A fascinating, well-illustrated and internationally researched biography of Richard Henry Brunton, a talented civil engineer in the nineteenth century and a proud representative of his profession in a rapidly changing world. Brunton was born in Muchalls, Aberdeenshire and initially worked on railway line development. He then came to prominence as Chief Engineer to the Japanese Government when the country was forced to ”open up”. As well as eventually supervising the building of 26 Western-style tower lighthouses along with various other navigational initiatives, he additionally established a groundbreaking staff training and technical complex for this move. Furthermore, he also took a lead in town planning of the chief trading settlement of Yokohama, and in other matters too.

Returning to the United Kingdom, Brunton eventually became manager of a large petrochemical plant in the central ‘belt’ of Scotland, getting involved as well with working man’s’ broader education and then, moving back south, took over an architectural ornaments business in London. The company won prizes and worked at home and around the globe. Unfortunately, although extensive, the work was over-stressful and he over-dipped into its income to the extent he was declared personally bankrupt. However, one of his theatrical clients, based in Ireland, approached him to become their architect and there he created three gems of theatre design, two of which, in the cities of Dublin and Cork, still successfully function.

Dr. Geoff Goolnik is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin (where he was also President of the influential University Philosophical Society); as well as a post-graduate both of California State University (East Bay) and the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. Having lived/ worked for a time in London, he has, most latterly until retiring, been on the academic staff of Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University. In addition, he is an elected Fellow both of the Royal Society of Arts and of the Royal Asiatic Society. Finally, he is currently a resident of Aberdeenshire and situated very close to the settlement where Richard Henry Brunton was born.