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The Science Museum is a major museum on
Exhibition Road Exhibition Road is a street in South Kensington, London which is home to several major museums and academic establishments, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum. Overview The road g ...
in
South Kensington South Kensington, nicknamed Little Paris, is a district just west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with ...
, London. It was founded in 1857 and is one of the city's major tourist attractions, attracting 3.3 million visitors annually in 2019. Like other publicly funded national museums in the United Kingdom, the Science Museum does not charge visitors for admission, although visitors are requested to make a donation if they are able. Temporary exhibitions may incur an admission fee. It is one of the five museums in the Science Museum Group.


Founding and history

The museum was founded in 1857 under
Bennet Woodcroft Bennet Woodcroft FRS (20 December 1803 – 7 February 1879) was an English textile manufacturer, industrial archaeologist, pioneer of marine propulsion, a leading figure in patent reform and the first clerk to the commissioners of patents. B ...
from the collection of the
Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...
and surplus items from the
Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition which took pl ...
as part of the
South Kensington Museum South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
, together with what is now the
Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
. It included a collection of
machine A machine is a physical system using power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolecul ...
ry which became the ''Museum of Patents'' in 1858, and the ''Patent Office Museum'' in 1863. This collection contained many of the most famous exhibits of what is now the Science Museum. In 1883, the contents of the Patent Office Museum were transferred to the South Kensington Museum. In 1885, the Science Collections were renamed the ''Science Museum'' and in 1893 a separate director was appointed. The Art Collections were renamed the ''Art Museum'', which eventually became the Victoria and Albert Museum. When
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
laid the foundation stone for the new building for the Art Museum, she stipulated that the museum be renamed after herself and her late husband. This was initially applied to the whole museum, but when that new building finally opened ten years later, the title was confined to the Art Collections and the Science Collections had to be divorced from it. On 26 June 1909 the Science Museum, as an independent entity, came into existence. The Science Museum's present quarters, designed by Sir Richard Allison, were opened to the public in stages over the period 1919–28. This building was known as the East Block, construction of which began in 1913 and temporarily halted by
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. As the name suggests it was intended to be the first building of a much larger project, which was never realized. However, the museum buildings were expanded over the following years; a pioneering Children's Gallery with interactive exhibits opened in 1931, the Centre Block was completed in 1961–3, the infill of the East Block and the construction of the Lower & Upper Wellcome Galleries in 1980, and the construction of the Wellcome Wing in 2000 result in the museum now extending to
Queen's Gate Queen's Gate is a street in South Kensington, London, England. It runs south from Kensington Gardens' Queen's Gate (the edge of which gardens are here followed by Kensington Road) to Old Brompton Road, intersecting Cromwell Road. The street ...
.


Centennial volume: ''Science for the Nation''

The leading academic publisher, Palgrave Macmillan, published the official centenary history of the Science Museum on 14 April 2010. The first complete history of the Science Museum since 1957, ''Science for the Nation: Perspectives on the History of the Science Museum'' is a series of individual views by Science Museum staff and external academic historians of different aspects of the Science Museum's history. While it is not a chronological history in the conventional sense, the first five chapters cover the history of the museum from the Brompton Boilers in the 1860s to the opening of the Wellcome Wing in 2000. The remaining eight chapters cover a variety of themes concerning the museum's development.


Collections

Objects not on display at one of the Science Museum Group's five museums will generally be stored at the
National Collections Centre The National Collections Centre, near Swindon, England, is the collections management facility for the Science Museum Group and the Science Museum Library & Archives. Overview The Science Museum originally took ownership of the 545-acre forme ...
near
Swindon Swindon () is a town and unitary authority with borough status in Wiltshire, England. As of the 2021 Census, the population of Swindon was 201,669, making it the largest town in the county. The Swindon unitary authority area had a population ...
. Library and archive material is also stored at the Library and Archives at the National Collections Centre. Access to the collections, library and archives is arranged by appointment through the Dana Research Centre and Library located in Queens Gate, South Kensington. Over 350,000 of the objects in the Science Museum Group's collections are available to view online at SMG's Search Our Collection web page.


