London Science Museum Opens New Chemical Industry Exhibit

Abstract

The historical development of the industry is fascinating to people in the business. But how can that sense of interest and excitement be conveyed to the ordinary citizen? Or—harder yet—to blase kids? The perfect method probably hasn't been devised yet. But London's Science Museum is giving it a jolly good try, with its recently opened Chemical Industry Gallery. Steel and rubber flooring, yellow safety railing, and catwalks, to convey a chemical plant setting, unite with zippy cartoon characters to entice visitors, particularly young ones, into the gallery. Mannequins—except those showing costumes reppresenting fibers and dyes from different eras in the industry—are spray-painted a ghostly creamy white, to deflect attention. More important, in this case, is that people concentrate on the industry's workings and trappings. The new gallery—which replaces an older one dedicated to industrial chemistry—came into being as the result of a more than $600,000 donation from U.K. giant Imperia...