Sodium Collection

Polished slab of labradorite
Labradorite (calcium sodium aluminum silicate) can seem dull and grey until the light hits correctly, then an array of colours can be observed glowing on the surface

Dinner table setting, mid 1930s (b/w photo)
8634922 Dinner table setting, mid 1930s (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Dinner table setting, mid 1930s)

Food and beverage. Salt mine in Wieliczka (Poland). Engraving in: Grands hommes et grands faits de l'industrie
3434728 Food and beverage. Salt mine in Wieliczka (Poland). Engraving in: Grands hommes et grands faits de l'industrie, France, c.1880 (engraving); (add.info.: Coll. Part. Food and beverage)

Economy. Tax: the gabelle (tax on salt in France). Salt smugglers attacked by the king's soldiers
3434731 Economy. Tax: the gabelle (tax on salt in France). Salt smugglers attacked by the king's soldiers. Engraving in: Grands hommes et grands faits de l'industrie, France

Henri Etienne St Claire Deville, 19th century French chemist. 1855 (obverse of a medal commemorating 100 years of)
540994 Henri Etienne St Claire Deville, 19th century French chemist. 1855 (obverse of a medal commemorating 100 years of the use of aluminium); (add.info)

How films are made: Snow Scene (colour litho)
8660318 How films are made: Snow Scene (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Snow Scene)

The production of sodium carbonate
5312004 The production of sodium carbonate; (add.info.: Engraving depicting the production of sodium carbonate: Solvay's ammonia-soda process)

Food and beverage. Salt quarry in Cardona, Spain. Engraving in: Grands hommes et grands faits de l'industrie
3434725 Food and beverage. Salt quarry in Cardona, Spain. Engraving in: Grands hommes et grands faits de l'industrie, France, c.1880 (engraving); (add.info.: Coll. Part. Food and beverage)

"'Remember Lot's wife'" (litho)
8632808 "'Remember Lot's wife'" (litho) by Gibbs, William (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Popular Superstitions: Spilling the salt (colour litho)
8668725 Popular Superstitions: Spilling the salt (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Spilling the salt)

Past & Present: Fishing (colour litho)
8668715 Past & Present: Fishing (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Fishing. Fishing from a Coracle)

Sir Humphrey Davy
3782425 Sir Humphrey Davy; (add.info.: Sir Humphrey Davy by Gilbert Keith Chesterton. The accompanying verse reads Sir Humphrey Davy / Abominated gravy)

Armorial salt, 1643 (earthenware)
7394070 Armorial salt, 1643 (earthenware) by Italian School, (17th century); Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, UK; (add.info.: Display: earthenware, tin-glazed (maiolica)

Lidded Saltcellar, 15th-16th century, Sierra Leone (ivory)
7326429 Lidded Saltcellar, 15th-16th century, Sierra Leone (ivory) by African School; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA; (add.info.: Sapi-Portuguese artist)

Workers mining rock salt in Northwich, Cheshire. 1807 (aquatint)
7237435 Workers mining rock salt in Northwich, Cheshire. 1807 (aquatint) by Daniell, William (1769-1837); Private Collection; (add.info)

"So much for Brandy and Salt!"(engraving)
7178006 " So much for Brandy and Salt!" (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: " So much for Brandy and Salt)

Le Vocabulaire Illustre: Saliere; Salt-cellar; Salzfasz (engraving)
7197466 Le Vocabulaire Illustre: Saliere; Salt-cellar; Salzfasz (engraving) by European School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Saliere; Salt-cellar; Salzfasz)

Wine gauges and salt carriers (woodcut)
7201707 Wine gauges and salt carriers (woodcut) by French School, (16th century) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Wine gauges and salt carriers in the Royal Orders of the Provost of Paris)

Tidmans Sea Salt, bathing salts, advertisement (colour litho)
7154166 Tidmans Sea Salt, bathing salts, advertisement (colour litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Tidmans Sea Salt, bathing salts)

Eton College: Silver Salt-cellar, given to the College by Nicholas Hobart, AD 1656 (engraving)
7178970 Eton College: Silver Salt-cellar, given to the College by Nicholas Hobart, AD 1656 (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Silver Salt-cellar)

Eton College: "Salt, Salt!"(engraving)
7178947 Eton College: " Salt, Salt!" (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: " Salt, Salt)

Eton College: A Salt-bearer (engraving)
7178946 Eton College: A Salt-bearer (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: A Salt-bearer)