Galleries

The Science Museum consists of two buildings – the main building and the Wellcome Wing. Visitors enter the main building from Exhibition Road, while the Wellcome Wing is accessed by walking through the Energy Hall, Exploring Space and then the Making the Modern World galleries (see below) at ground floor level.


Main building – Level 0


The Energy Hall

The Energy Hall is the first area that most visitors see as they enter the building. On the ground floor, the gallery contains a variety of
steam engines A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be tra ...
, including the oldest surviving James Watt beam engine, which together tell the story of the British
industrial revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
. Also on display is a recreation of James Watt's garret workshop from his home,
Heathfield Hall Heathfield Hall (sometimes referred to as Heathfield House) was a house in Handsworth, Staffordshire (the area became part of Birmingham in 1911), England, built for the engineer James Watt. In 1790, Watt's business partner Matthew Boulton re ...
, using over 8,300 objects removed from the room, which was sealed after his 1819 death, when the hall was demolished in 1927.


Exploring Space

''Exploring Space'' is a historical gallery, filled with rockets and exhibits that tell the story of human
space exploration Space exploration is the use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space. While the exploration of space is carried out mainly by astronomers with telescopes, its physical exploration though is conducted both by uncrewed robo ...
and the benefits that space exploration has brought us (particularly in the world of
telecommunications Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that ...
).


Making the Modern World

''Making the Modern World'' displays some of the museum's most remarkable objects, including ''Puffing Billy'' (the oldest surviving steam locomotive), Crick's
double helix A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...
, and the command module from the
Apollo 10 Apollo 10 (May 18–26, 1969) was a human spaceflight, the fourth crewed mission in the United States Apollo program, and the second (after Apollo8) to orbit the Moon. NASA described it as a "dress rehearsal" for the first Moon landing, and ...
mission, which are displayed along a timeline chronicling man's technological achievements.
Stephenson's Rocket Stephenson's ''Rocket'' is an early steam locomotive of 0-2-2 wheel arrangement. It was built for and won the Rainhill Trials of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR), held in October 1829 to show that improved locomotives would be m ...
used to be displayed in this gallery. After a short UK tour, since 2019 ''Rocket'' is on permanent display at the Railway Museum in York, in the Art Gallery.


Main Building – Level minus 1


The Secret Life of the Home

''The Secret Life of the Home'' shows the development of household appliances mostly from the late 19th and early 20th century, although some are earlier.


Main Building – Level 1


Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries

The ''Medicine: The Wellcome'' ''Galleries'' is a five-gallery medical exhibition which spans ancient history to modern times with over 3000 exhibits and specially commissioned artworks. Many of the objects on display come from the Wellcome Collection started by
Henry Wellcome Sir Henry Solomon Wellcome (August 21, 1853 – July 25, 1936) was an American pharmaceutical entrepreneur. He founded the pharmaceutical company Burroughs Wellcome & Company with his colleague Silas Burroughs in 1880, which is one of the f ...
. One of the commissioned artworks is a large bronze sculpture of
Rick Genest Rick Genest (August 7, 1985 – August 1, 2018), also known as Zombie Boy, was a Canadian artist, actor, fashion model, and musician. He held a Guinness World Record for his full-body tattoos. Personal life Genest was born in LaSalle, Quebec, ...
titled ''Self-Conscious Gene'' by Marc Quinn. The galleries occupy the museum's entire first floor and opened on 16 November 2019.


Main Building – Level 2


The Clockmakers Museum

The Clockmakers Museum is the world's oldest clock and watch museum which was originally assembled by the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers in London's Guildhall.


Science City 1550 – 1800: The Linbury Gallery

The ''Science City 1550 – 1800: The Linbury Gallery'' shows how London grew to be a global hub for trade, commerce and scientific enquiry


Mathematics: The Winton Gallery

The ''Mathematics: The Winton Gallery'' examines the role that mathematicians have had in building our modern world. In the landing area to access the gallery (stair C) is a working example of
Charles Babbage Charles Babbage (; 26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. Babbage is considered ...
's
Difference engine A difference engine is an automatic mechanical calculator designed to tabulate polynomial functions. It was designed in the 1820s, and was first created by Charles Babbage. The name, the difference engine, is derived from the method of divide ...
No.2. This was built by the Science Museum and its main part completed in 1991, to celebrate 200 years since Babbage's birth.


