very least, we would wish the public viewing the commission to consider their personal ambitions and their attitudes to the Lanchester ideas of learning, enterprise and initiative, whatever their age.
About the Trust
The Lanchester Trust was created in February 2010 with the following objectives:
i. The advancement of the scientific, engineering, and technological heritage, and the promotion of the innovations and ideas of Dr Frederick William Lanchester, George Herbert Lanchester and Francis Lanchester (“the Lanchester Brothers”)
ii. The advancement of scientific and technical heritage by promotion, sponsorship and undertaking of works and projects to restore, maintain, acquire or create items previously produced, written, invented or developed by any or all of “ the Lanchester Brothers” acting individually or together with one another or with other parties
iii. The advancement of scientific, engineering and technological education by the making of grants, and the award of scholarships and prizes to students, other individuals or non-commercial academic organizations studying or working in appropriate areas of science, technology and engineering.
The Lanchester Trust is determined to make people aware and promote the Lanchester ideas of learning, enterprise and initiative in others, both young and old, in the present and in the future.
About the Artist
Eric Klein Velderman is a multi-disciplinary artist producing work as prints, sketches and public realm sculptures.
He's had a long career working as a professional artist specialising in public artworks and interior design projects for new build construction schemes. Many of these artworks and projects have been fabricated in metals but he has also used light, acrylic, clay, glass resin and digital print. This interest in materials and process stems from his earlier art college training as a sculptor.
The artist has always had an abiding interest in convergent technologies and uses digital and analogue processes throughout his work as both a designer and artist.