About:

The Whipple Museum was founded in 1944 when Robert Stewart Whipple presented his collection of scientific instruments, comprising apparatus, models, documents, pictures, prints, photographs and books related to the history of science, to the University of Cambridge.

In 1973-5 the Museum moved to its current location on Free School Lane. At the same time, the Whipple Library was created in the same building, for the new Department of History and Philosophy of Science, with the rare books donated by RS Whipple at the core of the collections.

The archive collections listed here include material held at both the Whipple Museum and the Whipple Library.

The Whipple Museum’s archive collections include:
Records relating to museum administration and collections, including papers relating to the bequest from RS Whipple, the original catalogues and correspondence
Records of the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company
A large collection of Trade Literature
Records of Charles Elcock, microscope and slide maker
Records of Don Unwin, instrument and model maker
Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator (EDSAC) records

Collections in the Whipple Library include:
Records of former Heads and teaching Officers of the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, including Gerd Buchdahl and Mary Hesse.

Access arrangements:
Booking ahead is necessary - please contact us to arrange an appointment.

The Museum is usually open five days a week, 12:30-16:30, and the third Saturday of every month. We have two entrances one of which is step free. For details visit https://www.whipplemuseum.cam.ac.uk/visit-us.

The Library is open Monday – Friday, 09:15 - 19:00 term-time and 09:15 - 17:00 outside of term-time. To find us, see https://www.whipplelib.hps.cam.ac.uk/contact.