The Chemistry Department at Imperial College London: A History 1845–2000

The authors of a book charting the extraordinary history of Imperial's Department of Chemistry across over 150 years speak alongside former Head's of Department at this launch event. With a history spanning three centuries, the Department of Chemistry at Imperial College London has been home to many of the key discoveries in the field as the world’s outstanding chemists worked in its laboratories and many more received their introduction to the field as students. From the cradle of the British chemical industry where William Perkin discovered the dye mauveine, and its extraordinary contributions to both World Wars, this home of Nobel Laureates continues to stand at the forefront of global research. This remarkable history has been brought to life in a book written by former Imperial student Professor Hannah Gay and current Emeritus Professor Bill Griffith. Using archival sources, oral and written testimony, published and unpublished material,The Chemistry Department at Imperial College London: A History 1845–2000 provides a comprehensive and entertaining picture of the Department across 150 years. To mark the book’s release the Department of Chemistry hosted an official book launch, giving attendees the chance to meet one of the authors and to hear talks from two former Department heads, Prof Steven Ley FRS & Prof David Phillips FRS, and one current staff member Dr Kim Jelfs, giving their own historical, current and future perspectives on the Department and the field ofchemistry. The event also included some opening remarks by Bill Griffith and a message from Hannah Gay plus a brief introduction by current Head of Department Prof Alan Armstrong who provided a snapshot of the Department’s exciting future in the new Molecular Sciences Research Hub at White City.