James Clerk Maxwell (1831-79) was one of the most important scientists of the 19th Century. He laid the foundations for many of the scientific and technological advances which shape our world.
Below we list some information about Maxwell to watch and listen, and some UK places associated with him to visit in real life or virtually. There is much more on the rest of our web site, and if you want to keep in touch with Maxwell-related developments, we have a link below.
This short video (YouTube) by the Glasgow Science Centre describes Maxwell's work in a very accessible way.
* More videos
Or see the longer presentation Scotland's Einstein by Prof Catherine Heymans and Prof Martin Hendry at the Wigtown Book Festival 2022
Birthplace tour: He was born in this elegant Georgian house. It now displays a growing collection of heritage material associated with James Clerk Maxwell, his associates and family circle. ...Birthplace Tour Details
14 India Street, Edinburgh
Entrance Hall
The James Clerk Maxwell statue in Edinburgh
Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE)
The Edinburgh tour takes you on foot or virtually round sites associated with Maxwell including his statue, the Royal Society of Edinburgh and his birthplace. There are apps for mobile phones available. ...Edinburgh Tour Details
Maxwell's first job was at Marischal College in 1856 where he met his future wife. Later (1874) he set up the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge.
His family's country estate was at Glenlair in Dumfries and Galloway, and he is buried in Parton churchyard there. ...UK Tour Details
Glasgow musician and composer PJ Moore (of ‘The Blue Nile') is an enthusiastic promoter of James Clerk Maxwell's memory. An example of his work is this video piece (Vimeo) which combines the animations from Maxwell's zoetrope and images of Glenlair (Maxwell's country home), with words written by Maxwell at age 23 set to Paul's music.
A song and video (YouTube) about JCM, with words by Howie Firth and music by Andy & Flora Munro. This was written in 2012 and has been performed many times since then to appreciative audiences.
The Foundation organised many events for Maxwell's 175th anniversary in 2006 ...MORE
... and plans to organise more leading up to Maxwell's 200th anniversary in 2031. Watch this space!
The International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies (IYL 2015) is a global initiative adopted by the United Nations to raise awareness of how optical technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to worldwide challenges in energy, education, agriculture, communications and health. United Nations Resolution 68/221 notes that:
You can subscribe to one or both of the following e-mail list memberships:
Register for e-mails here. (lauches our membermojo registration site)
We will not use this mailing list to contact you about anything else. We use the membermojo service to run our mailing list membership. It is GDPR compliant to protect your data. You can opt out at any stage.
Or follow us on Twitter. Follow @JCMaxwellFound
The JCM Foundation is a charity formed in Scotland in 1977. (Registered Charity SC015003)
Contact us.
Privacy policy and cookies.
