Chemistry Museum in Old City is More Than a Nerd's Paradise

 
by KYW's Lauren Lipton

Imagine a museum where the displays include a wall of computers, a shimmery party dress from the '50s, painting masterpieces from the 16th century, and vintage packages of... Kool-Aid!

"The exhibit as a whole is called 'Making Modernity.' "

Erin McLeary is curator of exhibitions for the Chemical Heritage Foundation's new Chemistry Museum (in the former First National Bank building at 315 Chestnut Street in Old City), which highlights how science has shaped the modern world. 

"Modern electronics would be impossible without chemical processes. The little, tiny silicon microchips, they're too small to make by hand."

And Kool-Aid?

"When Kool-Aid and other convenience foods like Jell-o were introduced, they were these modern, exciting foods.  They're really brightly colored. They're very convenient."

But the initial coloring used in these products -- red dye #2 -- ended up being dangerous and was banned in 1976. 

"We wanted to use things like Kool-Aid and Jell-o, Crisco and margarine, as a way to explore some of the unintended consequences of science."

And beautiful party dresses made of nylon instead of expensive silk.

"Nylon is one of the great triumphs of polymer chemistry, and it revolutionized textiles."

And they'll have tours.  This is the one for me:

"Ten Things I Hated about Chemistry in High School."

Some of the displays are open now, and more will be added through the summer, but the grand opening of the museum will be October 3rd.

That's Positively Philadelphia!

(Photos courtesy Chemical Heritage Foundation)