Collections & Exhibits

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Exhibit Thumbnail Title Locations Subjects
Exhibits
Animal Vegetable Mineral Animal-Vegetable-Mineral: Natural History Illustration from the John Crerar Collection
The art and beauty of illustrated natural history books is celebrated in this exhibition. The collection exemplifies the development of natural history illustration and the role of the image in disseminating knowledge of the natural sciences.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
May 1 — Sept. 30, 1991
Subjects
History of Science
Art
Exhibition catalog for Between the boards Between the Boards: Collections, Compilations and Curiosities from the John Crerar Collection of Rare Books in the History of Science and Medicine
This exhibition celebrates the surprising discoveries while cataloging over 20,000 volumes from the John Crerar Collection of Rare Books in the History of Science and Medicine. It illustrates the ingenuity of the authors and other compilers, the creative scope of the personal and institutional collectors who brought these items together, the skill of catalogers who described the materials, and the exciting opportunities awaiting researchers.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
March 1 — June 30, 2003
Subjects
History of Science
History of Print
History of Medicine
A Bold Experiment A Bold Experiment: The Origins of the Sciences at the University of Chicago
In celebration of the 125th anniversary of the University of Chicago's founding, this exhibit looks back at the establishment of the natural sciences at the University.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
Sept. 21 — March 31, 2016
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Subjects
University of Chicago
History of Science
Enrico Fermi Portrait The Chain Reaction: December 2, 1942 and After
This exhibition was organized to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the world's first controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction, an achievement of Enrico Fermi and his colleagues at the Metallurgical Laboratory at the University of Chicago.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
Oct. 1 — Dec. 1, 1992
Subjects
History of Science
University of Chicago
Physical Sciences
Discovering the Beauty and Charm of the Wilderness Discovering the Beauty and Charm of the Wilderness: Chicago Connections to the National Park Service
The National Park Service offers a rich variety of landforms, flora, and fauna that have been the subject of many University of Chicago scientific studies. The parks have also served as inspiration for art, photography and literature. To mark the National Park Service’s 100-year anniversary, we delve into the Library’s archives and rare collections to uncover Chicago connections to the parks.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
Oct. 31 — Dec. 31, 2016
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Subjects
Organismal Biology
American History
University of Chicago
Environmental Science
Exhibition Poster Dog Fight: The Animal Experimentation Debate in Twentieth-Century Chicago
What should be done with unclaimed pound dogs? This question inspired fierce debates in Chicago, where an unusual city ordinance in 1931 granted scientists at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and other local medical schools access to stray dogs for experimental purposes. This exhibition explores both sides of that controversy and shows how it continues to shape the ways we discuss biomedical ethics and scientific progress.
May 8 — Sept. 1, 2023
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Subjects
University of Chicago
Chicago and Illinois
History of Science
History
Enrico Fermi Enrico Fermi: The Life of a Scientist. Images and documents, including his Chicago years
Enrico Fermi's life unfolds in images and documents, offering insights into this Nobel Prize winning scientist's childhood and youth in Rome, his university studies in Pisa, his love for mountains and sport, and his life as a scientist and teacher in Rome, New York, and Chicago.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
April 6 — Sept. 8, 2006
Subjects
Physics
History of Science
Rosslin 1528, cropped detail The Fetus In Utero: From Mystery to Social Media
This exhibition takes an historical approach to exploring the complex evolution of the fetal image in Western Christian culture. We show that before images of the fetus in utero entered the digital age, they have been deployed in three distinctive ways over the past 500 years.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
Jan. 2 — April 12, 2019
Subjects
History of Science
Octave Chanute Flights before the Wrights: Octave Chanute, Chicago. Aeronautical Pioneer, Engineer & Teacher
An exhibition of Octave Chanute's accomplishments and highlights from the visionary's career. Chanute’s novel biplane glider, an engineering masterpiece in the world of 1896 flying machines was the foundation for 20th-century aircraft.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
Nov. 1 — June 1, 2002
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Subjects
Aviation
Technology
History of Science
Nobel Prize From DNA to the Expanding Universe: The University of Chicago and the Nobel Prizes in the Sciences
This exhibit, originally developed for the Nobel Prize Centennial Exhibition of the Nobel Foundation in Sweden, and displayed in the Museum of Science and Industry in the fall of 2003, has been adapted for display in the John Crerar Library, with a focus on Nobel Prize winning scientists such as Enrico Fermi, Subramanyan Chandrasekhar and James Watson.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
