Teaching and dissemination of electrical engineering in Spain at the end of the 19th century: collections of technical manuals by the publisher Bailly-Baillière

Abstract

 At the end of the 19th century, interest in the applications of electricity was beyond the classrooms of technical schools and universities. The technical community no longer consisted solely of those who had studied engineering, but also included practical electricians, who also needed training in this area. Of particular note among the works that emerged to meet this need are two collections published by Bailly-Baillière e Hijos, which are the object of the present study: the Pequeña Enciclopedia Electromecánica (1896-1897), edited by Henry de Graffigny, and the Biblioteca Completa de Electricidad (1898), by Thomas O’Conor Sloane. Both were clearly intended to help spread knowledge of electromechanics and electricity and were very well received. Without a doubt they helped teach and popularise electrical engineering.