Saturday, 14 July 2012

Insulin

Here is a hand drawn contour map of the inter-atomic distances in Insulin, drawn by Dorothy Hodgin in the 1930's. 

This is on the Wellcome Collection's site, here is the blurb;

This delicate multicoloured drawing dates from the late 1930s when chemist Dorothy Hodgkin (1910-1994), who later won a Nobel Prize, first began to publish her research on insulin. It was selected by Dr Helen Megaw, (1907-2002) who led the Festival Pattern Group at the 1951 Festival of Britain. Diagrams of atomic structure were used as inspiration for wallpaper, curtains, laminates, carpets, dress fabrics, ties and crockery. Hodgkin's drawing inspired a wallpaper design used in the Festival's Regatta Restaurant.




Image from Wellcome Collection / V&A.