HC 507

Written evidence submitted by the Royal Institution [SMG 016]

The Royal Institution (founded 1799) is an independent charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science, technology and medicine in a number of ways. To this purpose, one of the approaches adopted by the Royal Institution is to use its heritage to illustrate the relations of science with society and culture that have subsisted over the last two centuries or so. In part this is done via research and in part through an interpreted display of about a thousand historical objects in the Royal Institution’s collections which tell the story of scientific discovery undertaken by scientific figures such as Humphry Davy, Michael Faraday, John Tyndall, James Dewar, William Bragg, Lawrence Bragg and more recently George Porter. Objects on display include Davy’s first miners’ safety lamp, Faraday’s first electric generator and transformer, the apparatus by used by John Tyndall in his discovery of the atmospheric greenhouse effect, Dewar’s flasks (better known as thermos flasks), as well as apparatus associated with the Bragg’s work on crystallography Porter’s photochemical equipment. Taken together these objects form the scientific basis for much of modern technology ranging from electrical engineering and communication to the foundations of molecular biology and gene technology. Of note is that the Ri does not currently receive state funding to support public access to these collections, although it is desirous of it.

All these objects, along with the associated archives and images, were created for use and have been subsequently retained in the building, which the Royal Institution, almost uniquely for a London institution, has occupied continuously since 1799. The Royal Institution is thus supportive of the Science Museum Group’s efforts to connect people with science via its displays of historical scientific objects. In particular its facilities in Manchester and York have strong heritage similarities to the Royal Institution in that both are key technological sites with associated objects created for those locations. MOSI is housed in the world’s first purpose built railway station which retains many of its original features, whilst York was a major railway engineering site which it is entirely appropriate should be now occupied by the National Railway Museum.

The Royal Institution has read with dismay that budgetary cuts are necessitating a review of the viability of one or more museums within the Science Museum Group, and hopes that a solution can be found in order to maintain public access to these important scientific collections. If we wish to encourage an interest throughout all communities in science, technology and medicine, both for utilitarian as well as cultural reasons, then we, as a country, need to invest in the facilities that will help provide this outcome. If the Government wishes to make the UK ‘the best place in the world to do science’, curtailing or restricting access to our extraordinary scientific heritage is not the way to do it.

June 2013