Information Age

The ''Information Age'' gallery has exhibits covering the development of communications and computing over the last two centuries. It explores the six networks that have transformed global communications: The Cable, The Telephone Exchange, Broadcast, The Constellation, The Cell and The Web/ It was opened on 24 October 2014 by the Queen,
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...
, who sent her first tweet from here.


Main Building – Level 3


Wonderlab: The Equinor Gallery

One of the most popular galleries in the museum is the interactive Wonderlab:The
Equinor Equinor ASA (formerly Statoil and StatoilHydro) is a Norwegian state-owned multinational energy company headquartered in Stavanger. It is primarily a petroleum company, operating in 36 countries with additional investments in renewable energy. I ...
Gallery, formerly called Launch Pad. The gallery is staffed by ''Explainers'' who demonstrate how exhibits work, conduct live experiments and perform shows to schools and the visiting public.


Flight

The ''Flight'' gallery charts the development of flight in the 20th century. Contained in the gallery are several full sized
aeroplanes An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad s ...
and
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribu ...
s, including Alcock and Brown's transatlantic Vickers Vimy (1919),
Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
and
Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Dep ...
fighters, as well as numerous aero-engines and a cross-section of a
Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2022. After introducing the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet times its size, ...
. It opened in 1963 and was refurbished in the 1990s.


Wellcome Wing


Tomorrow's World (Level 0)

The Tomorrow's World gallery hosts topical science stories and free exhibitions including: * Our Future Planet : Can Carbon Capture help us fight climate change? * Mission to Mercury : Bepi Columbo * Driverless : Who's in control? (exhibition ended January 2021)


IMAX: The Ronson Theatre (Entrance from Level 0)

The IMAX: The Ronson Theatre shows educational films (some in 3-D) and live events.


Who Am I? (Level 1)

Visitors to the Who Am I? gallery can explore the science of who they are through intriguing objects, provocative artworks and hands-on exhibits.


Atmosphere Gallery (Level 2)

The Atmosphere gallery explores the science of climate.


Engineer your Future (Level 3)

The Engineer your Future gallery explores whether you have the problem solving and team working skills to succeed in a career in engineering.


Temporary and touring exhibitions

The museum has some dedicated spaces for temporary exhibitions (both free and paid-for) and displays, on level −1 (Basement Gallery), level 0 (inside the Exploring Space Gallery and Tomorrow's World), level 1 (Special Exhibition Gallery 1 – currently closed for refurbishment) and level 2 (Special Exhibition Gallery 2 and The Studio). Most of these travel to other Science Museum Group sites, as well as nationally and internationally. Recent exhibitions have included: * Cosmonauts: Birth of Space Age (ended 2016). * Wounded – Conflict, Casualties and Care (2016–2018) – timed to commemorated the centenary of the Battle of the Somme; explored the development of medical treatment for wounded soldiers during the First World War. * The Sun: Living with our Star (ended 2019). * The Last Tsar: Blood and Revolution (ended 2019). * Top Secret: From Cyphers to Cyber Security (ended 2020, closed at the Science and Industry Museum on 31 August 2021). * Art of Innovation – from Enlightenment to Dark Matter (2019–2020) – explored the interaction between science, the arts and society; included artworks by Boccioni, Constable, Hepworth, Hockney, Lowry and Turner. * Codebreaker, on the life of
Alan Turing Alan Mathison Turing (; 23 June 1912 – 7 June 1954) was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist. Turing was highly influential in the development of theoretical ...
. * Unlocking Lovelock, which explored the archive of
James Lovelock James Ephraim Lovelock (26 July 1919 – 26 July 2022) was an English independent scientist, environmentalist and futurist. He is best known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis, which postulates that the Earth functions as a self-regulating sy ...
. * ''The Science Box'' contemporary science series toured various venues in the UK and Europe in the 1990s and from 1995 ''The Science of Sport'' appeared in various incarnations and venues around the World. In 2005 The Science Museum teamed up with Fleming Media to set up ''The Science of...'' to develop and tour exhibitions including ''
The Science of Aliens The Science of Aliens is a touring exhibition that launched at the London Science Museum in October 2005. It was developed by a company called The Science of... set up by The Science Museum and Fleming Media. Two versions of the exhibition are tou ...
'', '' The Science of Spying'' and '' The Science of Survival''. * In 2008, ''The Science of Survival'' exhibition opened to the public and allowed visitors to explore what the world might be like in 2050 and how humankind will meet the challenges of climate change and energy shortages. * In 2014 the museum launched the family science Energy Show, which toured the country. * The same year it began a new programme of touring exhibitions which opened with ''Collider: Step inside the world's greatest experiment'' to much critical acclaim. The exhibition takes visitors behind the scenes at CERN and explores the science and engineering behind the discovery of the Higgs Boson. The exhibition toured until early 2017. * Media Space exhibitions also go on tour, notably ''Only in England'' which displays works by the photographers Tony Ray-Jones and Martin Parr.


