Philosophy
by
Tom Geoghegan
April 21st, 2013
BBC NEWS
Tin cans have, in 200 years, changed the way the world eats. But Victorian disgust over a cheap meat scandal almost consigned the invention to rejection and failure.
Bryan Donkin left the chimney smoke of the city behind as his carriage headed south through Bermondsey, with the Duke of Kent's letter of approval in his hand.
The smell of leather and hops receded as he came to the turnpike at Fort Place Gate, where the gatekeeper's two-storey, brick house marked the end of the urban sprawl.
Behind him was an unhindered view of St Paul's Cathedral while in front lay open land and his factory, where for the previous two years he had been trying to find the best ways to can food.
He could not have known that the impact from the contents of the papers he held would still be felt across the globe 200 years later.
Dated 30 June 1813, the day before, the letter explained that four distinguished members of the royal family - including Queen Charlotte, wife and consort of King George III - had tasted and enjoyed his canned beef.
Indulging such refined palates was not a matter of vanity for this modest Northumbrian engineer.
Instead, it meant he had the highest possible blessing to supply what are thought to be the world's first commercial cans of preserved food to the Admiralty, thereby sparing British seamen thousands of miles away the monotony of salted meat.
Read the detailed story here .
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Philosophy
French or English...the ubiquitous tin can
"The story of how the tin can nearly wasn't"
by
Tom Geoghegan
April 21st, 2013
BBC NEWS
Tin cans have, in 200 years, changed the way the world eats. But Victorian disgust over a cheap meat scandal almost consigned the invention to rejection and failure.
Bryan Donkin left the chimney smoke of the city behind as his carriage headed south through Bermondsey, with the Duke of Kent's letter of approval in his hand.
The smell of leather and hops receded as he came to the turnpike at Fort Place Gate, where the gatekeeper's two-storey, brick house marked the end of the urban sprawl.
Behind him was an unhindered view of St Paul's Cathedral while in front lay open land and his factory, where for the previous two years he had been trying to find the best ways to can food.
He could not have known that the impact from the contents of the papers he held would still be felt across the globe 200 years later.
Dated 30 June 1813, the day before, the letter explained that four distinguished members of the royal family - including Queen Charlotte, wife and consort of King George III - had tasted and enjoyed his canned beef.
Indulging such refined palates was not a matter of vanity for this modest Northumbrian engineer.
Instead, it meant he had the highest possible blessing to supply what are thought to be the world's first commercial cans of preserved food to the Admiralty, thereby sparing British seamen thousands of miles away the monotony of salted meat.
Read the detailed story here .
- What Is A Vegetarian?
Despite the fact that we keep a meat-free home, the shorter of the short people will occasionally say that he is the only vegetarian in the household because he has never had meat in his life. He worries that if he ever accidentally ingests something...
- George I, King Of The United States
From Hanno: I know, I know, people do not like history. But here me out, I have a story to tell. Charles I became King of England in 1626. He ruled by tradition with the help of Parliament, an institution which came into being slowly over time, with odd...
- More On The Singularity Of The Nobel Prizes
"Should Nobel Prizes go to theorists or experimenters? Scurvy vs. the Higgs Boson" The 2013 Nobel prize for physics has sparked debates about whether we should reward theorists or experimenters. Although experiments are supposed to have the power...
- Neanderthals Cooked Their Vegetables
An interesting story. I often wondered how many lives were lost before ancient man realized which plants were poisonous, medicinal, and tasty and the same with hunting technology or even sex and communication. "Neanderthals cooked and ate vegetables"...
- John Montagu And Ham On Rye
John Montagu November 3rd, 1718 to April 30th, 1792 John Montagu who?...the 4th Earl of Sandwich...now do you get the connection? John Montagu was a "British politician, inventor and explorer, for whom the sandwich is named, which is said he invented...