Henry Darcy and the Fountains of Dijon

The life and career of Henry Darcy are intimately connected with the city of Dijon. He was born there; he died there; and it was there that he carried out the experiments that have brought him lasting fame. Darcy was not an obscure scientist; he was a well‐known and respected public figure. His efforts as an engineer and advocate put Dijon on the main line of the Paris‐Lyon railway, and brought a modern water‐distribution system to Dijon some 25 years before such a system was put in place in Paris. During his life he received great honors, suffered political persecution, and carried out his most productive research in his later years despite ill health. He died at the relatively young age of 55. The main square in the city of Dijon is named Place Darcy in his honor.