Events


'Astronights' for Children

The Science Museum organises "Astronights", "all-night extravaganza with a scientific twist". Up to 380 children aged between 8 and 11, accompanied by adults, are invited to spend an evening performing fun "science based" activities and then spend the night sleeping in the museum galleries amongst the exhibits. In the morning, they're woken to breakfast and more science, watching a show before the end of the event.


'Lates' for Adults

On the evening of the last Wednesday of every month (except December) the museum organises an adults only evening with up to 30 events, from lectures to silent discos. Previous Lates have seen conversations with the actress activist
Lily Cole Lily Luahana Cole (born 27 December 1987)"Autobiography"
, lilycole.com.
is a B ...
and Biorevolutions with the
Francis Crick Institute The Francis Crick Institute (formerly the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation) is a biomedical research centre in London, which was established in 2010 and opened in 2016. The institute is a partnership between Cancer Research UK, Impe ...
which attracted around 7000 people, mostly under the age of 35.


Cancellation of James D. Watson talk

In October 2007, the Science Museum cancelled a talk by the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, James D. Watson, because he claimed that
IQ test An intelligence quotient (IQ) is a total score derived from a set of standardized tests or subtests designed to assess human intelligence. The abbreviation "IQ" was coined by the psychologist William Stern (psychologist), William Stern for th ...
results showed black people to have lower intelligence than white people. The decision was criticised by some scientists, including
Richard Dawkins Richard Dawkins (born 26 March 1941) is a British evolutionary biologist and author. He is an emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford and was Professor for Public Understanding of Science in the University of Oxford from 1995 to 2008. An ...
, but supported by other scientists, including
Steven Rose Steven Peter Russell Rose (born 4 July 1938) is an English neuroscientist, author, and social commentator. He is emeritus professor of biology and neurobiology at the Open University and Gresham College, London. Early life Born in London, U ...
.


Former galleries

The museum has undergone many changes in its history with older galleries being replaced by new ones.


The Children's Gallery

1931–1995. Located in the basement, it was replaced by the under fives area called The Garden.


Agriculture

1951–2017. Located on the first floor, it looked at the history and future of farming in the 20th century. It featured model dioramas and object displays. It was replaced by Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries in 2019.


Shipping

1963–2012. Located on the second floor, its contents were 3D scanned and made available online. It was replaced by Information Age.


Land Transport

1967–1996. Located on the ground floor, it displayed vehicles and objects associated with transport on land, including rail and road. It was replaced by the Making the Modern World gallery in 2000.


Glimpses of Medical History

1981–2015. Located on the fourth floor, it contained reconstructions and dioramas of the history of practised medicine. It was not replaced, but subsumed into Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries which opened on the museum's first floor in November 2019.


Science and the Art of Medicine

1981–2015. Located on the fifth floor, which featured exhibits of medical instruments and practices from ancient days and from many countries. It was not replaced, but subsumed into Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries which opened on the museum's first floor in November 2019.


