William Fairbairn, Karl Culmann and the Origin of Wolff’s Law

Abstract

The links between William Fairbairn, Karl Culmann, Georg Hermann von Meyer and Julius Wolff are examined. The accepted orthopaedic understanding of the origin of Wolff’s Law in 1866 is described. This understanding is challenged with the thesis that Wolff’s Law had its origin at least a decade earlier, in Manchester.

Keywords:

• Fairbairn
• Crane
• orthopaedics
• Wolff
• Culmann

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Richard Byrom

Richard Byrom has researched the work of the Manchester engineer for many years, obtaining an MPhil in the 1990s for a study of Fairbairn’s mills. Richard held chartered status as an architect, arbitrator and surveyor, and spent his entire working life with the Manchester consultancy of Byrom Clark Roberts. He has chaired the Register of Architects Accredited in Building Conservation. He recently presented a paper to the International Congress of History of Science, Technology and Medicine, entitled ‘Icons of the Victorian Waterfront: The Evolution, Triumph and Demise of the Fairbairn Tubular Crane’ and is currently a post-graduate student at Huddersfield University.