Blue Colour Works Awarded the 2023 EuChemS Historical Landmarks Award

On 21 June 2025, EuChemS officially celebrated the awarding of its 2023 Historical Landmarks Award at the European level to the Blue Colour Works in Modum, Norway. The award recognises the site’s historic role in the industrial production of cobalt pigments and its impact on mining, science, and technology in the 19th century.

The celebration featured an engaging symposium hosted at the Blue Colour Works Museum, focusing on topics ranging from cobalt tracing in porcelain to gemstone imitations and advanced materials used in energy recovery and space exploration.

Concluding the symposium on an inspiring note, EuChemS President Angela Agostiano delivered a keynote address offering an overview of EuChemS’ mission and activities. She also presented a retrospective on the EuChemS Historical Landmarks Awards, celebrating the wide range of historically significant sites recognised across Europe.

Following her address, Angela Agostiano officially unveiled the Historical Landmark plaque, now permanently installed at the Blaafarveværket site.

After the talks and the plaque unveiling, participants were invited to join a guided tour of the historic site.

EuChemS warmly thanks the local organisers, and especially Tone Sinding Steinsvik, Director and Founder of the Blue Colour Works Museum, as well as Sverre Følstad, the museum’s curator. Special thanks also go to Brigitte Van Tiggelen for her continued support and contribution to the Historical Landmarks initiative, and to Annette Lykknes, Chair of the EuChemS Division of History of Chemistry.