Making Modernity: A Gallery Preview

The arrangement used for the cases will build the stories off of each other to help visitors recognize the connections between different scientific insights and eras. A wall devoted to synthetics, for example, moves from a vitrine that explores synthetic dyes (created to simulate those found in nature) to one that contrasts celluloid, an artificial compound made in part from natural matter (cellulose), with the completely artificial material Bakelite. “With Bakelite, developed in 1907, we see a transition from imitation of nature to an interest in making an entirely new, more useful and adaptable material,” Bowden says.

The first Bakelite was brown and drab but perfect for its original use in things like plugs and switchboard bases. When German chemists figured out how to dye the material, however, a world of possibilities was revealed. “All of a sudden everything came together,” says Bowden: “the lessons learned from the creation of synthetic dyes and the applications of Bakelite. Life became more colorful, more diverse.” A vibrant display of Bakelite jewelry, accessories, and small appliances proves her point. The story moves on to contemporary synthetics like nylon, whose discovery in 1938 revolutionized the textile industry. The story is brought up to date by a section on Goretex, a membrane with remarkable qualities that allow it to be used with equal success as a material in outdoor clothing and replacement body parts.

Some cases, such as the quartet in the “Becoming A Chemist” section, trace ideas rather than processes. “With this wall we want to show how chemistry evolved from an extremely elite enterprise to one that’s much more open,” says Bowden. The tightly knit, closed universe of Boyle’s time, with its lavishly illustrated books, gradually unfolds to the “inquiry-based” chemistry teachings of today, where 12-year-olds can be encouraged to contemplate the molecular structure of, say, an aspirin tablet. In between, the exhibit displays lecture and student notes through the ages, teaching tools such as a 19th-century air pump, and historical textbooks like Jane Marcet’s Conversations in Chemistry (intended for women and children) from the early 1800s.

Looking Toward the Future

The “permanent” cases are actually designed to allow a degree of flexibility, since chemistry is an ever-changing field. “The structures we have provided,” Ventimiglia says, “can be reassembled in the future to tell new aspects of a story or to demonstrate evolving principles.” But since CHF has thriving relationships with the Smithsonian and other loaning institutions, room has also been set aside for temporary exhibits to ensure that when visitors return to the building they’ll always find something fresh. The first temporary exhibit, Molecules That Matter, was developed in partnership with the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College and offers scientific and artistic representations of 10 organic molecules that transformed the 20th century. Future scheduled exhibits promise examinations of the chemistry of plants, the history of microscopes, and a selection of rare books. “We’re hopeful that these slightly edgier exhibits will offer spins on what the history of chemistry can be,” says McLeary, “and that together, both galleries will also function as a recruitment tool for future donations and loans. Visitors will come to think of us as the appropriate stewards for artifacts that they themselves own.”

In its ambition for the galleries and their impact, CHF has aimed high. Ultimately, Ventimiglia says, “it will become an icon in the world of science museums.” Although the exhibits have been designed for an audience with some familiarity with science, CHF’s designers and curatorial staff say they won’t be surprised should the delights within make themselves known to a larger, more general audience. “Really, these galleries will appeal to all those who are curious about the world and want to know the part which chemical sciences have played, do play, and indeed, will play in their lives,” says Anderson. “Benjamin Franklin would have thoroughly approved of this project being undertaken next door to him. In fact, I’m sure he’d be one of the first visitors when the exhibit opened.”