Founded in 1866, London’s blue plaque scheme, now run by English Heritage, celebrates the links between notable figures of the past and the buildings in which they lived and worked.
To be awarded an official English Heritage plaque, the proposed recipient (nominated by members of the public) must have died at least 20 years ago and will only be awarded a plaque if there is a surviving building closely associated with them.
Eleven notable chemists have been recognised with a blue plaque to date, located on a London building that played an important part in their unique stories. (The London blue plaque scheme has inspired many similar schemes across the UK and globally so blue plaques exist everywhere but outside of London they are run by local councils, civic societies and other organisations. One of these schemes recently recognised Robert Warington, founder of the Chemical Society, the forerunner of the Royal Society of Chemistry).
1 John Desmond Bernal (1901–1971)
Profession: Crystallographer
Where? 44 Albert Street, Camden (where he lived and died)
Why? John Desmond Bernal was renowned for his contributions to x-ray crystallography and molecular biology and his work on the tobacco mosaic virus. He played a key role in advancing understanding of the atomic structure of solid compounds and mentored notable scientists including Dorothy Hodgkin and Rosalind Franklin, initiating a research programme on x-ray analysis of the structure of complex biological molecules.
Bernal was also deeply involved in social and political causes. As a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain he advocated for the social responsibility of scientists and helped to increase government support for basic scientific research.
2 Henry Cavendish (1731–1810)
Profession: Natural philosopher
Where? 11 Bedford Square, Bloomsbury (where he was born, lived and died)
Why? Henry Cavendish was thought of as the greatest experimental and theoretical chemist and physicist of his time, although he published very little of his work.
He is best known for his discovery of hydrogen, which he called ‘inflammable air’ and produced by dissolving metals in acids, and ‘fixed air’ (carbon dioxide) which he made by dissolving alkalis in acids. He also made significant strides towards understanding the composition of atmospheric air and the properties of different gases. He was the first to reveal that water wasn’t an element, but a compound of hydrogen and oxygen.
He also conducted the famous Cavendish experiment to measure the density of the Earth, which allowed the calculation of the value of the gravitational constant.
He was also fascinated by electricity, exploring the laws of electrical attraction and repulsion and worked out a comprehensive theory of electricity which laid the groundwork for later developments in electromagnetism.
3 Ernst Chain (1906–1979)
Profession: Biochemist
Where? 9 North View, Wimbledon (where he lived)
Why? Ernst Chain was a German-born British biochemist and co-recipient of the 1945 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine for the discovery of penicillin, alongside Alexander Fleming and Howard Florey.
In 1939, working with Florey, Chain began a systematic study of antibacterial substances produced by microorganisms. This led to his best-known work, the reinvestigation of penicillin, which had been described by Fleming nine years earlier, and to the discovery of its chemotherapeutic action. Later he worked on the isolation and elucidation of the chemical structure of penicillin and other natural antibiotics.
4 William Crookes (1832–1919)
Profession: Scientist
Where? 7 Kensington Park Gardens, Notting Hill (where he lived and died)
Why? William Crookes was a British chemist and physicist known for his discovery of the element thallium and for his electron beam or cathode-ray studies, fundamental in the development of atomic physics. From his private basement laboratory in London, thanks to a large fortune inherited from his father, Crookes dedicated himself entirely to his scientific work.
His research on electrical discharges through a rarefied gas led him to observe the dark space around the cathode, now called the Crookes dark space. He showed that cathode rays travel in straight lines and produce phosphorescence and heat when they strike certain materials.
With the introduction of spectrum analysis Crookes applied the technique to the study of selenium compounds and, in 1861, he discovered thallium in seleniferous deposits. In 1873, after further study to isolate and study its properties he determined the atomic weight of thallium. During his studies, he invented the Crookes radiometer, a device that converts light radiation into rotary motion.
5 Michael Faraday (1791–1867)
Profession: Natural philosopher
Where? 48 Blandford Street, Marylebone (he was an apprentice here)
Why? Michael Faraday was a chemist and physicist who made groundbreaking contributions to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry, despite being self-taught. In 1821 he published his work on electromagnetic rotation, the principle behind the electric motor.
In 1826, he founded the Royal Institution’s Friday Evening Discourses and, in the same year, the Christmas Lectures, both of which continue to this day. In 1831, he discovered electromagnetic induction, the principle behind the electric transformer and generator. He also discovered benzene.
Faraday also demonstrated that electromagnetism could influence light in what is now known as the ‘Faraday Effect’ and discovered electrolysis. The SI unit of capacitance, the farad, is named after him.
6 Edward Frankland (1825 –1899)
Profession: Chemical scientist
Where? 14 Lancaster Gate, Bayswater (lived there for 10 years (1870 –1880) while he was a professor at the Royal College of Chemistry)
Why? Frankland made a number of significant discoveries that enhanced our understanding of the chemical sciences. In 1847, at the University of Marburg in Germany, he founded a new branch of chemistry, which he called organometallic chemistry, where metals are linked with carbon.