Solar Spectrum (colour litho)
3622758 Solar Spectrum (colour litho) by European School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Solar Spectrum. Illustration for The Phenomena)

Spectra of Various Sources of Light (colour litho)
5211386 Spectra of Various Sources of Light (colour litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Spectra of Various Sources of Light)

Claude Louis Berthollet (engraving)
815842 Claude Louis Berthollet (engraving) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Claude Louis Berthollet)

The Spectroscope (colour litho)
966630 The Spectroscope (colour litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Spectroscope)

Cut sodium metal. Chunk of the reactive metallic element sodium (Na). The shiny surface has been exposed by a knife cutting the soft metal

Picture No. 11675374
1080 Warning Sign these poison baits laid to kill predators of the Blue Duck an endangered mountain species. Date:

Halite
Large cubes of halite (sodium chloride) which is a common resource of salt. This specimen is from Orenburg, Russia

Tarnished sodium metal. Chunk of the reactive metallic element sodium (Na). Part of this surface was recently exposed by a knife cut

BUSN2A-00231
Interior view of the salt-works in West Virginia. 1850s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

Low-pressure sodium lamp (LPS)

Various types of salt

Herb and spiced salt

Danish smoked salt

Salt cellar with salt

Illustration of macromolecule of sodium chloride (salt)

Illustration of Downs Process, showing the industrial-scale extraction of sodium metal achieved by electrolysis of molten sodium chloride

Illustration of electron transfer from sodium atom to chlorine atom, transformation from sodium ion

Duanesburg Highway At Night
Night view of sodium vapor lights illuminating a deserted stretch of Duanesburg Highway, Schenectady, New York, 1970s. (Photo by Frederic Lewis/Getty Images)

Picture No. 11073965
Heath Fritillary Butterfly male mud-puddling in hot weather Turkey

Picture No. 11073953
Pontic Blue Butterflies with a Marsh Fritillary mud-puddling Yaylalar Valley, Kaskar, Pontic Alps, north-east Turkey

Picture No. 11073951
Pontic Blue Butterflies with a Dingy Skipper mud-puddling Yaylalar Valley, Kaskar, Pontic Alps, north-east Turkey

Picture No. 11050135
Arfvedsonite & Feldspar Zomba, Malawi Date:

Salt forming on rocks after evaporation of sea water, Les Rotes Beach, Denia, Marina Alta, Costa Blanca, Alicante Province, Valencia, Spain, May

A stage in the separation of radium from pitchblende using sodium carbonate. Curies laboratory, Paris c1900. Engraving

Henri Etienne St Claire Deville, 19th century French chemist, (c1855). In 1854 Deville (1818-1881) discovered the process for obtaining pure aluminium by reducing aluminium chloride with sodium

Sodium metal in glass bowl of red Litmus water producing sodium hydroxide and hydrogen, close-up

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Sodium, a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11, has a fascinating history and diverse uses. From its discovery by English chemist Humphry Davy to its reactions with water, it has left an indelible mark on various aspects of human life. Imagine holding a polished slab of labradorite in your hands, marveling at the iridescent colors dancing across its surface. Little do you know that sodium plays a crucial role in this mesmerizing phenomenon. Often used as an activator in the process of creating these beautiful labradorite slabs. One cannot discuss sodium without mentioning its reaction with water. When sodium comes into contact with H2O, it produces a vigorous fizzing and bubbling effect due to the release of hydrogen gas. This iconic experiment showcases both the reactivity and volatility of this remarkable element. In historical contexts, we find references to sodium's significance through artifacts such as armorial salt from 1643 or lidded saltcellars from Sierra Leone dating back to the 15th-16th century. These objects highlight how salt was once considered precious enough to be stored in ornate containers made from materials like earthenware or ivory. The extraction of rock salt also played a vital role in shaping communities like Northwich, Cheshire during the early 19th century. Workers tirelessly mined rock salt for various purposes ranging from preserving food to industrial applications. Salt's importance extends beyond culinary uses; it was even believed to have medicinal properties centuries ago. An engraving titled "So much for Brandy and Salt. " humorously depicts people seeking relief through brandy and salt consumption. Le Vocabulaire Illustre features engravings showcasing different types of salt cellars throughout history – saliere being one example – highlighting their cultural significance across different regions. Furthermore, woodcuts depicting wine gauges alongside images of individuals carrying sacks filled with salts illustrate the vital role salt played in trade and transportation during earlier times.