In the early 20th century, The Porter Chemical Company and A.C. Gilbert began selling chemistry laboratories and kits in department and toy stores in New York and Washington, D.C. Originally marketed as educational toys for young boys, these sets quickly became known as the perfect birthday or Christmas gift. Chemistry sets promised magic for its user and for many served as a first step towards a future career in science.

By the mid-1950s—the height of chemistry sets’ popularity—there was hardly a child in the United States who did not own or want one. Later, female faces would sometimes grace the covers, and there were even pink kits made especially for girls, though, as CHF’s traveling exhibit Her Lab in Your Life reminds us, some were labeled for “lab technicians.”

Many chemists today can still fondly recall their first chemistry set, the manufacturer’s name (Gilbert, Porter Chemcraft, Lionel, Skil Craft, Merit, or Lott’s), and what the box looked like. These sets became part of their childhood and part of the adults they would become.

Chemistry sets in America changed fundamentally in the late 1960s with an increased awareness and focus on safety. The type and quantity of chemicals available changed as did the experiments listed in the accompanying booklets. Once thriving companies like Gilbert and Porter went out of business, leaving a void that was not filled until the late 1990s when outfits like the Smithsonian and National Geographic started creating and marketing a new generation of sets.

Although these newer sets lack the diversity of materials and do not encourage the same free experimentation that their predecessors did, they are providing the current generation of children the same opportunities to become interested and invested in science and the field of chemistry.

The Chemical Heritage Foundation houses one of the best public collections of chemistry sets, with approximately 100 different sets from all over the world, including Australia and Germany. Recently featured on the premier episode of the new PBS series Wired Science, the chemistry set collection at CHF unites popular culture and hard science.

Learn more!

View chemistry sets at CHF
A selection of CHF’s chemistry sets are on exhibit from 1-15 October 2007. Viewing hours are Monday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., or by appointment. Call 215-925-2222 for details.

See our sets in action on "Wired Science"
CHF's chemistry sets appeared on the 3 October 2007 premiere of PBS's Wired Science.

Related articles
“The Chemistry Set: From Toy to Icon” by Rosie DiVernieri. Chemical Heritage, Spring 2006, Vol. 24, No.1.

“The Chemistry Set: Chemistry’s Legacy of the Home Laboratory” by James M. Schmidt. Chemical Heritage, Spring 2001, Vol. 19, No. 1. Print copy available in a back issue.