Launchpad

1986–2015. Originally opening on the ground floor, in 1989 it moved to the first floor replacing Textiles. Then in 2000 to the basement of the newly built Wellcome Wing. In 2007, it moved to its final location on the third floor, replacing the George III gallery. It was replaced by Wonderlab in 2016.


Challenge of Materials

1997–2019. Located on the first floor, explored the diversity and properties of materials. It was designed by
WilkinsonEyre WilkinsonEyre is an international architecture practice based in London, England. In 1983 Chris Wilkinson founded Chris Wilkinson Architects, he partnered with Jim Eyre in 1987 and the practice was renamed WilkinsonEyre in 1999. The practice ha ...
and featured an exhibit ''Materials House'' by Thomas Heatherwick.


Cosmos and Culture

2009–2017. Located on the first floor, it featured astronomical objects showing the study of the night sky. It was replaced by Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries in 2019.


Storage, library and archives

Blythe House, 1979–2019, the museum's former storage facility in West Kensington, while not a gallery, it offered tours of the collections housed there. Objects formerly housed there are being transferred to the National Collections Centre, at the Science Museum Wroughton, in Wiltshire. The Science Museum has a dedicated library, and until the 1960s was Britain's National Library for Science, Medicine and Technology. It holds runs of periodicals, early books and manuscripts, and is used by scholars worldwide. It was, for a number of years, run in conjunction with the Central Library of
Imperial College Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...
, but in 2007 the library was divided over two sites. Histories of science and biographies of scientists were kept at the Imperial College Library until February 2014 when the arrangement was terminated, the shelves were cleared and the books and journals shipped out, joining the rest of the collection, which includes original scientific works and archives at the National Collections Centre.
Dana Research Centre and Library The Dana Library and Research Centre (formerly the Dana Centre) on Queen's Gate, South Kensington, London is part of the Science Museum Group. Designed by Sir Richard MacCormac of MJP Architects, the building opened in 2003 as a public event v ...
previously an event space and cafe', reopened in its current form in 2015. Open to researchers and members of the public, it allows free access to almost 7,000 volumes, which can be consulted on site.


Sponsorship

The Science Museum has been sponsored by major organisations including Shell, BP,
Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...
and
GlaxoSmithKline GSK plc, formerly GlaxoSmithKline plc, is a British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with global headquarters in London, England. Established in 2000 by a merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. GSK is the tent ...
. Some have been controversial. The museum declined to give details of how much it receives from oil and gas sponsors. Equinor is also the title sponsor of "Wonderlab: The Equinor Gallery", an exhibition for children, while BP is the funding partner of the museum's STEM Training Academy.


Influence of Shell on climate change exhibitions content

Shell has influenced how the museum presents climate change in its programme sponsored by the oil company. The museum has signed a gagging clause in its agreement with Shell not to ''"make any statement or issue any publicity or otherwise be involved in any conduct or matter that may reasonably be foreseen as discrediting or damaging the goodwill or reputation"'' of Shell.


Reactions to sponsorship by fossil fuel companies

The museum's director, Ian Blatchford, defended the museum's sponsorship policy, saying: "Even if the Science Museum were lavishly publicly funded I would still want to have sponsorship from the oil companies." Scientists for Global Responsibility called the museum's move "staggeringly out-of-step and irresponsible". Some presenters, including
George Monbiot George Joshua Richard Monbiot ( ; born 27 January 1963) is a British writer known for his environmental and political activism. He writes a regular column for ''The Guardian'' and is the author of a number of books. Monbiot grew up in Oxfordsh ...
, pulled out of climate talks on finding they were sponsored by BP and the Norwegian oil company
Equinor Equinor ASA (formerly Statoil and StatoilHydro) is a Norwegian state-owned multinational energy company headquartered in Stavanger. It is primarily a petroleum company, operating in 36 countries with additional investments in renewable energy. I ...
. Bob Ward of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment said the "carbon capture exhibition is not 'greenwash'". There have been protests against the sponsorship; in May 2021, a group calling themselves 'Scientists for XR' ( Extinction Rebellion) locked themselves to a mechanical tree inside the museum. The UK Student Climate Network carried out an overnight occupation in June 2021, and were threatened with arrest. In August 2021, members of Extinction Rebellion held a protest inside and outside the museum with a pink dodo. In 2021 Prof Chris Rapley, a climate scientist, resigned from the museum's advisory board because of oil and gas company sponsorship. In 2021 more than 40 senior academics and scientists said they would not work with the Science Museum due to its financial relationships with the fossil fuel industry. In 2022 more than 400 teachers signed an open letter to the museum promising to boycott it following sponsorship of the museum's Energy Revolution exhibition by the coal mining company Adani.


