Catalyst Museum
@catalystarchives.bsky.social
Museum of the Chemical Industry in Widnes, Cheshire and home of the Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) archives - well, some of them at least ... and much more
From Judith Wilde @heyjudewilde.bsky.social
and Charlie Linton @charlie-linton.bsky.social
From Judith Wilde @heyjudewilde.bsky.social
and Charlie Linton @charlie-linton.bsky.social
When worlds collide! One of the joys of rescuing several hundred thousand negatives is not knowing what will turn up next. Not for the first time do we see the long association that chemical firms have had with our museum since its inception.
October 28, 2025 at 10:13 AM
When worlds collide! One of the joys of rescuing several hundred thousand negatives is not knowing what will turn up next. Not for the first time do we see the long association that chemical firms have had with our museum since its inception.
You never know what will appear in our #iciwestonpointstudios photographic negatives. This charming photo of a room in a Swedish designed #lundbydollshouse from 1980. The photo was taken due to the #vivelle (fabric) being manufactured by ICI #iciarchives #dollshouses
October 5, 2025 at 1:11 PM
You never know what will appear in our #iciwestonpointstudios photographic negatives. This charming photo of a room in a Swedish designed #lundbydollshouse from 1980. The photo was taken due to the #vivelle (fabric) being manufactured by ICI #iciarchives #dollshouses
⭐It's Today!⭐
Join us at the Catalyst Museum for Heritage Weekend between 10 and 5.
Meet our friends from Halton Heritage Partnership
Explore 3 floors of ICI Weston Point Studios photographs on temporary display plus our permanent galleries and current art exhibition.
Free entry.
Join us at the Catalyst Museum for Heritage Weekend between 10 and 5.
Meet our friends from Halton Heritage Partnership
Explore 3 floors of ICI Weston Point Studios photographs on temporary display plus our permanent galleries and current art exhibition.
Free entry.
September 20, 2025 at 10:17 AM
⭐It's Today!⭐
Join us at the Catalyst Museum for Heritage Weekend between 10 and 5.
Meet our friends from Halton Heritage Partnership
Explore 3 floors of ICI Weston Point Studios photographs on temporary display plus our permanent galleries and current art exhibition.
Free entry.
Join us at the Catalyst Museum for Heritage Weekend between 10 and 5.
Meet our friends from Halton Heritage Partnership
Explore 3 floors of ICI Weston Point Studios photographs on temporary display plus our permanent galleries and current art exhibition.
Free entry.
Very sad to see that HRH Duchess of Kent has passed away. Katharine had a long association with ICI and Brunner Mond and was the great granddaughter of Sir John Brunner.
Pictured here on one of the many visits she made to the region in 1973 for the centenary of Brunner Mond
Pictured here on one of the many visits she made to the region in 1973 for the centenary of Brunner Mond
September 5, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Very sad to see that HRH Duchess of Kent has passed away. Katharine had a long association with ICI and Brunner Mond and was the great granddaughter of Sir John Brunner.
Pictured here on one of the many visits she made to the region in 1973 for the centenary of Brunner Mond
Pictured here on one of the many visits she made to the region in 1973 for the centenary of Brunner Mond
Unexpected find on a strip of 1976 negatives today of ICI Weaver Power Station. The other 29 images are showing the wear to the turbine blades and this little gem is a moment in time where the photographer had taken a snap of the workers. They look happy in their work :)
August 30, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Unexpected find on a strip of 1976 negatives today of ICI Weaver Power Station. The other 29 images are showing the wear to the turbine blades and this little gem is a moment in time where the photographer had taken a snap of the workers. They look happy in their work :)
Motor racing gets the ICI logo ... in 1992
August 4, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Motor racing gets the ICI logo ... in 1992
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
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
July 31, 2025 at 5:39 PM
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
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?!
July 30, 2025 at 10:43 AM
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
July 5, 2025 at 2:48 PM
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 :)
June 27, 2025 at 9:05 AM
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 :)
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
June 26, 2025 at 8:30 AM
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 ...
June 6, 2025 at 2:25 PM
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 ...
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
Never mind your lego - you could sell these as a kit. We'd have played with this for hours! #stillwould #plantmodels #iciarchives
May 30, 2025 at 11:35 AM
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
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
May 25, 2025 at 10:46 AM
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
May 20, 2025 at 1:23 PM
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
#westonpointstudios #iciarchives #blackpoolrock
May 15, 2025 at 8:10 AM
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
#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!
We can’t wait to receive the rest of them and have a complete collection!
May 9, 2025 at 11:19 AM
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!
We can’t wait to receive the rest of them and have a complete collection!
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
May 5, 2025 at 11:01 AM
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
Daily Telegraph knows a good thing when they see it :)
April 28, 2025 at 6:18 AM
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
April 22, 2025 at 9:56 AM
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 :)
April 12, 2025 at 9:56 AM
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 :)
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
March 30, 2025 at 12:19 PM
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 :)
March 24, 2025 at 8:04 PM
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
March 23, 2025 at 5:09 PM
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
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!
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!
March 13, 2025 at 11:08 AM
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!
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!