Collections Blog

Explore our museum and library collections and the stories they tell about the history of science.
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Dog Days

illustration of a pigeon
September 14, 2023

A Pigeon, a Cow, and a Book Detective

Investigating the origins of two early-20th-century Italian “flap anatomy” books.

DuPont display at a 1973 conference
August 24, 2023

Collecting the Ecosystems of Science

A dispatch from PITTCON by our curator of instruments and artifacts.

Musaeum metallicum in libros IIII distributum
August 10, 2023

There’s a Class(ification) for That!

My trip to Rare Book School, or, how I spent (part of) my summer.

People at a picnic reaching into Coca-Cola coolers filled with ice
July 24, 2023

A Chilling History

On the science and technology of portable coolers.

rare book spine
July 13, 2023

How to Judge a Book by Its Cover

What book bindings teach us about readers of the past.

$10 bill from the Smog board game
June 22, 2023

Money Talks

Applying numismatics to environmental board games.

grid image of immigrant scientists
June 8, 2023

Navigating the Oral Histories of Immigration and Innovation Collection Online

Learn how Center for Oral History staff are working to shed light on the experiences of immigrant scientists.

colorful brochure
May 19, 2023

Scientists, Engineers, and the End of the Vietnam War

On the big politics of the Small Business Innovation Research Program.

illustration of two people playing Ping-Pong
April 27, 2023

Periodic Table Tennis

On scientists with a passion for Ping-Pong.

An offset lithograph depicting an atomic model floating above the Earth with the text "Peace Forever" heading the illustration.
April 13, 2023

The Power of Perspective

How contrasting stories found in our collections help us embrace the complexity of the history of science.

Glenn Seaborg shaking hands with Lyndon B. Johnson
March 23, 2023

Dr. Seaborg Goes to Washington

And then goes back. And then back again. And back again…

Alchemical painting of a seated scientist looking startled as something is seemingly on fire
March 9, 2023

What Does a Scientist Look Like?

Our oral history collection can help students reframe their images of scientists—and of themselves.

Black and white illustration of 2 figures standing on a cliff looking at the Colorado River
February 23, 2023

Natural Passions

How protected lands inspire scientific pursuits.

A typed letter on blue paper
February 9, 2023

From Peril to Preservation in the Bredig Archives

Chaim Weizmann, Fritz Haber, and a home for Jewish scientists.

University of Leipzig physical chemistry department Christmas party, 1900
January 26, 2023

Who Knew History Could Be So Delicious?

Discovering the history of umami in the Science History Institute’s archives.

Map of the world with green pins
January 12, 2023

Around the World in (Almost!) 80 Collections

Using digitized items and their data to take a global journey.

Colorful books with illustrative covers on display in the library
December 22, 2022

Covering Science

On the appeal of decorative scientific book cloth bindings.

Illustration of a nude male figure standing within a disc. There are illustrated clouds in the background.
December 2, 2022

A Tale of Two Editions

Material evidence for a Frankfurt second edition of ‘Utriusque cosmi maioris.’