PODCAST: David Brafman on Alchemy Alchemy in art, science, and beyond.

March 1, 2017 | 37:18 MINS.

Now recognized as the ancestor of modern chemistry, alchemy is a mysterious and often misunderstood blend of science, philosophy, and spirituality. Alchemists were notorious for making artificial gold, but their impact extended far beyond their desire for noble metals. David Brafman, associate curator of rare books and curator of The Art of Alchemy at the Getty Research Institute, discusses how this medieval magic has had an enduring influence on scientific and artistic culture.

More to Explore

The Art of Alchemy exhibition information

The Getty Alchemy Collection archive materials

Featured works in this episode:

• The Ripley Scroll, ca. 1700, English. Watercolor. The Getty Research Institute, 950053
• Mummy Portrait of a Woman,  100–110, attributed to the Isidora Master. Encaustic on wood, gilt, linen. The J. Paul Getty Museum, 81.AP.42
• Crystal Icosahedron (Water Atom), ca. first century. Rock crystal. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
• A Chinese Mercury Industrial Complex, 1637, reprint 1929, Chinese. Facsimile of woodcut in Song Yingxing, Tian Gong Kai Wu (Exploitation of the Works of Nature). UCLA Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library
• The Chemical Wedding of Hermes and Aphrodite, 1687, Matthäus Merian the Elder. Engraving in Michael Maier, Scrutinium chymicum. The Getty Research Institute, 1380-908

Catalogue des manuscrits alchimiques grecs. Bruxelles : Lamertin, 1924-1932.

Download PDF files:

Catalogue des manuscrits alchimiques grecs publié sous la direction de J. Bidez (and others). 1, Les Parisini, décrits par H. Lebèque. En appendice, Les manuscrits des Coeranides, et tables générales, par M. Delcourt.

Catalogue des manuscrits alchimiques grecs publié sous la direction de J. Bidez (and others). 2, Les manuscrits italiens décrits par C.O. Zuretti … avec la collaboration de O. Langercrantz, J.L. Heiberg, I. Hammer-Jensen, D. Bassi et Æ. Martini … Tables par Marie Delcourt.

Catalogue des manuscrits alchimiques grecs publié sous la direction de J. Bidez (and others). 3, Les Manuscrits des Iles Britanniques décrits par Dorothea Waley Singer avec la collaboration de Annie Anderson et William J. Anderson. En appendice, les Recettes Alchimiques du Codex Holkhamicus, éditées par Otto Lagercrantz.

Catalogue des manuscrits alchimiques grecs publié sous la direction de J. Bidez (and others). 4, Manuscrits d’Allemagne, d’Autriche, de Danemark, de Hollande et de Suisse, décrits par G. Goldschmidt : en appendice: 1. Die Diatribe des Th. Reinesius aus cod. Gothanus A 242, hrsg. von G. Goldschmidt. 2. Ueber das Verhältnis des Cod. Paris. 2327 (A) zum Cod. Marc. 299 (M.) (Fortsetzung von Catalogue, II, 341-358) von O. Lagercrantz.

Catalogue des manuscrits alchimiques grecs publié sous la direction de J. Bidez (and others). 5, 1, Les manuscrits d’Espagne, décrits par C.O. Zuretti … 2, Les manuscrits d’Athènes décrits par A. Severyns…

Catalogue des manuscrits alchimiques grecs publié sous la direction de J. Bidez (and others). 6, Michel Psellus, épître sur la Chrysopée (Περι του ὁπως ποιητεον χρυσον): opuscules et extraits sur l’alchimie, la météorologie et la démonologie, publiés par Joseph Bidez. : en appendice, Proclus, Sur l’art hiératique, Psellus, Choix de dissertations inédites.

Catalogue des manuscrits alchimiques grecs publié sous la direction de J. Bidez (and others). 7, Anonymi de arte metallica seu de metallorum conversione in aurum et argentum, ed. C.O. Zuretti.

Catalogue des manuscrits alchimiques grecs publié sous la direction de J. Bidez (and others). 8, Alchemistica signa digessit et explanavit C.O. Zuretti.

Kislak Center (UPenn) acquires rare manuscripts in alchemy, astrology, Cabbala, Tarot, and more.

The Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts (University of Pennsylvania) recently acquired 58 manuscript codices from the library of the Duke of Northumberland.

When acquiring early manuscripts these days libraries mostly get them one at a time. A 15th century medical compendium here, a cache of Mexican inquisition proceedings there. It was with excitement then that my colleagues and I read the catalog for the sale of some of the 12th Duke of Northumberland’s collection this past July. Amongst the treasures was a somewhat unassuming lot consisting of nearly 60 manuscript volumes from a single 18th century collector. These manuscripts had been left to the 2nd Duke of Northumberland by his friend Charles Rainsford (1728-1809).

