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Longman was responsible for much of the artwork
in the 1951 Festival of Britain Science Exhibition
at South Kensington. He designed the elements
in the order of their mass for the Periodic
Table as part of the Exhibition within a spiral
design (unlike most school chemistry periodic
table designs).
At the 1951 Festival of Britain, Longman also
displayed:
- Diagram of Aston's original equipment for
measuring the mass of isotopes;
- Table of Elements showing electron shell
structure;
- Diagram showing Laue method of X-ray diffration;
- Diagram showing Bragg'soriginal method of
X-ray diffraction;
- Diagram comparing the highest mountain with
the deepest mine and deepest borehole;
- Diagram showing cross-section of mountain
range and complex folding which has taken
place.
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Having been inspired by the periodic table design at
the Festival of Britain, Philip Stewart saw the design
appear for the third time in Oliver Sacks’ book
Uncle Tungsten, and set to work trying to improve
the design. His design was published his ‘Chemical
Galaxy’ as a poster in January 2005, and by
February 2005 the Royal Society of Chemistry had commissioned
7000 copies to include in its schools pack, sent to
chemistry teachers all over Britain, and an American
edition has also been published. Stewart hopes that
he shall be able to excite interest in a new generation
of young chemists, and would love it if publicity for
this poster brought belated recognition to Edgar Longman.
Information collated from: Questionnaire submitted
by Royall, K. to Embleton, E., Royall, K., 'Posters
of the Second World War: The Fourth Arm of British
Defence', Unpublished M.A., University of Westminster,
1991, p.123; E-mails from Philip Stewart, Department
of Plant Sciences, Oxford, August 18 2003; July 2005.
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