International Themes in the History of Technology—ICOHTEC Symposium, Bath, July–August 1994

Abstract

ICOHTEC Report INTERNATIONAL THEMES IN THE HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY—ICOHTEC SYMPOSIUM, BATH, JULY-AUGUST 1994 MOLLY W. BERGER The World Heritage City of Bath, England, was the site of the twenty-second International Symposium of the International Com­ mittee for the History of Technology (ICOHTEC), held from July 30 to August 4, 1994. The conference was organized by R. Angus Buchanan and hosted by the Centre for the History of Technology at the University of Bath. It was the first meeting since ICOHTEC modified its constitution in 1993 to emphasize individual membership rather than representation through national delegations. Four themes organized the fifty-nine papers: the institutional organization of engineers, the manufacture and marketing of gunpowder, physical artifacts, and invisible technology. Additional sessions accommodated those papers not specifically addressing symposium themes. More than one hundred scholars attended the conference, repre­ senting the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Sweden, Germany, France, Hungary, Portugal, Australia, Japan, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Romania, Israel, Rus­ sia, and the Czech Republic. The diverse backgrounds of the partici­ pants reinforced the directing principle of the conference, that of international themes in the history of technology. Most papers were presented in English. The first day of the meeting was organized into four plenary ses­ sions, each devoted to one of the conference themes. This creative format provided for three papers on each theme to be presented to the entire group. In this way, all participants had the opportunity to listen to samples of work being done in the other categories. This Ms. Berger is a Ph.D. candidate at Case Western Reserve University, writing a technological and cultural history of 19th- and early-20th-century American luxury hotels.© 1995 by the Society for the History of Technology. All rights reserved. 0040-165X/95/3603-0006$01.00 676 ICOHTEC Symposium, Bath, July—August 1994 677 format further provided a common foundation for future reference and discussion. The remaining papers were offered in parallel ses­ sions on following days. The topic of the institutional organization of the engineering pro­ fession generated many insightful papers. Set against a backdrop of an emerging modern world, these papers traced the evolution of engineering knowledge, the ways in which engineers regulated their profession, the relationship between educational institutions and in­ dustry, and the integration of national communities of engineers into the international professional community. Regardless of the engi­ neering discipline or country, the papers analyzed the forces that shaped the profession across a century of social, cultural, and techno­ logical change. Examples included a paper by Bruce Sinclair that interpreted international engineering congresses in terms of modern­ ist ideology and Paula Diogo’s examination of the emergence of Por­ tugal’s engineering society as integral to that country’s plans for mod­ ernization. The second group of papers addressed the manufacture and mar­ keting of gunpowder. This section, organized by Brenda Buchanan, was particularly satisfying in that it provided an unprecedented op­ portunity for the international exchange of ideas and information. Covering a time period ranging from the mid-15th century to the 20th century, the papers explored the sensitive technical and scientific skills essential to gunpowder’s manufacture and use and its relation­ ship to the development of weaponry, mining, and civil engineering. Especially riveting, even for nonspecialists, were slides of the 15thcentury The Firework Book presented by Sarah Barter Bailey. And however sophisticated the presentations, the highlight of the confer­ ence for these scholars was surely the exciting gunpowder salute given by the Old Wardour Castle Garrison after dinner at the Univer­ sity of Bath. Physical artifacts provided a focus for the next group of sessions. Robert Bud reflected on the ways in which viewing historic objects leads individuals to a greater awareness of contemporary culture and issues. Doron Swade detailed the Science Museum’s experience ac­ quiring Russian computer equipment and compared Soviet and West­ ern attitudes toward material culture and museology. Other present­ ers discussed conflicting theories in the development of the steam locomotive in Prussia, the preservation of mining relics in the Ruhr, and the cultural implications of Western footware manufacturing in Japan. Joan Rothschild examined the connection between the history of design...