Portraits & Prints

The print and photo collection is particularly strong on portraits of German chemists from 1920-50 that were personally acquired by Oesper during his annual trips to Germany; many of them are autographed.

Some of the most valued holdings include an autographed photo of Niels Bohr (1885-1962) and a Christmas card from Henri Le Chatelier (1850-1936). Several prints are framed and on display in the library, but the majority are stored in the large shallow drawers of a 1910 oak cabinet formerly used for mineral specimens. Images from the photo and print collections are available for study and use by chemical historians, and reproductions can be used in textbooks and monographs on chemistry.