Science for the Nation: Perspectives on the History of the Science Museum

Published to mark the centenary of the founding of the Science Museum in 1909, Science for the Nation is a unique look at the history of a great national institution. It is also a study of the changing roles of museums and the perceived public role that a museum of science and technology plays within larger society. This book illuminates the ways in which we think about the collecting and display of scientific objects and explores the changing and often difficult relations between the state, industry, and museums. It also examines the Science Museum in the context of other national museums in London, and shows the key differences affecting their chosen paths and individual development.

Each chapter tackles a distinctive theme to provide a fresh and thought-provoking slant on the Museum's history. For the first time, the reader can fully understand the complexity and drama of the Museum's gestation and comprehend the relationship between the ambitious plans for the Museum over the years and their concrete expression in the buildings and galleries we see today. Over the years, in its galleries and temporary exhibitions, the Science Museum has sought to address issues of public interest, ranging from the introduction of television and the beginning of space flight to the challenge of the microchip. Science for the Nation explores the development of the Museum's collections and the changes in how they have been displayed down the years. It also considers the impact of children on the Museum's evolution and has a rare look behind the scenes at the changing mission of the Science Museum Library and the creation of the Museum's storage facilities.

Peter Morris is Principal Curator of Science at the Science Museum and Head of Research across the NMSI family of museums. He has published widely on the history of chemistry and the chemical industry and is currently completing a history of synthetic rubber in Germany. Morris is also editor of the leading history of chemistry journal, Ambix. He was given the Edelstein Award for excellence in the history of chemistry by the American Chemical Society in 2006.