First Watson & Crick at ‘The Eagle’…and now Bell at ‘The Beam’

This must surely be a first! – a DNA-themed pub crawl! In the space of a week (and all in the interests of the history of science) I’ve visited what must be the only 2 pubs in the UK to have a link with the story of the famous double-helix and its discovery.

Sign outside 'The Eagle' pub in Cambridge centre which was a watering hole of scientists James Watson and Francis Crick (Crick also drank there with Rosalind Franklin when she visited) that today serves a pint of 'DNA' beer in honour of this.
Sign outside ‘The Eagle’ pub in Cambridge centre

First, ‘The Eagle’ in Cambridge where James Watson and Francis Crick used to hang out (and Crick also shared drinks with Rosalind Franklin when she visited)…

…and now, ‘The Golden Beam’ in Headingley, Leeds where this wonderful portrait of scientist Florence Bell shown below now hangs on the wall alongside other distinguished former residents of the area such as playwright Alan Bennett, author J.R.R. Tolkien, and a fair few cricketing legends too.

It was in 1938, whilst
working in the lab
of William Astbury
at Leeds, Bell first
showed that X-ray
methods could be
used to reveal the
regular structure
of DNA – paving
the way for the later
work of the more
famous Rosalind Franklin.

Print of a portrait of scientist Florence Bell who, whilst working at the University of Leeds in 1938, first showed that X-rays could be used to reveal the structure of DNA. The original was made by staff member and artist Kristina Keller of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia campus, and is a mosaic made up of tiny images from scientific papers.
Print of portrait of scientist Florence Bell (1913-2000) by artist Kristina Keller. Print kindly donated by Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia campus

A big thanks to Sarah Moorehead and Ron Vale of Howard Hughes Medical Institute in the US where the original (based on a portrait kindly provided by Bell’s son Chris Sawyer and made by member of staff and artist Kristina Keller as a mosaic of tiny images from scientific papers) hangs outside the cafe on their Janelia campus for kindly sending me this print and to Golden Beam manager Chris for taking up my suggestion of hanging it on the wall of the pub so that Bell can be commemorated in the city where she did her groundbreaking work. Rosalind Franklin has a 50p commemorative coin, a hit West End play, and a Mars Rover (quite rightly!) named in her honour, but it’s great to see Bell at the Beam!