Shed Where the Curies Processed Uranium Ore

What it is

This black-and-white photograph, taken around 1900, shows the interior of the shed used by Professor Pierre Curie and Marie Curie for experiments on uranium ore in their Paris laboratory. The room has tall windows, wooden-paneled walls, a chalkboard, and wooden tables holding papers and bottles. The photograph is held by the Wellcome Collection in the United Kingdom.

Why it matters

This photograph captures the actual physical space where Marie and Pierre Curie conducted the painstaking experiments that led to their discovery of radioactive elements, including radium. The simple, bare room reveals how modest and under-equipped scientific facilities could be at the time, even for research that would transform physics and chemistry and eventually earn the Curies major scientific recognition.

Look closer

• What clues in the room — the chalkboard, tables, bottles, and papers — suggest what kind of work was done here?
• How does this image compare to what you imagine a famous scientific discovery site should look like?
• What does the photograph not show about the dangers the Curies faced while working with radioactive materials?