GIANTS of science

A new exhibition at St Albans Museum + Gallery celebrates globally important scientists who have lived, worked and studied in the city. Curator Sarah Keeling shares three of the remarkable stories

The history of science has always been a passion of mine and researching the many and varied scientists who have lives in St Albans and the surrounding district has introduced me to many fascinating people and companies. Our exhibition, Science in St Albans at St Albans Museum + Gallery tells, among others, the story of a medieval abbot, a renaissance thinker, a pioneering Victorian female scientist and companies working at the cutting edge of science and technology.

I’ve chosen three of those scientists to write about here. Francis Bacon is a renowned figure but his scientific works are less well known than his political thinking and role at court. Eleanor Ormerod is a name who will be known to anyone who has sat in traffic on Holywell Hill but her achievements may be less familiar. Finally, although he may be less well known than St Albans School’s most famous alumni, Professor Stephen Hawking (who also features in the exhibition), Sir Thomas Spencer Wells is one of the school’s many former students who went on to make fascinating scientific discoveries.