The 2015 Oxford Seminar in the History of Alchemy and Chemistry will take place between 27 May and 17 June 2015 at the Maison Francaise d’Oxford (2-10 Norham Rd, OX2 6SE) every Wednesday, 3pm-5pm. The seminar is free of charge, and anyone with an interest in the history of alchemy, chemistry, medicine or the sciences is invited to attend. The format is two papers followed by a Questions & Answers session. There will be an opportunity to socialise at a nearby pub afterwards. In addition, everyone is welcome to join us for dinner with the speaker and chair.
The programme below is also available as a poster and in plain format.
27 May: 17th Century Alchemy*
Chair: John Christie (Oxford)
Georgiana Hedesan (Oxford)
Quintessence and the Fire of Nature: The Alchemical Roots of the ‘Universal Solvent’ Alkahest
Judith Mawer (Goldmiths London)
The theo-magical roots of Thomas Vaughan’s alchemy, as expounded in his Magia Adamica or The Antiquitie of Magic (1650)
3 June: 17th-18th Century Chemistry
Chair: Margaret Pelling (Oxford)
Anna Marie Roos (Lincoln)
The Chymistry of Francis Willughby (1635-1672): the Trinity College, Cambridge Community
Michael Bycroft (Warwick)
Alchemy, Art and Electricity: Research on Gems at the Académie Royale des Sciences, c. 1700-1750
10 June: 20th Century Chemistry
Chair: John Perkins (Oxford Brookes)
Linda Richards (Oregon)
Frederick Soddy, Alchemy and an Atomic Interpretation of Human Rights
Juan Andres Leon (CHF)
The Toxic Mutants and Maritime Creatures of the Gowanus: Urban Topography, Chemical Contamination and 21st Century Environmental Citizenship
17 June: 18th and 19th Century Chemistry
Chair: Pietro Corsi (Oxford)
Carolyn Cobbold (Cambridge)
The Silent Introduction of Synthetic Dyestuffs into Nineteenth Century Food
Julie Carr-Trebelhorn (Oxford)
Vital Networks and Fulfilled Expectations: Tracing Alexandre Brongniart’s Path to the Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory (1770-1800)
*This session is preceded by ‘Alchemical Melodies’, a workshop on the musical dimensions of 17th century alchemy, organised by Dr Fabrizio Bigotti (Exeter), co-organised by myself and sponsored by the Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry. Speakers include Peter J. Forshaw (Amsterdam), Luca Guariento (Glasgow) and Penelope Gouk (Manchester). For the programme, see http://www.mfo.ac.uk/en/events/alchemical-melodies-workshop or download it here.