Eickemeyer, Rudolph. Portrait of his father in Loki: The Life of Charles Steinmetz by Jonathan Norton Leonard.

Doubleday, Doran & Co., 1929.  First edition.  Ex-library, rebound in green library cloth with usual library evidence.  With 8 half-tone illustrations, including portrait of Rudolf Eickemeyer by his son, the photographer Rudolph Eickemeyer, Jr.  Eickemeyer Sr., who is described as being a German revolutionary before his emigration to the United States, is profiled on several pages in this book about Steinmetz, the famous electrical engineer at General Electric. 291 pages.  Summary: 

Loki: The Life of Charles Steinmetz by Jonathan Norton Leonard is a biography of the brilliant and unconventional electrical engineer Charles Proteus Steinmetz. The title invokes “Loki,” the Norse trickster god, to suggest Steinmetz’s paradoxical character—physically frail yet intellectually formidable, socially eccentric yet professionally influential.

Early Life and Intellectual Formation

Born in Germany with severe physical deformities, Steinmetz emigrated to the United States in the late nineteenth century after political difficulties linked to socialist activism. Leonard traces his transformation from a marginalized immigrant into one of America’s leading scientific minds, emphasizing his resilience and relentless devotion to mathematics and electrical theory.

Scientific Contributions

The biography highlights Steinmetz’s groundbreaking work in electrical engineering, particularly his mathematical analysis of hysteresis and power systems. At General Electric in Schenectady, New York, he became a central figure in the development of modern electrical infrastructure. His textbooks and technical papers helped standardize methods of calculation in power engineering, shaping the emerging profession in the early twentieth century.

Personality and Private Life

Leonard presents Steinmetz as a complex figure:

• A prodigious intellect with a playful, sometimes mischievous sense of humor

• A committed socialist who believed in social reform

• A host of lively gatherings at his Schenectady home, which became a hub for intellectual and political discussion

• A man whose physical disabilities contrasted sharply with his commanding intellectual presence

The “Loki” metaphor underscores both his unconventionality and his disruptive brilliance within industrial America.

Broader Themes

Beyond recounting scientific achievements, the book situates Steinmetz within the broader rise of American industrial power. It explores tensions between corporate research, individual genius, and social idealism during a period of rapid technological change.

Overall Significance

Loki: The Life of Charles Steinmetz offers both a portrait of a pioneering engineer and a study of the role of science in modern society. Leonard’s narrative balances technical explanation with human detail, presenting Steinmetz as a transformative figure whose mathematical insights helped electrify the modern world while his personality challenged conventional expectations of success and leadership.