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Add to Our Collections

The Science History Institute invites individuals and institutions to help us build our major collections.

Quality, historical value, and research potential are key factors we look for when acquiring items to grow our collections. At the Institute, acquisitions fall into several broad collecting areas within the history of chemistry, chemical engineering, and the life sciences:

  • Rare and modern books and other printed materials

  • Historical archives, including personal papers of scientists and engineers, as well as organizational records

  • Historical photographs of people and places

  • Fine art, including paintings and prints

  • Scientific instruments and other apparatus

  • Historical artifacts, such as chemistry sets and molecular models

If you would like to donate books, archival materials and/or photographs, please contact [email protected]. To donate fine art and/or objects, please follow the instructions on this downloadable form.

We ask that you have an itemized list prepared and, if possible, accompanying photographs or digital images of the objects you wish to give. The final decision to accept donated materials is made by the appropriate curatorial staff at the Institute in accordance with our collections policy.