The oldest surviving steam engine is on display at the Henry Ford Museum of Innovation in Michigan

June 12, 2021

The oldest surviving steam engine is on display at the Henry Ford Museum of Innovation in Michigan

I was traveling in Michigan this past week and took a day to visit the Henry Ford Museum of Innovation. All I can say is, WOW! Together with the adjacent Greenfield Village, well worth the visit.

The Innovation Museum offers great displays of engine technologies, including the oldest surviving steam engine in the world, a 1760-ish Newcomen engine, which was given to Henry Ford from the Earl of Stamford in 1929. The photograph is of me standing next to this large machine. The fact that these displays were just one part of the larger museum is remarkable. Again, well worth the visit.

education, energy, entropy, Thermodynamics

henry ford, henry ford museum, henry ford museum of innovation, james watt, newcomen, steam engine

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Robert T Hanlon

I earned my Sc.D. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and subsequently conducted post-doctoral research at Karlsruhe University in Germany. My professional career took me to Mobil Oil Research & Development Corporation, the Rohm and Haas Company, and then back to MIT where I am currently involved with their School of Chemical Engineering Practice.

About Me

Hi! I’m Bob Hanlon. After earning my Sc.D. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and enjoying a long career in both industry and academia, I’ve returned to school, my own self-guided school, seeking to better understand the world of thermodynamics. Please join me on my journey.