Peter Morris: Three important collections of chemicals at the Science Museum, London

Peter Morris gives a talk entitled “Three important collections of chemicals at the Science Museum, London”. This talk was given on 18 February 2025. After a brief overview of the chemicals held by the Science Museum, this talk focusses on three important collections, namely the mauve samples of William Henry Perkin, the collection of elements assembled by Prince Louis Lucien Bonaparte, and the collection of compounds produced in the electric arc prepared by Henri Moissan. In each case, the means by which the specific collection was obtained, and the samples in the collection are discussed, including their storage, conservation and display. The talk concludes with a discussion of the value of such collections.