He had a logical mind and was keen to try new inventions. He experimented at Trinity College, Cambridge, with the new Graham Bell receivers in 1877 (the actual year of the first published account) and obtained clear though faint speech across the quadrangle. Later he made his own wireless receiver at a time when many younger men lacked the confidence to attempt such novel work.

He was a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Electrical Engineers (delivered the Faraday lecture in 1926), Fellow of the Physical Society and other bodies. He was one of the founder members of the Illuminating Engineering Society.

It was his paper entitled ‘The Distribution and Measurement of Illumination” read before the ICE in 1892 that became the basis for modern illuminating engineering. This paper was awarded the Telford Medal and premium, and described a portable illumination photometer and its application to street lighting. At that time there were no internationally agreed lighting units it was necessary to compare the French “carcel-metre” with the “candle-foot” based upon the English Parliamentary candle.

Two of his books are considered as classics; “Illumination: Its Distribution and Measurement”(1911) and “The Elements of Illuminating Engineering”(1929).

Following the outbreak of the first world war in 1914 Alexander Trotter advised on war-time street lighting, making observations from a balloon for the purpose and was made chairman of the IES Committee, which conducted tests of parachute flares, etc., for the Department of Trench Warfare. In 1915 he conducted some outdoor tests with MacGregor-Morris, Edgcumbe, Clinton, Blok and Dow in an open space behind the School of Mines in Exhibition Road South Kensington London. Although they had been given permission by a police officer they later learned that Woolwich Arsenal, seeing the illumination of clouds over South Kensington, thought an enemy raid had started. As a consequence further tests were moved out to Tooting Common and Stonebridge Park. After the war he was instrumental in the establishment of the Committee on Illumination Research operating under Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

One of Alexander Trotter’s characteristics was the strong dislike of official red-tape. He considered the Physical Society of London represented the closest approximation to his ideal scientific society because of its reduction to a minimum of formalities. In Who’s Who he listed his recreation as “remembering that he is no longer a Government Official’.

He spoke French fluently and he and his wife often went to visit M. Blondel in Paris. They had much in common as both had independently developed the dioptric method of distributing light from a source for street lighting.

Sir  Clifford  Copland  Paterson (1879 - 1948) was born in Stoke Newington, son of a tanner  and leather merchant. He was educated at Mill Hill School and then trained in general and electrical engineering at Finsbury Technical College and Faraday House. In 1901 he was selected by Richard Glazebrook to join the newly created NPL, where he became responsible for the Electrotechnical and Photometric Departments.

He was awarded an OBE in 1916 for his work on the Paterson-Walsh aircraft height finder, and in the same year was approached by Osram Lamp works in Hammersmith to set up a research department for them (before the war Osram had depended upon German technology), but he was not free to accept such a post during the war. Five days later after the Armistice had been declared Hugo (later Lord) Hirst asked him to become a founder director of the GEC research laboratories. Originaly housed at Hammersmith, 71 staff moved into a purpose built facility in Wembley in 1922. Work on filament lamps developed into thermionic valves. Starting with a small team of five or six, during WWII the staff grew to more than a thousand and their work on searchlights, camouflage, radio and radar was to play a key part in the war effort, rewarded by his knighthood in 1946. This period of his life is recorded in "A Scientist's War - The War Diary of Sir Clifford Paterson 1939 -1945 edited by Clayton and Algar.

He was President of the IES during 1928 -1929 and the IEE in 1930 -1931, served on Committee's of Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, notable its Lighting of Building report in 1944 which brought the Architectural and Lighting professions closer together.

He was appointed to the board of GEC in 1941 and  and received his knighthood in 1946. 

He was awarded Fellowship of The Royal Society, received an Honary Doctorate of Science from Birmingham University. The Gold Medal of IES of North America was presented to his wife on 23rd July only 3 days before his death.

The International Commission set up in 1900 and Paterson attended as NPL representative in 1907. This became in the International Commission on Illumination in 1913 and Paterson served as Hon Secretary of from its formation, and was instrumental in its revival after the war with the first technical session in Paris in 1921.

Paterson remained Hon Secretary of ICI until his death with only one break when he was its President during 1928 - 31. This period as President culminated with the International Illumination congress in UK with 140 delegates from overseas. It formed the first large scale demonstations of the floodlighting of buildings.

His work during the second world war is documented in "A Scientist's War - the War Diary of Sir Clifford Paterson" by Clayton and Alger (ISBN  0 86341 218 1).

Apart from his scientific attainments he is remembered for his high principles and human personality to inspire team spirit whilst allowing his staff freedom to work.