From Nantwich to Oxygen: Public Engagement in Chemistry at a Local History Museum

Abstract

Joseph Priestley, discoverer of oxygen, lived in Nantwich, Cheshire, UK, from 1758 to 1761. In 2019, an exhibition featuring his life and achievements, and also celebrating the International Year of the Periodic Table, was developed by the Nantwich Museum. The historical research of Priestley’s life, development of the exhibition, and rationale behind the public-engagement events and activities are described. The integration of chemistry for all age groups throughout the exhibition and during events is discussed. Instructions for experiments and demonstrations are available as Supporting Information for this paper. The benefits of teamwork involving members with diverse subject expertise and the value of contributions from external organizations are emphasized. The exhibition successfully engaged museum visitors with 18th century local history, the story of Joseph Priestley, and chemistry concepts and experiments. Qualitative feedback from participants is presented along with the planned long-term legacy of the exhibition.

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