Where Chemistry and Anthropology meet
Fourteen objects held at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and originating from the First Nations people of the Northwest Coast of North America were analysed as part of a PhD research project by Lenore Thompson. Using a handheld XRF machine (also known as an XRF gun) she determined the elemental composition of pieces of copper used in several types…
Fakes in the Whipple Museum Collection
Are there fakes scientific instruments hiding in our collections, and if so, how do we identify them? Dr Joshua Nall, Curator of Modern Sciences at the Whipple Museum of the History of Science, introduces a research collaboration between the Whipple Museum and James Hyslop, Head of Department, Science & Natural History, Christie’s, London. The Whipple team included Nall, Professor Liba…
A Commitment to Change, Part II
Last month, we stood in solidarity with Black Lives Matter to express our commitment to institutional change. In a short blog post, we outlined some of the practical steps we are taking to honour that commitment. The principles of dialogue, openness and frankness are central to our approach, and so we were pleased to receive an open letter from the…
