If you want some quick reminders of his milestone contributions to the sciences, stroll through the Library’s permanent exhibition “Beautiful Science: Ideas that Changed the World.” Newton revolutionized astronomy through his Principia Mathematica, which provided mathematical models of the workings of the universe he also simplified telescope design to make the observation of celestial bodies easier and less expensive. In the 21st century, the idea that Newton practiced alchemy seems surprising. (You can listen to the lecture on iTunesU.) He not only explained why Newton performed alchemical experiments and produced numerous manuscripts on the subject, but also intrigued the audience with live demonstrations of what appeared to be the growth of minerals and transmutation of metals. Newman, professor of history and philosophy of science at Indiana University and the Eleanor Searle Visiting Professor in the History of Science at Caltech and The Huntington, answered these questions with a resounding yes during “Why Did Isaac Newton Believe in Alchemy?”-a Dibner Lecture held recently at The Huntington. Is it possible that the English physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton, one of the greatest theorists in the history of science, practiced alchemy? That a giant of the scientific revolution shared a dream common among charlatans of his age-to turn lead into gold? Newman produced a bright red metallic “tree” made of silica that grew and branched as his lecture proceeded. The Princeton Library is located at One Washington Road in Princeton, New Jersey.In a demonstration conducted at The Huntington, William R. The gallery and restrooms are wheelchair accessible. Please note all visitors must sign-in and attest to being up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations. Members of the public are welcome to visit the exhibition between noon and 6:00pm, seven days a week. There are also works on loan from Kislak Center for Special Collections at University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University Art Museum, Science History Institute, and alchemy historian Lawrence M.
Other items on display are drawn from PUL’s Special Collections, specifically Rare Books, Manuscripts, and the Cotsen Children’s Library. This fantastical imagery reached its peak with the Ripley Scrolls."
"One way of doing that was to disguise their secrets using very elaborate, allegorical language and obscure imagery. "To improve alchemy’s reputation, they presented their work as both a practical art and an ancient philosophical tradition," said Jennifer Rampling, exhibition curator and Princeton University associate professor of history. They also sought to repair alchemy’s old associations with fraud. Medieval alchemists experimented with medicinal elixirs to counter the public health crisis of their era-the bubonic plague-and attempted to transmute base metals into gold and silver to solve the region's precious metal shortage. In pre-modern Europe, alchemy was a science of change. The exhibition will be open to the public. Rich in color and symbolism, the exhibition will feature two alchemical “Ripley Scrolls,” named after the English alchemist George Ripley, which rank among the most spectacular products of this tradition. "Through a Glass Darkly: Alchemy and the Ripley Scrolls 1400-1700" will show how European alchemists built on Greco-Egyptian, Islamic, and late medieval foundations to create a golden age of alchemy from the 15th century to the time of Sir Isaac Newton. (PRINCETON, NJ) - Princeton University Library (PUL) will open its newest exhibition in the Ellen and Leonard Milberg Gallery, Firestone Library, on April 6, 2022.