The history of chemical laboratories: a thematic approach

August 3, 2024 9:20 PM

Chemical laboratories have existed since the late sixteenth century. Two basic designs have dominated this history: a furnace-centred laboratory based on earlier alchemical workshops up to around 1820 and then a design based on the use of the Bunsen burner with benches and bottle racks since the 1850s (the “classical” laboratory). New designs with a focus on health and safety began to appear at the end of the twentieth century.
posted by ShooBoo (3 comments total)

This was a really fascinating read! It's especially interesting as a non-chemist to think about how much the design of chemistry labs has influenced the design of the labs I've worked in, partly from overlap in methodology, partly to take advantage of standard equipment and spaces, and partly because the chemistry lab is just kind of the mental default for a lot of scientists, even if their work is not chemistry per se.
posted by biogeo at 10:12 PM on August 3 [2 favorites]

Funranium Labs just had a similar essay, giving a virtual tour of the past and present chemistry buildings at Berkeley.
posted by cheshyre at 5:23 AM on August 4 [5 favorites]

Very neat! I especially appreciated the note about British scientists doing their experiments on tea trays….
posted by Vatnesine at 7:13 AM on August 4