Leeds Art Gallery, The Headrow, Leeds
Tue 22 Sept · 13:00 · Free
Joseph Priestley (1733-1804) is best known for his discovery of oxygen in 1774. But an important period of his life was when he lived in Nantwich, Cheshire, from 1758 until 1761, while still a young man. This was before he moved on to Warrington (1761-1767) and then Leeds (1767-1773), where his breakthrough scientific work was carried out. This talk explores Priestley’s life and time in Nantwich, where he was a non-conformist minister and school teacher. Which role was dominant? How did his experiences there contribute to his later scientific, religious and pedagogic development? Can we pin down where Priestley lived while in Nantwich? What do we know about his social circle – his friends … and foes? Priestley’s memoirs contradict some local stories and Helen will draw on new research to correct some misleading elements of the tales about this endlessly fascinating Enlightenment figure. Helen Cooke After Helen Cooke graduated in chemistry at the University of Manchester, she worked for several years in scientific publishing. She then studied for a post-graduate diploma in librarianship and was appointed as the Chemistry Librarian at UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology), where she also taught information skills and completed her PhD on the history of chemistry. After 20 years at UMIST, Helen moved to the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, working for 10 years in the USA and UK. Now retired and living in Nantwich, she volunteers for the Royal Society of Chemistry and Nantwich Museum, which has provided opportunities to feature chemistry through talks, publications and exhibitions.