Distillations magazine

Before becoming a synonym for cinema, celluloid was used to imitate expensive materials like ivory, tortoiseshell, and linen.

A 1904 caricature from Vanity Fair is a striking example of the role images played in creating the Marie Curie myth.

Observing as experts investigate whether La Bella Principessa is in fact the work of Leonardo da Vinci.

Mining magazines, newspapers, comic books, and movies to catch a glimpse of science as imagined by earlier generations.

In exile, Navajo created new designs for their rugs and blankets using the new synthetic dyes.

When Jane Marcet wrote Conversations on Chemistry she had little idea it would introduce Michael Faraday into the world of science.

Eighteenth-century author Polycarpe Poncelet finds an unusual connection between music and our sense of taste.

First sold in 1791 to a scientifically literate audience, chemistry sets have since occupied many niches—and now they are making a comeback.

Color by numbers—no problem, thanks to Albert H. Munsell, who pioneered methods for color comparison.

In 1788 Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and Jacques-Louis David were introduced during a sitting for the illustrious scientist’s portrait.

DuPont’s colorists were prophets of the color revolution, guiding corporations and consumers in choosing hues for everything from car fenders to countertops.