Abstract
The blue boys: the School of Instrument Makers in the Leiden Physical Laboratory of Heike Kamerlingh Onnes Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (1853-1926) is famous for his work in low temperature physics. In 1908 he was the first ever to liquefy Helium. Three years later, in his Leiden cryogenic
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laboratory, he discovered the extraordinary effect of superconductivity. What was the secret of his success? Of course he had a coherent theoretical program, perseverance and a talent to persuade the right people, but also such a Big Science effort couldn't do without strong technical support. The way Kamerlingh Onnes organised this support, by creating a school of instrument makers as an integral part of his laboratory, is a unique feature of his cryogenic work and a decisive factor in its success. In 1882 Kamerlingh Onnes started as a professor of experimental physics in Leiden. His goal was to test the molecular theories of J.D. van der Waals. As a consequence he needed a laboratory for extremely low temperatures. Starting with one technician, Onnes soon opened the doors of his (simple) workshop for a few 14-18 year old boys, who were trained as technicians. These 'blue boys' (the name refers to the work clothes they had to wear) were obliged to visit a local technical school in the evening. Onnes used this small army of cheap technicians (in 1898 there were 16 of them; six years later 32) for building up his laboratory and performing measurements. But the blue boys themselves profited too: after a few years of hard training they could get a job anywhere (Onnes employed the best trainees himself). To guarantee the continuation of the system, which was essential in running the huge cryogenic laboratory he needed, the workshop training was institutionalized. In 1901 Kamerlingh Onnes founded the Leiden School of Instrument Makers. It was completely integrated in his laboratory. The way he succeeded to raise the money needed for his school and the way this school earned a solid reputation in Dutch technical education and abroad, shows that Kamerlingh Onnes was not only a very succesfull experimental physicist, but also a brilliant organiser.
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