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The INTERNET Database of Periodic Tables

There are thousands of periodic tables in web space, but this is the only comprehensive database of periodic tables & periodic system formulations. If you know of an interesting periodic table that is missing, please contact the database curator: Mark R. Leach Ph.D.

Use the drop menus below to search & select from the more than 1300 Period Tables in the database: 

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Year:  1933 PT id = 187

Chicago Museum of Science & Industry Periodic Table

The [Chicago] Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) opened to the public in 1933. The building that the Museum of Science and Industry now occupies however, has a rich history going back to its construction for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.

The Special Exhibits Hall – Alexander Graham Bell Memorial Suite – had a huge Periodic Table with the ninety-two elements arrayed in colorful and orderly fashion. These "building blocks of the universe" stood beneath the great central dome of the Museum.

Steve Rosengard, Assistant Curator, Collections Department, Museum of Science & Industry writes:

"After doing a bit of digging, it looks as though the original table was in the Great Hall within the Hall of Science at the 1933-34 World's Fair. Because of prior negotiations, virtually everything inside the Hall of Science was designed by MSI draftsmen so that it could be re-used in the Museum afterwards. The records show that MSI took in the table but had it redesigned and rebuilt by Shaw Naess and Murphy (E.M. Weymer Co. was a subcontractor) in 1938-39. One of the pages from the booklet from the Fair states the '[p]]articular credit is extended to Dr. B.S. Hopkins, of the University of Illinois, for assistance in arranging the collection.' The term assistance is a bit misleading because from the other papers in the file, it's very clear that Hopkins basically did the design entirely on his own. In terms of funding, I would assume that Rand McNally made some contribution beyond the loan of the globe on top since it was known as the Rand-McNally Periodic Table, but I have found no records supporting this."

Some historical images are available from the Chicago Postcard Museum.




Thanks to Roy Alexander for the info!

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© Mark R. Leach Ph.D. 1999 –


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