Robert Bunsen. Portrait of Robert Wilhelm Bunsen (1811-99), German chemist. He & Kirchoff founded the science of spectroscopy in 1859, and invented the spectroscope for analysing the unique spectrum of light given off by each chemical element. They discovered the elements rubidium & caesium. Bunsen's experiments showed that organic groups (compound radicals) act like the simple atoms of inorganic chemicals. In 1834 he discovered that hydrated iron oxide was the antidote to arsenic poison. He invented a photometer, an ice calorimeter, a filter pump, and the zinc-carbon electric cell. He also popularised the Bunsen Burner, which had been invented by Faraday.