Chemist - Junior Chemist 1943 - Side by Side

by Mike Savad

Title

Chemist - Junior Chemist 1943 - Side by Side

Artist

Mike Savad

Medium

Photograph - Hand Colored Photo

Description

Hand colored photo from 1943
Original title: The younger Mutz boy with the chemical set he bought with his summer earnings
Photographer: John Collier
Location: Moreno Valley, NM

I remember getting my first chemistry kit, small plastic containers, unlike the wooden ones of earlier sets. I performed little experiments without really knowing what I was doing, sometimes breaking beakers because the crystals were too large and impossible to crush. Fire, as I recall, was not included.

Chemcraft chemistry sets were among the most popular educational toys of the 20th century. Introduced by the Porter Chemical Company around 1915, they gained widespread popularity in the 1940s and 1950s. These kits provided children with hands-on experiments using real chemicals, many of which would be considered hazardous today.

Porter Chemical continued producing Chemcraft sets for several decades, but by the 1970s, increasing safety regulations and shifting attitudes toward home chemistry led to their decline. The company was eventually acquired by A. Daigger & Company, and Chemcraft ceased production. Today, vintage Chemcraft kits are collectible, representing a time when chemistry sets were far more adventurous than their modern counterparts.

Color notes:
I wasn't able to find this exact kit, but I found all the parts, those books I found, and the chemicals once I entered wood containers as a keyword. He is using Phosphate, which is a blue reaction, though I did add the flame, I assume he wanted it lit. There were two versions of this, the other one is pulled out more, and you could see large batteries on the cabinet and a wooden plane on the top shelf. I liked this crop more.

Uploaded

February 18th, 2025

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