On 30 January 1890 adventurer and journalist Elizabeth Bisland made history, circumnavigating the world in just 76 days. Her remarkable journey was recorded on a rare globe, now part of the Science Museum Group Collection.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, you may have noticed people wearing a sunflower symbol on a green background on lanyards, badges, or face coverings. Curator Selina Hurley explains why we have added these sunflower symbols to our collection.
This year marks the centenary of the 1922 Everest expedition and Science Museum Keeper of Medicine, Natasha McEnroe, explores the kit used on the expedition, the innovations in techology the trek inspired and the lesser-known story of the people in Tibet who were a key part of this landmark attempt, as part of our Open for All blog series.
This National Road Safety Week (14 – 20 November 2022) William Sims, Associate Curator at the National Collections Centre, explores the origins of the Transport Road and Research Laboratory and the work they carry out to make our roads safe.
In this blog post Fiona Slater, Head of Access and Equity, interviews Jenni Hunt, founder of ‘Our Objects’.
Go behind the scenes with Collection Unpacking Assistants Esme & Holly as they celebrate unpacking 100,000 items from the Science Museum Group Collection in their new home.
Marking Halloween and the tradition of bobbing for apples, Assistant Curator Laura Büllesbach searched for the juiciest apples in our collections and uncovered some unexpected stories.
The Science Museum Group is celebrating National Poetry Day for a second year (6 October 2022).
Assistant Curator Katie McNab looks into “golden blood” and a Bristol clinic brokering rare blood deals.
At the National Collections Centre, our dedicated Logistics team specialise in moving objects, working closely with the Conservation & Collections Care colleagues. As we prepare to move some of our largest objects into their new home, conservator Kirsten Strachan reflects on what it takes to carefully move these important items.
The modern-day cosmetic market is vast, with many people following beauty regimes to some degree every single day. This is nothing new, with evidence of embellished looks seen in Egyptian drawings and referenced in the works of Roman philosophers. But throughout history, the search for beauty has come with risks – as far back as in Ancient Egypt the iconic heavy lined eye look was achieved with kohl, a black powder made from galena, a mineral form of lead sulfide.
Spring has sprung, summer is heating up; insects and creepy crawlies are starting to buzz, wriggle, and flutter once again. Often these animals are treated as pests, yet bugs and insects play a very important role in our ecosystem. But more than that, many of these insects also have a long and important historical role in medical treatment and healthcare – a tradition that is continued in modern medicine. Here we explore some examples of these helpful bugs – all of which continue to be used by the NHS today!