James Watt red and black plaque

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# James Watt and Old Bess: A Legacy Preserved Standing before the Science Museum on Exhibition Road, you're encountering not just a building but a shrine to one man's transformative genius—this is where "Old Bess," the mechanical heart of the Industrial Revolution, now rests and tells its story to ...

Location

Science Museum, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7

Inscription

Old Bess Engine. Power for the Industrial Revolution. In recognition of James Watt's improvements to the steam engine. 'Old Bess' was built by Boulton and Watt in 1777 and used to power their Soho Manufactory until 1848. this engine was the precursor of much of the power-generating plant on show in the Museum and is the oldest surviving of Watt's engines.