Other Specialist Historical Chemistry Collections
The following institutions have historical chemistry collections. Some containing works about historical chemistry and some containing works and papers of historical importance (including images).
Related Links
Archives Hub: national gateway to description of archives in UK universities and colleges
Archives Hub provides a single point of access to descriptions of archives held at UK universities and colleges. Where possible, they are linked to complete catalogue descriptions.
Birmingham
Birmingham Central Library
Includes manuscript material on Joseph Priestley, especially relating to the riots. Also houses a collection of monographs. Pre 1800 in the Arts Language Literature Section and post 1800 in the Science section.
Bradford
Society of Dyers and Colourists
Includes historical records on dye and pigment manufacture and many dye related artefacts in the museum.
Bristol
University of Bristol
Approx 740 volumes which includes 15 pre 1640, 80 pre 1700 and the remainder pre 1850. Has chemical and alchemical works, which includes works by Faraday, Gibbs, Lavoisier and Newton.
Glasgow
Andersonian Library, Strathclyde University
Special Collections Department, including the Anderson & Young collections.
Glasgow University
The Ferguson Collection contains works on chemistry and alchemy.
Liverpool
Sydney Jones Library, University of Liverpool
Campbell Brown Collection, 414 books from the 16th-19th century, including books on alchemy and chemistry.
London
College Archives, Imperial College
Has a large collection of manuscript materials from many distinguished scientists who researched at Imperial.
Energy Institute
Large collection of year books, test methods and journals relating to the petroleum industry dating back to the early part of the twentieth century.
The Royal Institution of Great Britain
Includes the Michael Faraday Museum as well as manuscript material of his. Also includes works by Davy, Tyndall, Dewar, William and Lawrence Bragg, and George Porter.
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Wide ranging collection of artefacts as well as a large historical collection including many old pharmaceutical and chemical texts. Also houses a museum.
Library and Information Services, The Royal Society
Has a large book, journal and manuscript collection. Specializes in 17th-18th century but does have some incunabula.
The Salters' Company
The archives of the Salters' lnstitute (formerly known as the Salters' Institute of Industrial Chemistry), dating from its foundation in 1918 to the 1990s.
Science Museum Library
Includes 19th and 20th century scientific books as well as a collection of mainly pre-1800 books and serials. Archive material on the history of science also available.
University College London
Includes early chemical books. Manuscript collections includes papers of William Ramsay.
Library, Warburg Institute
Houses several hundred items on alchemy up to the 17th century.
Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine
Includes in its large collection on medicine early printed books on chemistry and alchemy including incunabula. Also has a large secondary source collection.
Manchester
John Rylands Library, University of Manchester
Has a large collection of papers and manuscripts including much information on Henry Roscoe.
Milton Keynes
Open University
Has a varied collection on the History of Chemistry divided between the Library and the History of Chemistry Department.
Oxford
Museum of the History of Science
Has several hundred books on topics ranging from alchemy (including the Stapleton collection on Arabic alchemy) to books on chemical apparatus and early chemical textbooks. Also has a strong manuscript collection on "Oxford Chemists" especially of the 19th and 20th century.
Radcliffe Science Library
Legal Deposit library with a wide ranging collection in the History of Science.
Widnes
Catalyst (The Museum of the Chemical Industry)
Several hundred books on the history of the chemical industry. Including company histories and files, especially relating to the Widnes area. Also has a photograph library.
Germany, Giessen
Liebig Museum in Giessen
The Liebig Museum housed at the University of Giessen has an extensive collection of information on the German chemist Justus Liebig (in German).
USA, Philadelphia
Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF)
CHF is a joint venture between the American Chemical Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers CHF was set up in 1982 and is one of the most important information and educational resources dedicated to the history of chemistry and molecular sciences.