Sir Isaac Newton’s Pocket Knowledge: A Virtual Tour of a Morgan Library Notebook

Long before becoming one of the most celebrated figures in the history of science, Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727) kept a pocket-sized memorandum book, filling it with notes distilled from reading during his grammar school and early Cambridge days. Join Philip S. Palmer, Robert H. Taylor Curator of Literary and Historical Manuscripts, for a closer look at this notebook, which comprises a diverse range of recipes, astronomical tables, mathematical problems, and linguistic observations.

Alchemical Sources in the Herzog August Library

This project aims to develop a central catalogue of the Herzog August Library´s alchemical sources as well as to index them with regard to terminology, illustrations, persons and genres. The project has produced a web portal with digital copies of these medieval and early modern books and a thesaurus of alchemical terms was developed for the intensive indexing of their content: This thesaurus allows searches in the Library’s alchemical holdings and navigation within the literature itself (structural data). It strengthens our understanding of the books with repect to the history of science, culture and knowledge.

Alchemical Manuscripts digitized by the Badischen Landesbibliothek Karlsruhe

Listado de los manuscritos y libros alquímicos digitalizados por la Badischen Landesbibliothek Karlsruhe.

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List of the alchemical books and manuscripts digitized by the Badischen Landesbibliothek Karlsruhe.

Manuscritos Alquímicos (Alchemical Manuscripts) Universitätsbibliothek Kassel, Landesbibliothek und Murhardsche Bibliothek der Stadt Kassel

Listado de los manuscritos alquímicos digitalizados por la Universitätsbibliothek Kassel. Están ordenados por fecha de creación, del más antiguo al más moderno.

Un catálogo descriptivo de toda la colección se puede encontrar en:

Hartmut Broszinski, Manuscripta chemica in Quarto (Die Handschriften der Universitätsbibliothek Kassel, Landesbibliothek und Murhardsche Bibliothek der Stadt Kassel 3,2,2), Wiesbaden 2011, S. 329-335. [online]

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List of the alchemical manuscripts digitized by the Universitätsbibliothek Kassel. Sorted by creation date ascending. A descriptive catalog of the entire collection can be found at:

Hartmut Broszinski, Manuscripta chemica in Quarto (Die Handschriften der Universitätsbibliothek Kassel, Landesbibliothek und Murhardsche Bibliothek der Stadt Kassel 3,2,2), Wiesbaden 2011, S. 329-335. [online]

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Manuscritos Alquímicos de la Universidad de Pennsylvania.

List of the alchemical manuscripts digitized by the University of Pennsylvania. Sorted by creation date ascending.

AMBIX. List of issues. 1937-2023.

Ambix is an internationally-recognised, peer-reviewed journal and the leading specialist publication in its field, which is viewed as a major outlet for current research. Published by The Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry, four times a year, in February, May, August and November, its remit is to facilitate the publication of high-quality research and discussion in all areas relevant to the history of alchemy and chemistry, including:

• ancient, medieval and early modern alchemy
• the Chemical Revolution
• the impact of atomism
• the rise of organic chemistry
• the chemical industry
• quantum chemistry
• interactions between the chemical sciences and other disciplines

The Journal’s scope extends to the history of pharmacy and chemical medicine, environmental studies of the chemical industry, and the material and visual culture of chemistry. Ambix welcomes high-quality submissions based on original research in these and other areas. Articles and shorter pieces on archives and other sources are also considered, as are editions and translations of source texts.

Othmer MS 3: Manuscrito catalán de la Pretiosa margarita novella.

La antigua Chemical Heritage Foundation de Philadelphia se ha fusionado con la Life Sciences Foundation de San Francisco, para conformar un nuevo centro de estudios llamado Science History Institute. Es la institución más importante de Estados Unidos en financiación de proyectos de investigación sobre historia de la ciencia.

El Science History Institute se concibió originalmente como una «librería y un museo de historia de la química» de referencia en Estados Unidos. Este es el motivo de que sus fondos bibligráficos se hayan incrementado notablemente desde su fundación en 1982.

Su colección de manuscritos es poco conocida, ya que su composición es muy reciente. Aquí dejo una descripción del Ms 3 de su biblioteca histórica, llamada Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer Library of Chemical History.

Se trata de una copia realizada en Barcelona a mediados del siglo XV. Las marcas de agua indican unas fechas entre 1450-1480, que corresponden a Briquet 14389.