Michael Willcox Perrin (1905 – 1988)

Flower Festival 2012:

Arranged by Sheena Ginnings and given in loving memory by the family of William, Isoline, Michael and Nancy Perrin

Sir Michael Willcox Perrin CBE was the son of the first Bishop of Willesden (then including Edmonton). He was an innovative and practical scientist who had an interesting and varied career.

As a chemist working for ICI he played a key role in the discovery of polythene – examples of which we see every day in bright coloured plastic bottles.

As chairman of the pharmaceutical company The Wellcome Foundation Limited, with its distinctive blue unicorn logo, and chairman of St Bartholomew’s Hospital, he became involved in the field of medicine.

Ethylene is a relatively simple structure – a pair of CH₂ groups, linked by a double bond  (polythene is its polymer – lots of ethylene molecules linked together).

The two groups of flower arrangements of similar design (which need to be viewed from two separate places) suggest two pairs of molecules. These together with the  incorporation of virus models and plant material with medicinal properties reflect Michael Perrin’s multi-faceted career.

click once on the image

This page was last updated on July 21st, 2012.