Gaston Plante (1834-1889), French physicist. Plante is famous for inventing the lead-acid battery in 1859. In 1854 he became a lecture assistant at the Paris-based Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers. Following his invention of the lead-acid battery, he was made Professor of Physics at the Association Polytechnique pour le Developpement de l'Instruction Populaire (1860). The invention of the battery was a good example of the ability to change energy from one form to another. The Gaston Plante Medal is awarded in his honour. Artwork from 'Electricite' (1911) by Max de Nansouty, part of the 'Les merveilles de la science' series of 1867-1891 by Louis Figuier.