Nov. 7 — Feb. 4, 2006
Subjects
Science, Technology, and Math
Biological Sciences
Physical Sciences
University of Chicago
Mattys hot dog stand From Sausage to Hot Dog: the Evolution of an Icon
The hot dog is an American creation, and Chicago even has its own style. But where did this popular food come from and how did it develop? This exhibit looks to the hot dog's origins in sausage-making practices brought by European immigrants to the Midwest. We consider techniques used in neighborhood butcher shops and the rise of industrial meat production. Homemade recipes and artisanal makers past and present are also examined.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
Oct. 29 — Dec. 31, 2013
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Subjects
History of Science
History
American History
Chicago and Illinois
Great Lakes The Great Lakes: Our Legacy, Our Future
The exhibit focused on the EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office and their work to ensure the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
March 1 — Oct. 31, 2001
Subjects
Environmental Science
Urban Studies
Ecology & Evolution
Antarctica A History of Science in Antarctica
This exhibit is a historical look at science in Antarctica.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
Oct. 18 — Dec. 23, 2004
Subjects
Environmental Science
Ecology & Evolution
Geophysical Sciences
James Watson Honest Jim: James D. Watson, the Writer
Fifty years ago, James Watson and Francis Crick made one of the major discoveries of the twentieth century: they deciphered the double helical structure of DNA. The discovery began a revolution in molecular biology that led to major advances in science and medicine.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
Jan. 19 — May 28, 2004
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Subjects
Biological Sciences
Molecular & Cell Biology
History of Science
The Human Fabric The Human Fabric
The Human Fabric follows the development of anatomical illustration in print from its beginning as a primitive record of early explorations in gross anatomy in the late fifteenth century to the highly refined studies published just prior to the advent of photography.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
Jan. 1 — Dec. 1, 1981
Subjects
History of Science
images_of_science_and_exploration_in_the_victorian_century.jpg Images of Science and Exploration in the Victorian Century
This exhibition examines three of the most notable achievements of the Victorian age: the development of the theory of natural selection by Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace; the decades-long search for the Northwest Passage by a succession of British expeditions, including the ill-fated venture of John Franklin; and the discovery by Lord Rayleigh and William Ramsay of argon.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
March 1 — June 30, 1997
Subjects
Ecology & Evolution
Chemistry
History
Isaac Newton and the Principia: A Tercentenary Celebration
In celebration of the 300th anniversary of the publication of Isaac Newton's "Philosophiae Naturalis principia mathematica," this exhibition displays early editions of the Principia in Latin, English, and French, along with other related works from the collection.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
March 1 — May 1, 1987
Subjects
History of Science
James Franck Exhibit James Franck: The Scientist and Political Responsibility
The James Franck Papers in the University of Chicago Library consist of over 28,000 pieces, including correspondence, scientific manuscripts, personal documents, and memorabilia.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
Dec. 1 — Feb. 1, 1976
Subjects
Physics
Joseph Halle Schaffner Exhibit Joseph Halle Schaffner Collection in the History of Science
This exhibition presents 107 highlights from the Schaffner bequest of over 300 landmark works in science, including works by Bacon, Boyle, Darwin, Descartes, Kepler, and Newton.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
Jan. 1 — Dec. 31, 1978
Subjects
History of Science
Image of Crerar Library A Library for All Time: The History of the John Crerar Library
The John Crerar Library holds a place of distinction in the world of libraries. The images and texts presented here trace the history of the library from its founding as a free public library of science made possible by the gift of a dedicated philanthropist through its growth to an outstanding print collection with innovative research services and into its present form which combines these traditional services and collections with modern electronic information resources and creative collaborations with campus partners.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
Oct. 29 — March 31, 2014
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Subjects
Biological Sciences
Physical Sciences
History of Science
Louis Agassiz and Ancient Climes
In conjunction with a class assignment for courses taught by Alfred Anderson, Louis Agassiz's Etudes sur les glaciers (1840) was exhibited in the Crear Library. Agassiz's work played a central role in the nineteenth-century debate about ancient climates.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
Jan. 1 — Jan. 1, 1994
Subjects
Weather and Climatology
Map of the Atlantic Ocean Marie Tharp: Pioneering Oceanographer
A pioneer in her field, renowned cartographer Marie Tharp created the first scientific maps of the Atlantic Ocean floor with her partner Bruce Heezen. Her observations showed the topography and geographical landscape of the ocean bottom and were crucial to the development of the theories of plate tectonics and continental drift in the earth sciences.
