The Great Hall of the Royal Polytechnic Institution, London, c 1838

The Great Hall of the Royal Polytechnic Institution, London, c 1838. Lithograph by Friedel showing visitors admiring the models on show in the Great Hall of the Royal Polytechnic Institution at 309 Regent Street in London. The Institution was founded in 1838 and was the forerunner of the modern polytechnic. Its purpose was to provide an educational service for Londoners; it later became the University of Westminster. John Henry Pepper (1821-1900) was appointed lecturer and analytical chemist in 1848 and was director from the early 1850s. He established a series of evening classes in educational and trade subjects, lectured both in New York and Australia and published a number of popular scientific text books. ©SSPL/Science Museum