Her Hidden Genius

February 3, 1947

Paris, France

Physical chemist Rosalind Franklin arrives at the Laboratoire Central des Services Chimiques in Paris, a city that still bears the scars of its years-long Nazi occupation. She is thrilled to be in Paris in spite of her family’s reservations and has already obtained a flat with the aid of her mentor, Adrienne Weill. Although the broader scientific community is not entirely open to the contributions of women, she is confident in her expertise and is sure that she will be able to further the laboratory’s research on coal. Upon arriving at the lab, its administrator Monsieur Matheiu greets her. He introduces her to Jacques Mering, the head of the laboratory. He welcomes her: She is now officially a chercheur (researcher).

February 3, 1947

Paris, France

The same day, Mering explains the lab’s egalitarian culture, shows Rosalind her workstation, and offers to teach her X-ray crystallography. She joins colleagues for lunch at Chez Solange, where a lively debate on politics and science makes her feel at ease. Rosalind is notorious within the scientific community for once having publicly questioned a prominent scientist’s conclusions about his research into coal, but here in this lab her willingness to speak her mind seems to be an asset.