Royal Society of Chemistry

HISTORICAL GROUP

Web pages prepared by Dr G P Moss, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, England. E-mail: g.p.moss@qmul.ac.uk

Chairman:

Prof A Dronsfield, School of Education, Health and Sciences, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB England. E-mail: A.Dronsfield@derby.ac.uk

Secretary:

Prof W P Griffith, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, England. E-mail: w.griffith@ic.ac.uk

Treasurer:

Dr J A Hudson, Graythwaite, Loweswater, Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 0SU, England. E-mail: johnhudson25@hotmail.com

Newsletter Editor:

Dr Anna Simmons, Epsom Lodge, La Grande Route de St Jean, St John, Jersey, JE3 4FL a.simmons@ucl.ac.uk

The Historical Group exists to encourage an interest in the history of chemistry and chemical industry among members of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and others. Membership is open to non-members of the RSC and embraces a wide range from those whose interest in the history of chemistry is a hobby to teachers of chemistry at all levels and professional historians.

The Group holds twice yearly meetings when academic papers are read and discussed. Summaries of papers read at these meetings are included in the Historical Group Newsletter along with reviews of recent books in the subject and news of other meetings and forthcoming events. The Newsletter is published twice yearly. Contributions of not more than 500 words on topics of current interest in the history of chemistry are invited for inclusion at the discretion of the Editor. The contents of the last issue, January 2011, are given below.

The Group maintains contact with colleagues in the Historical Division of the History of Chemistry of the American Chemical Society and the Federation of European Chemical Societies.

How to join the Historical Group:

If you are a member of the RSC you should contact the Membership Department (01223 432141) quoting your name and membership number. When you have done this please inform the Group's Membership Secretary, Dr John Hudson, on 01946 861555; johnhudson25@hotmail.com. Those who are not qualified to join the RSC but who are interested in the history of chemistry are welcome to join the Group at an annual subscription of £12 per annum. Please send your name, address, phone number, email address and a cheque for £12 made out to "The Royal Society of Chemistry Historical Group" to Dr John Hudson, Graythwaite, Loweswater, Cockermouth, Cumbria CA13 0SU. All members of the Group receive the Newsletter.


Next Meeting

The next meeting on "Where there's muck there's brass!! : Reclamation of Chemical Sites" will be held starting at 11.00 am on Friday March 23, 2012 at the RSC Chemistry Centre, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA [Click here for a map of the location of Burlington House which is labelled "The Royal Acad of Arts" (As well as the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House also contains the Geological Society, Linnean Society, Royal Astronomical Society and Society of Antiquaries)].

Where there's muck there's brass!! : Reclamation of Chemical Sites

Programme

10.30Registration, tea and coffee
11.00Welcome (Prof. Bill Griffith, Secretary of Historical Group)
11.05Dr David Leaback/Peter Reed
   Introduction to Themes of the Meeting
11.15Martyn Lass and James Apted (Atkins)
   The Remediation of the Olympic Park - The First Gold Medal.
12.00Dr David Leaback
   The remediation of three London dyeworks sites known to me.
12.45Lunch. This is not provided but there are many cafés, sandwich bars and pubs nearby.
14.00Peter Reed
   "Galligu" and the Alkali Industry in Lancashire, Tyneside and Glasgow
14.45Professor Huw Bowen (Swansea University)
   Cu @ Swansea: the reclamation and regeneration of the Lower Swansea Valley.
15.30Tea and coffee break
15.45Wayne Cocroft (English Heritage)
   Brownfield site or industrial heritage? Assessing the historic value of former explosives sites.
16.30Shaun Amos (AWE, Aldermaston)
   Sites with Radioactivity
17.15Closing comments Professor Jack Betteridge
17.30Close

REGISTRATION

Advance registration and pre-payment is essential. I wish to attend the RSCHG-ECG Meeting 'Where there's Muck there's Brass!! The Reclamation of Chemical Sites' and enclose a cheque for £ £10, payable to the RSC Historical Group. This charge includes morning and afternoon tea or coffee. To register, please e-mail Bill (w.griffith@ic.ac.uk) and send a cheque for £10, payable to 'RSC Historical Group' not to Bill but to our Treasurer, Dr. John Hudson, Graythwaite, Loweswater, Cockermouth, Cumbria CA13 0SU. Receipt of cheques will be acknowledged to applicants who give their e-mail address. For any problems or queries please contact Bill at w.griffith@ic.ac.uk.


Other Useful Web pages

The Library & Information Centre, Historical Chemistry Information Service.

The Chemical Heritage Foundation.

ACS Historical Division.

The Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry.

Details of Nobel Prize winners; portraits; and other details.

List of Nobel Prize winners for Chemistry.

Chemical Heritage Foundation.

History of Pharmacy Forum.

The History of Chemical Engineering.

The Classic Chemistry Page.

Alchemy Home Page.

Historic samples and specimens from the Chemistry Department, Imperial College, London.

History of chemistry in Heidelberg

Science & Civilisation in China Project (Needham Research Institute).

There is a History of Chemistry Mail List or email chem-hist-request@mailman.uni-regensburg.de

To send messages email chem-hist@mailman.uni-regensburg.de


Contents of Historical Group Newsletter
and Summary of Papers

No 61. Winter 2012 Newsletter

For a PDF copy of the Newsletter (30.6 MB) click here

Contents

From the Editor
RSC Historical Group News - Bill Griffith
Identification Query - W. H. Brock
Members' Publications

NEWS AND UPDATES
USEFUL WEBSITES AND ADDRESSES

SHORT ESSAYS
The Copperas Works at Tankerton - Chris Cooksey
Mauveine - the final word? (3) - Chris Cooksey and H. S. Rzepa
Historical Reminscences - David Leaback

BOOK REVIEWS
William H. Brock, The Case of the Poisonous Socks: tales from chemistry (Alan Dronsfield)
Michael Faraday, The Chemical History of a Candle (Alan Dronsfield)
Ed. Carmen J. Giunta, Atoms in Chemistry: From Dalton's Predecessors to Complex Atoms and Beyond (Bill Griffith)

RSC NATIONAL HISTORICAL CHEMICAL LANDMARKS
Chemical Landmark plaque to mark the centenary of Rutherford's nuclear atom - Alan Dronsfield
Chemical Landmark Plaque for Halothane, Catalyst Science Discovery Centre and Museum, Widnes - John Hudson
The Catalyst Science Discovery Centre Bill Griffith

MEETING AND CONFERENCE REPORTS
8th International Conference on History of Chemistry - W.H. Brock
Dyes in History and Archaeology 30: a joint meeting with the Historical Group - Chris Cooksey
Environmental Chemistry: An Historical Perspective Peter Reed
Academics, Consultants, Industrialists and Government Chemists: The History of Chemists' Careers in England from 1880 to the 1970s - Anna Simmons
The 250th anniversary of the birth of Smithson Tennant celebrated - Bill Griffith

FORTHCOMING MEETINGS
Royal Society of Chemistry Historical Group Meetings
Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry Meetings
Oxford Seminars in the History of Chemistry: February 2012 - May 2012
'From Alchemy to Chemistry'
American Chemical Society Ð Division of the History of Chemistry
Calls for Papers
Forthcoming Conferences

Contents of previous Newsletters

Biographies of Chemists including Confusing Names 1-3 from Newsletters 1998-9


Last update 1 February, 2012

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