Anderson joined the Royal Scottish Museum as an Assistant Keeper in 1970. In 1975, he moved to the chemistry department of the Science Museum, London. He became an Assistant Keeper of Chemistry. One of his challenges in 1976 was to incorporate materials from the history of medicine collection of the Wellcome Museum of the History of Medicine, which were acquired as a permanent loan. He organized a conference and edited "an excellent and detailed account" to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Edinburgh, "The Early Years of the Edinburgh Medical School." This was followed bty a catalogue in 1978: "The Playfair Collection and the Teaching of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh 1713-1858." Anderson was also in charge of the renovation and expansion of the chemistry and industrial chemistry galleries in 1977. He became keeper of chemistry, succeeded Frank Greenaway as director from 1980 to 1984.