Catalyst Museum

Motor racing gets the ICI logo ... in 1992

A short, wide staircase in some slightly overgrown parkland, relict from a former country house, now demolished.

An aerial view (black and white) of Marbury Hall. From: https://foam.merseyforest.uk/?cat=20

One of the staircases leading from the front lawns up to Marbury Hall, #Cheshire (pic my own), & an aerial image from before the hall was demolished in 1969 (pic via the Friends of Anderton & Marbury). The site has been a country park since the late 1970s - a local treasure. #StaircaseSaturday

The trouble they went to for a First Aid Comp - look at the detail of the car!

In 1982 you can be sure an ICI First Aider could take the right steps if you came off your motorbike #iciwestonpointstudios #photographicarchives #iciarchives #winningtonworks

Would you like to see a couple of 1992 photos looking over from Runcorn to West Bank? A few zoom-ins of the originals scanned at v high resolution and ... does Eddie still love Kathy?!

Just one small box ... of many #iciarchives #westonpointstudios

Glad to have found the negative of this photo in our recently rescued set. This small glass figurine done by an ICI glass blower for the owner of Weston Point Studios to mark 1 year of independent trading. The original model but it's in safe hands with the original owner thank goodness :)

#ThrowbackThursday Photograph showing wagon belonging to the United Alkali Company, outside Sullivan's offices (later Pilkington Sullivan). The products on display are ones packed by Greenbank Works c1920. Also - here are some women workers from Greenbank Works!
haltonheritage.co.uk/object-detai...

Dulcine - where's she now, eh! Dulcine was shown to have 200 times the sweetening power of sugar made with phosgene amongst other ingredients! Funny to think that the research into this was nearly 100 years ago. ICI with their fingers in every [apple] pie :) #iciarchives #unitedalkalico

Sandra has achieved a milestone on behalf of our museum today as her hard work has resulted in 50% of our ICI General Chemicals technical reports scanned. No small task. A quick reckon up shows she still has the all of the boxes in the last photo, plus another ½ again - when you put it like that ...

VERA for ICI Girls - she has plenty to say in the ICI Magazines :)

Our recently acquired photographic archive is feeding my obsession with pre-computer era plant models. This one 1981 - no idea what it is as yet.

Never mind your lego - you could sell these as a kit. We'd have played with this for hours! #stillwould #plantmodels #iciarchives

Hand held mini computer used by #nalfloc in 1982. You can see why we all thought we'd be wearing silver suits by the millennium :) #80scomputing #nalflocwatertreatment #nalco

Always enjoy a hand-drawn diagram! Calcium Chloride Dryers - Brine Circulation - what's not to like. Photo is from our Weston Point collection in 1981 #westonpointstudios #iciarchives

A few from our recently acquired negatives - @woolworthsuk in St Annes. A bargain 89p in 1990! Photos were taken as the display case is Perspex - good old ICI.

#westonpointstudios #iciarchives #blackpoolrock

A wonderful donation with a few copies of INEOS INCH - thank you to Lisa who managed to get her hands on a few for us.

We can’t wait to receive the rest of them and have a complete collection!

ICI Weston Point Studios 6. We're doing it ...

Latest Substack - how to rescue far too many photographic negatives in one go :)
open.substack.com/pub/judewild...

Love seeing the detail in the background of a photo. This is on the wall in a plant control room in 1981 - I now want the original :) #iciarchives #rocksavage #cm2plant

Glorious!

Daily Telegraph knows a good thing when they see it :)

Brookside stars in 1989 - ICI C&P, Ford Motors and Cellnet joined forces in aid of Children in need. Breakfast presenter Sally Jones and radio host Bruce Purdy collected autographs to auction for the cause. Photo from our #westonpointstudios collection Brookside Close Ford Motor Company #brookside

Very pleasing photo of a plant model in front of the plant itself! Waste brine plant taken in 1976. Technical plant models became a thing of the past when CAD came in. Thankfully not too many of the models survived as they take up too much space in the store :)

Weston Point - the end is nigh! 5. Can it be done?

Rescued! Read about the adventures of archive rescue :)

open.substack.com/pub/judewild...

🎨 Dukesfield Murals Update! 🎨

The countdown is on! Here’s what’s coming up:

🧹 Clean-Up Day – 25 Apr
🎨 Pillar Prep – 27 Apr
🚶‍♂️ Walk & Talk – 3 May (Fully booked, waitlist open)
🎭 Meet the Artists & Q&A – 3 May
🎶 Music Night @ Society – 10 May

👉 www.eventbrite.com/cc/tales-fro...

Judith Wilde | Substack Heritage Manager at the Cat

substack.com/@judewilde
Exploits of an archive rescue :)

Thought to be among the best position to pin a commemorative medal in 1981. The modest jacket version appeared in the article in the end. Our recently rescued negatives are truly the gift that keeps on giving #iciarchives #solvaymedal #itwasntonpagethree

Just ONE envelope of contact prints and photographic negatives rescued last week. This envelope contains 170 images :)

Some amazing long servers with Gossages Soap Works 1921. H Whitby has the most service with 60.75 years. It is possible that no other photos of these men exist. Gossages were keen on featuring their staff in the magazine 'The Wheel'. #gossages

Tales from the Walls – The Dukesfield Murals Are Happening!

We’re bringing history to life! Artists Liam Bononi and Aylo Nomad are transforming Dukesfield with stunning murals from 28th April - mid-May.

Come along! www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/tales-fro...

Our new exhibition titled Catalyst for Creativity is now open!!

The exhibition features artistic responses from Level 3 Creative Practice students at Cronton Sixth Form College, studying art, fashion, and graphic design.

We want to thank all the students for their hard work, along with the staff!

Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker aka 'Mother of the Sea' - Without her Sushi would not exist (probably)!! #womeninscience