Robert Plenderleith was born in
Coatbridge on 24 November 1901. He was the son of Robert James Plenderleith who was art master at
Harris Academy in
Dundee and Robert was consequently educated there. His elder brother was
Harold Plenderleith FRSE. Harold's career was somewhat parallel to Robert's but greatly overshadowed that of Robert. He was too young to serve in the
First World War (unlike Harold). He studied engineering at
St Andrews University from 1918, graduating BSc in 1922. He then trained with the British Electric Plant Co. and the Harland Engineering Company before beginning as an engineer surveyor at the National Boiler Company in 1926. In 1935 his private interests brought him the position of Assistant Keeper at the
Royal Scottish Museum on Chambers Street in Edinburgh and in March 1957 he became full Keeper of the Technology Department of the Museum. In the
Second World War he served as District Transport Manager for the
Glasgow district, organising transport for military forces. In 1957 he was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were
Douglas Allan,
Hugh Bryan Nisbet, Sir
J. Donald Pollock,
David Alan Stevenson II and
James Cameron Smail. In 1965 he made a memorable visit to the
Science Museum, London to critique the
Freedom 7 space exhibition, which had held the astronaut
Alan Shepard. He retired in 1966 and died at home, 25 Findhorn Place in Edinburgh on 22 November 1974, a few days before his 73rd birthday. ==Publications==