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Mission The Niagara Science Museum (NSM) is a sanctuary for the preservation and appreciation of old science instruments and apparatus associated with natural philosophy (a precursor to scientific study). The founder of the museum aspires to raise the importance of the collection and to achieve the professional standards of the best science museums in the world. At that time, NSM will be an important center for education and learning, illustrating the role of science in developing humanity. The Museum was formally opened in May, 2009. An application is being made to obtain United States Internal Revenue Service status as a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization. View a recent Buffalo
News report about the Museum. SEE OUR VIDEO TOUR: Obscura Day Video History NSM is located in the original 1910 NATIONAL CARBON office building, in Niagara Falls, NY, two miles from the Falls. The abandoned Union Carbide plants are still in the background of the museum. In the early 1900's, the area was bursting with industrial activity that was fueled by cheap hydroelectric power, by easy access to raw materials, and by the availability of unlimited process water. The human factor was also important. In 1896, Acheson patented a furnace that transformed coke into graphite. In 1899, a Russian immigrant named Conrad Hubert patented an “electric torch” which become the common flashlight. This resulted in a large market for zinc-carbon batteries. After almost a century of prosperity and growth in the area, decline set in. The patents expired and much less expensive graphite could be produced elsewhere. Equally important, large amounts of pollutants were being generated that contaminated the local environment. These factors contributed to the loss of major industries in the area. In 1984, a disastrous accident at a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, also greatly affected National Carbon, then a subsidiary of Union Carbide. Note The museum and this web site is a project of Nick Dalacu, a physicist who got his master in physics at Bucharest University in the 60ties. Dalacu always was fascinated by antique instruments. After a whole life of hands-on in solar cell R&D, the time came to do one more thing: this project! We apologize for mistakes, clumsiness here and there, and for lacking artifacts of great monetary value. We are compensating with extreme involvement. In time, Niagara Science Museum will become World Class! The1910 NATIONAL CARBON CO. office building, when purchased in 2003, was unused for more than 20 years and almost beyond recuperation. This building, which deserve to be in the National Register of Historic Places, was restored by Gray Restoration. Richard Gray, the owner, embraced Dalacu’s passion for the project and his efforts were essential for the success.
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