John Kibble (1815-1894) was an inventor, engineer and amateur photographer.
Kibble was the son of the owner of a wire and metal warehouse. He became an engineer and his most quirky invention was a floating bicycle, on which he is said to have cycled across Loch Long. As a photographer he is best known for creating, in 1858, the world's biggest camera. It was mounted on a horse-drawn cart and had a lens with a diameter of 13 inches.
In 1865 Kibble built a large iron-framed conservatory at his home Coulport House in Cove on Loch Long. In 1871 the structure was re-erected and extended in the Botanic Gardens in Hillhead and two years later the Kibble Crystal Art Palace and Royal Conservatory was officially opened to the public. The Kibble Palace remains one of Glasgow’s most famous attractions.
Reference: Mitchell Library, 920.04BAI
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
bicycles, Botanic Gardens, cameras, engineers, inventors, Kibble Palace, photographers
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