Il Research Laboratory del British Museum e l’attività di divulgazione nella pubblicistica inglese (1919-1938)

In 1919 the foundation of the Research Laboratory at the British Museum testifies to the establishment of a new cul-ture of scientific research applied to restoration. Characteristic trait of the laboratory since its first years of activity is represented by the openness to a wide sharing of the procedures adopted for conservation: in fact, next to the draft-ing of annual reports, the publication of studies and research in the coeval English journals is noted. The present paper intends to investigate the dissemination of scientific results obtained by the Research Laboratory in the chronological span corresponding to Scott's activity as director of the centre (1919-1938); the investigation is based on an examination of the centre’s publications, analysing their contents, dissemination methods and relations with the international cultural debate. It is intended, therefore, to highlight the contribution made by the laboratory to the development and sharing of a research perspective based on a closer collaboration between chemistry and res-toration.