In the early 1930s, the young Antoni Quintana-Mari undertook some research on Antoni de Marti i Franques, one of the most prominent Catalan scientists of the Enlightenment. This scientist worked in Tarragona, where Quintana-Mari lived. Quintana-Mari learnt about Marti i Franques from Josep Estalella, his teacher of physics and chemistry at the secondary school. It was while researching on Marti i Franques that Quintana-Mari became a true historian of science. He subsequently collaborated with other Spanish and foreign historians of science in the early years of this discipline. Quintana-Mari never forgot that his passion for history of science had been aroused by his school teacher.