Joliot-Curie Frederic Joliot Paris 1900-1958 French Physicist who investigated the Artificial Radioactivity and the structure and the fission of the atom He and his wife Irene Curie won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935

Pierre Simon de Laplace 1749 1827 French astronomer physicist and mathematician He developed Newton s theories in the Treaty on Celestial Mechanics 1789 1825

LAVOISIER ANTOINE LAURENT DE PARIS 1743-1794 French Chemist who created the Modern Chemistry LAVOISIER and his wife Oil painting

Alembert Jean Le Rond D 1717- 1783 French Mathematician Physicists and Philosopher of the Illustration He was the scientific editor of the Encyclopedie

Raymond Gaston Plante (1834-1889) French physicist who in 1859 invented the first accumulator or electric storage battery. It was a wet cell with two lead plates immersed in sulphuric acid, the electrolyte. Engraving from Les Nouvelles Conquetes de la Science by Louis Figuier (Paris, 1883).

Robert Boyle (1627-91) Anglo-Irish chemist and physicist, in his laboratory with Denis Papin (1647-1712) French physicist. Papin is pointing to Boyles air pump. Probably illustrates discussion between Boyle and Papin on use of atmospheric pressure to raise water. Wood engraving Paris 1870

Pierre Curie (1859-1906) French chemist. Awarded Nobel prize for physics in 1903 joint with his wife, Marie, and Henri Becquerel. Engraving

Hippolyte Fizeau (1819-1896) French physicist. 19th century. Measured the velocity of light on the earths surface (1849). Used Doppler principle to determine velocity of stars in line of sight. Confirmed the wave theory of light. From Les Merveilles de la Science, Louis Figuier, (Paris, 1870). Engra

Marie Curie (1867-1934) Polish-born French physicist during her tour of the United States in 1921 with Dean Pegram of the School of Engineering, Columbia University

Experiment with static electricity by Jean-Antoine Nollet (1700-1770) French physicist and cleric. An iron bar is suspended by silk cords about 6mm above the charged globe of an electrostatic machine. The man places his finger the same distance from the bar and draws off a discharge visible in daytl

Jean Bernard Leon Foucault (1819-1868) French physicist best known for the invention of the Foucault pendulum 1851, a device demonstrating the effect of the Earth's rotation., Wood engraving.,

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) French mathematician, physicist and religious philosopher. [1878]. Pascal carrying out experiments with the mercury barometer on the tower of St Jacques-la-Boucherie, Paris. From La Nature. (Paris, 1878). Engraving.

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1894) French chemist, demonstrating his discovery of oxygen, 1776. On the table in the right background of the picture is his calorimeter, From Louis Figuier Vies des Savant Illustres du XVIIIe Siecle, Paris 1874, Engraving

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, 18th century French chemist, 1801. Among other achievements, Lavoisier (1743-1794) was one of the discoverers of oxygen, and established the laws of chemical combination.

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1894) French chemist, investigating the existence of oxygen in the air; experiment in which he obtained mercuric oxide. From Camille Flammarion The Atmosphere, London, 1873. Engraving

The four great alchemists. From left to right: Al-Jabir (Geber 14th century Spanish) Arnald or Arnold of Villanova (French c1240-c1310) Rhazes (Abu Bakr al-Razi, 9th century Persian) and the legendary Hermes Trismegistes look down on workers in a laboratory. From Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum by Eli