Directors of the Science Museum

The directors of the South Kensington Museum were: * Henry Cole CB (1857–1873) * Sir
Philip Cunliffe-Owen Sir Francis Philip Cunliffe-Owen (8 June 1828 – 23 March 1894) was an exhibition organizer and the Director of the South Kensington Museum in London.H. T. Wood (rev. R. C. Denis)Owen, Sir Francis Philip Cunliffe- (1828–1894) ''Oxford Dictio ...
KCB KCMG CIE (1873–1893) The directors of the Science Museum have been: * Major-General Edward R. Festing CB FRS (1893–1904) * William I. Last (1904–1911) * Sir
Francis Grant Ogilvie Sir Francis Grant Ogilvie CB FRSE (8 August 1858 – 14 December 1930) was a Scottish educator, museum director, and scientist. Birth, parentage and early career Ogilvie was born in Monymusk, Aberdeenshire, the eldest son of the Reverend Ale ...
CB (1911–1920) * Colonel Sir Henry Lyons FRS (1920–1933) * Colonel E. E. B. Mackintosh DSO (1933–1945) * Herman Shaw (1945–1950) * F. Sherwood Taylor (1950–1956) * Sir
Terence Morrison-Scott Sir Terence Charles Stuart Morrison-Scott (24 October 1908 – 25 November 1991) was a British zoologist who was Director of the Science Museum and the British Museum (Natural History) in London, England.CranbrookScott, Sir Terence Charles St ...
DSc FMA (1956–1960) * Sir David Follett FMA (1960–1973) * Dame Margaret Weston DBE FMA (1973–1986) *
Neil Cossons Sir Neil Cossons FMA (born 15 January 1939) is a British historian and museum administrator. Biography Cossons was born in Beeston and studied at the University of Liverpool. He was the first director of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust fr ...
OBE FSA FMA (1986–2000) *
Lindsay Sharp Lindsay Gerard Sharp is a museologist who lives near Wollongong/Gerringong in the coastal hinterland of New South Wales in Australia. He works as a museum consultant and writer. Born in Britain and raised in Australia, Sharp earned his doctorate ...
(2000–2002) The following have been head/director of the Science Museum in London, not including its satellite museums: * Jon Tucker (2002–2007, Head) *
Chris Rapley Christopher Graham Rapley (born 8 April 1947) is a British scientist and scientific administrator. He is Professor of Climate Science at University College London, a member of the Academia Europaea, Chair of the European Science Foundation's E ...
CBE (2007–2010) The following have been directors of the National Museum of Science and Industry, (since April 2012 renamed the Science Museum Group) which oversees the Science Museum and other related museums, from 2002: * Lindsay Sharp (2002–2005) * Jon Tucker (2005–06, Acting Director) * Martin Earwicker FREng (2006–2009) * Molly Jackson (2009) * Andrew Scott CBE (2009–10) * Ian Blatchford (2010–)


References


External links

*
Albertopolis: Science Museum
– architecture and history of the Science Museum
ScienceMuseum.org.uk
( SMG) – a group of British museums that includes the Science Museum
Mapping the World's Science Museums from Nature Publishing Group's team blog
{{Authority control Charities based in London * Exempt charities IMAX venues Industry museums in England Musical instrument museums Medical museums in London Museums established in 1893 Museums in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Museums with wikis Science museums in London Steam museums in London Transport museums in England Articles containing video clips South Kensington 1857 establishments in England Science Museum Group Science museums in England