Raphael Eduard Liesegang

Who was Raphael Eduard Liesegang?

Raphael Eduard Liesegang was a German chemist, photographer and entrepreneur born in Elberfeld.

He is known for his work on Liesegang rings. He also helped develop the methods of capillary analysis, a precursor to paper chromatography, published a paper on the possibility of television, contributed to chromosome theory, worked on properties of aerosols and gelatins, the origins of silicosis, the role of carbon dioxide in plant life and the mechanism of both black and white and colour photographic processes.

The son of a painter, Liesegang longed for an artistic career but lacked the ability to draw or paint. His father would later invent a camera and photography would go on to be one of Liesegangs passions. It was research into photographic emulsions that initially lead to his personal discovery of Liesegang rings

As an heir to the founder of Ed. Liesegang oHG, Düsseldorf, he also owned a factory producing photographic paper and chemicals. Ed. Liesegang oHG later expanded into optics manufacturing, and sold its photochemical interests.