Born in Wales, Robert Owen began work in a draper's shop at the age of ten. At nineteen he was the manager of a large textile factory. In 1799 he bought his father-in-law's cotton-mills in New Lanark on the banks of the river Clyde. For his workers, Owen built a school, a village store and opened the world's first day nursery, making the community a model of social reform. New Lanark is now a World Heritage Site. Although extremely delicate, this drawing communicates the sharp intellect and foresight of an exceptional man.