1-157-211 - Oxford Science Archive/Heritage Images

Lyon Playfair, Scottish chemist, politician and administrator, 1875. Playfair (1819-18980 rose from being a chemist in the Geological Survey in 1845, to become Secretary for Science and Art in 1855 and president of the Chemical Society in 1857. He discovered the nitroprussides class of salts and took part in organising the Great Exhibition of 1851. He was Professor of Chemistry at Edinburgh University from 1858 to 1896. Playfair entered politics in 1868, in 1873 became Postmaster General and was Chairman of the Ways and Means committee and Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons from 1880-1883, when he was knighted. Cartoon from Vanity Fair, London, 20 February 1875.