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History of Science
Geography
Geophysical Sciences
Nature Disclosed Nature Disclosed: Books from the John Crerar Library Illustrating the History of Science
This exhibition celebrates the merger of the John Crerar Library and science collections of the University of Chicago.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
Oct. 1 — Jan. 1, 1985
Subjects
History of Science
main poster.jpg The Origins of Color
The Origins of Color exhibit explores the historical and scientific development of pigments and dyes and their production and uses in both fine art as well as craft manufacture. The exhibit featured books from our collections together with mineralogical samples, vials of pigments and dyes, and various samples of textiles and other end products of color processes. We thank the John Crerar Foundation for their support of this exhibit.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
April 16 — Nov. 2, 2007
Subjects
Materials Science
Art
History of Science
Technology
pythagorean.jpg Ryerson Laboratory and Eckhart Hall: A History
The exhibit is a history of Ryerson Physical Laboratory and Eckhart Hall on the University of Chicago campus
Locations
Eckhart Library
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Subjects
Physics
Statistics
Computer Science
Mathematics
Library Science
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Science through the Ages Exhibit Science Through the Ages: A Selection of Pioneer Works in Science, Technology, Medicine in the Collections of the John Crerar Library
This exhibition explores the nature of science and its tendancy to expand man's knowledge of the natural world and the importance of periodicals and publications of academies and societies to the advancement of science.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
Nov. 1 — Jan. 31, 1979
Subjects
History of Science
Yerkes Science at the University of Chicago: A History from the Library's Archival Photofiles
This exhibit draws from the rich collection of University of Chicago photographs available in the Library's online Archival Photofiles Collection and highlights the history of the science departments.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
Oct. 20 — March 31, 2009
Subjects
Photography
History of Science
Architecture
Science in 19th Century Children's Books Science in 19th Century Children's Books: An Exhibition Based on the Encyclopaedia Britannica Historical Collection of Books for Children
The 100 books in this exhibition illustrate the relationship of these books books for children to contemporary scientific and technological advances, the attitudes toward these developments, and the prevailing philosophies and methods of teaching science in the 19th century.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
Aug. 1 — Oct. 31, 1966
Subjects
History of Science
Science in Manuscript: Some Sources Illustrating the History of Science
This exhibit of original sources form the University's rich manuscript collection in the history of science and medicine traces the history of science through the manuscript form from the thirteenth through twentieth century.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
Feb. 1 — April 1, 1982
Subjects
History of Science
Green Roof on Searle The Science of Sustainability
This exhibit takes a close look at some aspects of sustainable building design and how they can produce greener buildings.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
April 5 — Oct. 1, 2010
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Subjects
Environmental Science
Urban Studies
Organismal Biology
Chicago and Illinois
University of Chicago
Scientific Article: From the Republic of Letters to the World Wide Web
The first scientific journal articles appeared in France and England in 1665, a key historical event in the fledgling enterprise of modern science. This exhibition draws upon a wide variety of communications pertinent to the origin and development of the scientific article.
Locations
The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
May 1 — Sept. 1, 2000
Subjects
History of Science
Something's Brewing: The Art, Science and Technology of Beer Brewing Something's Brewing: The Art, Science and Technology of Beer Brewing
The Crerar Library exhibit, Something's Brewing: The Art, Science and Technology of Brewing, explores the development of brewing, from the ancient Sumerians' rice-based beverages to the rise and fall of the Chicago brewing industry.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
Jan. 8 — March 31, 2007
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Subjects
Chicago and Illinois
Materials Science
History of Science
Technology
Image of a Young Buck The Studio in the Field: Techniques of Early Wildlife Photography
The Studio in the Field traces the development of wildlife photography as a popular cultural pursuit, focusing on the innovative techniques and strategies devised to craft pictures that would appear convincingly natural to nineteenth-century audiences.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
April 6 — Sept. 15, 2015
Subjects
Organismal Biology
Environmental Science
Biological Sciences
Photography
art and astronomy They Saw Stars: Art and Astronomy
This John Crerar Library exhibit highlights works of art and literature influenced by astronomy, either through scientific study, a fascination with the night sky, or as an inspiration for the literary imagination. Both contemporary and historical works are included.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
June 2 — Nov. 1, 2005
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Subjects
History of Science
Art
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Tickling Your Funny Bone: Science and Humor Tickling Your Funny Bone: Humor and Science
The nature of the scientific mind may be discovered in elegant mathematical expressions and beautifully designed experiments, and also perhaps by reading "Drool science" or Robert Bakers, "A stress analysis of a strapless evening gown". Our exhibit has chosen this second discovery route by examining examples of scientist's humor and humor with a science theme.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
Oct. 1 — March 31, 2003
Subjects
History of Science
Physical Sciences
Biological Sciences
Literature
Transcending Traditions - Jewish Mathematicians Transcending Tradition: Jewish Mathematicians in German-Speaking Academic Culture
This exhibition presents the life and works of Jewish mathematicians in Germany. Spanning a period of 150 years, it documents their emergence from segregation into the academic limelight, recalls their emigration, flight or death after 1933, and illuminates their lasting legacies.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
Oct. 4 — June 8, 2013
Subjects
Mathematics
History of Science
Photo of Conservator at Work Under Covers: The Art and Science of Book Conservation
Book Conservation is an essential component of a comprehensive program to protect and preserve library collections for current and future use by scholars. This exhibit takes a close look at the scientific aspects of conservation and the treatment of collections.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
March 26 — Oct. 11, 2013
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Subjects
Materials Science
History of Print
Chemistry
Nasa image of outer space Visions of Heaven
This exhibit offers a history of the tools that astronomers have used, from the earliest observatories and instruments to recent innovations in telescope technology.
Locations
Crerar Library, 1st Floor: Other Spaces
April 13 — Feb. 10, 2009
Subjects
Astronomy & Astrophysics
History of Science