The First International Colloquium on the History of Electricity-Paris, April 15-17, 1986

Abstract

The First International Colloquium on the History of Electricity took place over three days, with a visit on the fourth to the nuclear power center at Nogent-sur-Seine. Participants came primarily from France and Italy, though most of the rest of Western Europe as well as Hungary, Japan, and the United States were represented. The Association pour l'histoire de l'l1ectricit6 en France hosted the conference with generous financial support from the French electric company, Electricit6 de France. Founded in 1982, the association's membership includes the directors of the Archives nationales and the Bibliothbque nationale, prominent historians such as Francois Caron, Maurice L6vyLeboyer, and Francois Crouzet, and electrical engineers. The association publishes a Bulletin twice a year and has held several national colloquia in the past. The conference papers were organized under three rubrics: the history of electrification, electrical technology and engineering, and electricity, industry, and society. Although officially assigned to the first day of the colloquium, papers dealing at least indirectly with electrification were delivered in the second and third sessions as well and treated electrification in France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Hungary, Finland, Sweden, Great Britain, and Canada.