Three years later, as a professor of chemistry at the College for Civil Engineers, he discovered the phenomenon of valency, which underlies all structural chemistry. In his book Lecture Notes for Chemical Students (1866) he further developed the principle of valency introducing the term ‘bonds’ to show how atoms can be connected.
However, it is arguably in his work on water that he made his greatest discoveries. This work led to the closure of many contaminated water sources all over the world and the introduction of fundamental hygiene legislation.
7 Rosalind Franklin (1920 –1958)
Profession: Crystallographer
Where? Donovan Court, 107 Drayton Gardens, Chelsea (lived there 1951–1958)
Why? Rosalind Franklin pioneered the study of molecular structures but most notably her research on DNA led to the structure of the molecule of life being elucidated in 1952.
Franklin moved to Donovan Court when she took up a fellowship at King’s College London in 1951. It was here that Franklin analysed DNA using x-ray diffraction and, consequently, was able to identify two forms: the crystalline A form and the B form that she suggested was probably a helix structure.
Photographs of the B form were later passed to James Watson and Francis Crick for their own research on DNA and were instrumental in uncovering the structure of the biomolecule. Maurice Wilkins, Franklin’s superior at King’s, was jointly awarded the Nobel prize in chemistry in 1962 with Crick and Watson. Franklin died of cancer in 1958 so could not be recognised by the Nobel committee. Although the vital role she played in the discovery of the DNA helix has largely been overshadowed there have been recent reappraisals of the contributions she made to structural biology and uncovering the structure of DNA.
8 August Wilhelm von Hofmann (1818–1892)
Profession: Chemist
Where? 9 Fitzroy Square, Fitzrovia (he lived there)
Why? August Wilhelm von Hofmann was a renowned German chemist who made significant contributions to the field of organic chemistry, as well as chemistry education. His research laid the foundation for the aniline-dye industry and he developed practical methods for extracting benzene and toluene from coal tar.
Von Hofmann also discovered formaldehyde, hydrazobenzene, isonitriles and allyl alcohol. The Hofmann reaction was named after his method of converting an amide into an amine. He also developed a method for determining the molecular weights of liquids from vapour densities. He was co-founder of the German Chemical Society in 1867 and served as its president for 14 terms between 1868–1892.
9 Kathleen Lonsdale (1903–1971)
Profession: Crystallographer and peace campaigner
Where? 19 Colenso Road, Seven Kings (her childhood home)
Why? Kathleen Lonsdale carried out groundbreaking research into the movement of atoms within crystals. In 1931 she determined the structure of hexamethylbenzene – the first aromatic compound to be characterised by x-ray diffraction – and so proved conclusively that the carbons in benzene are linked in a hexagonal shape and its structure is planar. She was also the first to use Fourier methods when she solved hexachlorobenzene in 1931.
Lonsdale’s subsequent work at the Royal Institution on the thermal motion of atoms within crystals earned her election to the Royal Society – one of the first two women to be honoured in this way.
In 1946 she became the first female professor at University College London. She believed passionately in encouraging and supporting women to have both a family and a professional scientific career.
Lonsdale also campaigned extensively for international peace. She was president of the British section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and was active in discussions surrounding the applications and dangers of nuclear physics.
10 Joseph Priestley (1733–1804)
Profession: scientist, philosopher, theologian
Where? 7-8 Ram Place, Hackney (was Minister to the Gravel Pit meeting here in 1793–1794)
Why? A physical scientist, clergyman and political theorist, Joseph Priestley is best known for his groundbreaking work in chemistry, particularly his discovery of oxygen in 1774. He called oxygen ‘dephlogisticated air’ based on the belief that ordinary air becomes saturated with phlogiston (a ‘principle of inflammability’) once it could no longer support combustion and life. He also identified nine other gases including carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide.
Priestley also carried out experiments with electricity. For example, he discovered that charcoal conducts electricity and noted the relationship between electricity and chemical change. His work in this area led him to be elected a member of the Royal Society in 1766.
Priestley was also a Unitarian minister and an advocate for religious tolerance and civil liberties.
11 William Ramsay (1852–1916)
Profession: Chemist
Where? 12 Arundel Gardens, Notting Hill (his family home for 15 years)
Why? William Ramsay has been described as ‘the greatest chemical discoverer of his time’. He is best known for his discovery of five new elements – the noble gases helium, neon, argon, krypton and xenon – adding a whole new group to the periodic table. He was awarded the 1904 Nobel prize in chemistry, the first British person to receive the award. In 1910, assisted by Robert Whytlaw-Gray, Ramsay measured the density of radon precisely enough to establish that its atomic weight differed from that of its parent element, radium, by the weight of one helium atom, a remarkable achievement given the tiny size of his sample.
At first, Ramsay’s research focused on alkaloids. He studied their physiological action and established their structural relationship to pyridine. In 1879 he turned to physical chemistry to study the volumes of elements at their boiling points. Alongside British chemist Sydney Young, Ramsay published more than 30 papers on the physical characteristics of liquids and vapours, and developed the skills he would need for his later work on the noble gases.
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