The History of N. V. Philips’ Gloeilampenfabrieken, vol. 2: A Company of Many Parts by A. Heerding

Abstract

1110 Book Reviews TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE only a minor point. The Skilled Metalworkers of Nuremberg immensely enriches our understanding of 19th-century social and labor history by investigating the relationships among technological change, the work process, and working class culture and by developing an intriguing argument about the interactions of craft and class during the period of industrialization. Friedrich Lenger Dr. Lenger teaches at the University of Tubingen. The History of N. V. Philips’ Gloeilampenfabrieken, vol. 2: A Company of Many Parts. By A. Heerding. Translated by Derek S. Jordan. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Pp. xiii + 371; illustra­ tions, tables, notes, appendixes, bibliography, index. $49.50. The first volume of this history explored the origins of the incandescent lamp industry in the Netherlands. This volume starts with the establishment of Philips & Co. in 1891 by the brothers Anton and Gerard Philips. A. Heerding describes the development of Phil­ ips in its first three decades from a small artisanal factory into an international firm operating in the world market. He stops in 1922, when Gerard, the technician, left the company. The success of Philips in this period has been ascribed to low wages and cheap products. Heerding shows that this is a myth. Wages were high by Dutch standards and at least at the same level as German competitors. And prices of Philips lamps were higher than those of other Dutch firms. For Heerding, the key to Philips’s success lies in its policy of making a high-quality product using massproduction methods. He pays much attention to the technical problems that had to be solved before mass production was possible. By doing so, he stresses the importance of Gerard’s role and provides a useful corrective to the view that Philips’s success was due to Anton only. The second important factor contributing to the Philips brothers’ success was their commercial policy. They started comparatively early to build their own sales organization and had an eye open for export markets. Many subjects in vogue these days in technology and business history appear in this book. New material is presented on the determinants of technological development, patent policy, manage­ ment strategies of a multinational firm, and the (de)qualification of labor. None of these is systematically analyzed, however, and the relevant theories are not mentioned. The consequence is that the reader who is particularly interested in any one of these subjects will be disappointed. Yet it should be noted that the book offers more than a traditional company history. So much attention is paid to national TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE Book Reviews lili and international competitors that it is almost a history of an industry. In the chapter on the European carbon-filament lamp cartel, espe­ cially, the author breaks new ground, showing that this cartel was not a monolithic bloc, as is often assumed. Moreover, the book traces the history of the incandescent lamp during the transitional period to a mass-produced product. The author shows his strongest side in his clarifying technical exposés. Heerding died shortly after the publication of the book. The third volume, tracing the history of Philips up to 1934, is being written by his former assistant, I. J. Blanken, and will appear in 1992. Erik Bloemen Dr. Bloemen teaches at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Papers Relating to the Administration of the U.S. Patent Office during the Superintendency of William Thornton, 1802—1828. A Guide to Accompany Federal Documentary Microfilm Edition no. 1. Com­ piled and edited by C. M. Harris and Daniel Preston. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1987. Pp. ii + 93; appendix, index. Paper. Microfilm and guide available from National Archives Publications, P. O. Box 100793, Atlanta, Georgia 30384. $23.00 per roll ($115.00 for five reels); no charge for guide. In the process of compiling the papers of William Thornton, editors C. M. Harris and Daniel Preston have unearthed a wealth of impressive documents relating to the Patent Office. These were found in libraries, universities, historical societies, archives, museums, and private collections and were copied onto microfilm. The microfilm set deals primarily with documents that relate to the administration of the Patent Office during the period 1802—28...