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From 2D to 3D: the story of graphene in objects
This paper examines presentation of the material culture of graphene in the Wonder Materials exhibition by looking at ten of the objects on display, exploring the role they play in making the challenging nanoscience topic of the exhibition engaging for visitors.
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Visualising electricity demand: use and users of a 3D chart from the 1950s
A 3D chart of electricity demand in Manchester, 1951–54, is a tangible record of past practice, both of the electricity supply industry and its consumers. We offer a close inspection of the object, and generate ideas about the chart’s use and users.
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From the White Man’s Grave to the White Man’s Home? Experiencing ‘Tropical Africa’ at the 1924–25 British Empire Exhibition
This article analyses the exhibition and reception of Tropical Africa at the 1924–25 British Empire Exhibition, drawing attention to affect, the senses, and spatiality. It emphasises the need to look beyond curatorial intent and consider the multiplicity of potential experiences within World’s Fairs.
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The valuable role of risky histories: exhibiting disability, race and reproduction in medical museums
The changing representation of disability, race and mental health in European medical museums and the under-representation of reproduction; ‘risks’ involved in exhibiting related collections, and strategies to help rehabilitate these topics and their material culture in the future medical museum.
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Lyon Playfair: chemist and commissioner, 1818–1858
This article explores Lyon Playfair's life between 1818 and 1858, from his birth to his appointment as Professor of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh.
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Wounded – an exhibition out of time
Calling on the Science Museum’s First World War exhibition Wounded: Conflict, Casualties and Care, this article outlines the challenges of curating a coherent display within such a vast context. It also explores how the narrative and interpretive approaches taken were influenced by an earlier, unrealised proposal – one whose bold concept was reflected in the rewarding and sometimes unexpected qualities that emerged in the final exhibition.
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‘Organising Sound’: how a research network might help structure an exhibition
In 2015, the Science Museum, with the University of Nottingham and Royal College of Music, arranged three workshops to explore potential themes and contents for future exhibitions about science, technology and music. This article reports and reflects on the proceedings.
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AIDS memorials from obituaries to artworks – a photo essay
Based on the online repository AIDSmemorial.info, this essay highlights the diversity of AIDS memorials worldwide by defining twenty categories, reflecting on their origins and evolution as well as attempts to preserve this cultural heritage.
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A statistical campaign: Florence Nightingale and Harriet Martineau’s England and her Soldiers
An essay on the making of England and her Soldiers, a book written by Harriet Martineau and based on the statistical work of Florence Nightingale.
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Zygalski sheets: Polish codebreaking and the role of reconstruction in the Top Secret exhibition at the Science Museum
A reflection on reconstructing Zygalski sheets, a manual grid-based system used by the Polish Cipher Bureau and Bletchley Park to decrypt German Enigma cipher messages, for the Top Secret exhibition at the Science Museum Group from 2019 to 2022.