The Results Are In!

Every spring, the Science History Institute hosts Othmer Library After Hours, our library’s biggest event of the year. At this open house, friends, family, longtime patrons, and first-time visitors commingle in the library’s reading room; enjoy a book-themed cake and refreshments; and learn about the library’s collections and programs. Guests can support the library by adopting collection items and taking part in activities that highlight materials around a particular theme.

This year, we put our own spin on the National Library Week theme, “Drawn to the Library,” by celebrating the interplay of art and science. Visitors learned about the history of scientific illustration and got to check out some fascinating examples, such as a 19th-century educational text featuring anatomical “lift-the-flap” illustrations. At a station devoted to the science of artists’ materials, attendees played a game that required them to match pigment names with their material origins.

A “lift-the-flap” anatomical illustration of a human torso, from The Practical Home Physician and Encyclopedia of Medicine by Henry M. Lyman, 1884.
Science History Institute

I chose to show off our collection’s science- and chemical industry-themed comic books and hold a New Yorker-style caption contest that challenged participants to devise their own witticism to accompany some of the cartoons from the comics. The prize? Science History Institute swag, a feature on our social media channels, and bragging rights, of course.

Contest participants each chose their favorite cartoon from two books in our collection: Chemtoons, a 1955 compilation of chemistry-themed cartoons from various publications, and What’s So Funny About Science?, a 1977 collection of cartoons created by cartoonist Sidney Harris for American Scientist.

Eight entries made it to the Othmer Library staff for judging. The battle was close, but a clear winner made it to the top. Before revealing this year’s grand prize winner, I present to you our honorable mentions:

Now, without further ado, here is your winner of the 2025 Othmer Library After Hours Caption Contest:

Great work, Bryan! Bryan wins a Science History Institute denim tote bag, a notebook, a clip-on microfiber cloth, and a plethora of buttons and stickers.

Regardless of where our contestants stand in the rankings, we’re grateful to everyone who submitted a caption. More importantly, we appreciate everyone who supports our work in the Othmer Library. Your support helps us purchase, preserve, and share materials that researchers, curators, and librarians use to tell the history of science.

If you can’t wait until next spring to see the library at our next open house, fret not! You can sign up for one of our new biweekly library tours beginning in June. And starting in August, we’ll be running drop-in library tours an hour before our First Friday events. If you’re interested in doing research at the Othmer Library, you can check out our online catalog or schedule a research appointment.

Featured image: Guests at the Othmer Library After Hours event held April 9, 2025.

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