Scientific Instrument Commission
May 2001 Newsletter
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News of the Scientific Instrument Commission The Scientific Instrument Symposium in Oxford With some 150 participants, the 19th Scientific Instrument Symposium, held at Wadham College in Oxford from 4 to 8 September 2000, was the best attended SIC symposium ever. More than 60 papers were read, posters were set up, there were guest lectures by Profs Martin Kemp, Robert Fox and Sergey Kapitza, visits to museums, laboratories and colleges, and varied entertainment and conviviality. The scientific instrument community was in full swing The symposium had been organized by the Keeper and his staff of the Museum of the History of Science, whose one regret was that the building work to their museum had been delayed, so that instead of being shown through the re-arranged galleries, the delegates were given an impromptu pre-view in the Old Ashmolean on Broad Street; and unforgettable it was. There was no stated central theme, but participants had been invited to organize sessions, and this worked remarkably well. Of these sessions, we single out a few: Historical Observatories and their Instruments; Instrument Makers; Physics in the 19th and 20th Centuries; Practising with Instruments; Archives of Instrument Dealers and Collectors. The papers of the last-mentioned session are to appear in Nuncius, published by the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence, with Anthony Turner as guest editor. This is scheduled to be the first in a series of annual SIC sections in Nuncius. Details on this new development may be found in the minutes of the plenary session, which are printed in this Newsletter. For a fuller report, see the Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 67 (December 2000), 23-27. Minutes of the 19th Plenary Session of the Scientific Instrument Commission Held at Wadham College, Oxford, United Kingdom, on 7 September 2000
1. Apologies for absence Apologies were received from Sreeramula Sarma, Terje Brundtland, Clare Vincent, Erna Koiv, Sara Schechner-Genuth, Burkhard Weiss, Vassili Borissov and Steven de Clercq. 2. Minutes of the last meeting The Minutes of the 18th Plenary Session, held in Moscow on 22 September 1999, had been circulated in Newsletter no. 21 and were accepted. 3. Report of activities Newsletter no. 21 and the Sixteenth Bibliography of books, pamphlets, catalogues, articles and CD-ROMS on or connected with historical scientific instruments were published in May 2000, with the generous support of the Museum Boerhaave, Leiden. Both documents were added to the SIC Website at http://www.sic.iuhps.org, which was regularly updated through the efforts of Dana Freiburger. Under SIC-auspices was held the symposium 'Scientific Instruments: Originals and Imitations. The Mensing Connection', Leiden, 15-16 October 1999. The meeting was attended by some 80 participants, and the proceedings will appear as a Museum Boerhaave Communication. As co-sponsor, the SIC involved itself with the Commission on the History of Modern Chemistry in organizing the conference From the Test-tube to the Autoanalyzer: The Development of Chemical Instrumentation in the Twentieth Century, held 11-13 August 2000 at the Science Museum, South Kensington, UK. The chairman reported that it was a successful meeting, attended by 50 to 60 participants. 4. Financial matters The treasurer, Marian Fournier, reported that the financial state of the Commission is satisfactory. As per 29 August 2000, the balance was 1182.31 Euros. Grants were received from the IUHPS of $750 in support of the 19th Scientific Instrument Symposium, of $600 for the production of the Newsletter and Bibliography and of $300 for running costs. 5. Publications The secretary reported that the proceedings of the 16th Scientific Instrument Symposium, held in Liège in July 1997, are due to appear in December 2000 as one of the volumes covering the 19th IUHPS conference held in Liège, published by Brepols in Turnhout, Belgium. The restoration of scientific instruments. Proceedings of the workshop held in Florence, December 14-15, 1998, organized by the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza and the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. This volume was published in 2000 by Le Lettere in Florence. Details are given in Newsletter no. 21. The chairman presented a proposal from professor Paolo Galluzzi, director of the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence, that the Commission may have a distinct and identifiable section within an annual issue of Nuncius. This is potentially an important new step in the existence of the Commission and the secretary was asked to write to Prof. Galuzzi to thank him for offering this 'hospitality'. The fact that Nuncius has a global distribution to academic libraries will ensure that SIC-material published in this journal reaches a wide readership. The chairman reminded the meeting that in the previous plenary session in Moscow it was considered acceptable at some point in the future to cease the traditional way of production and distribution of the Newsletter and Bibliography, as both will be generally accessible on the SIC Website. This discontinuation is not, however, imminent. Marvin Bolt asked about the proceedings of the 18th SIC Symposium. Speakers have been invited to send their material to Moscow by April 2000, so the volume may be expected to appear in due course, but its editor, Vassili Borissov, was not present to give an update. 6. Future activities As decided in the plenary session in Moscow, the 20th SIC Symposium will be held in Sweden. The venue will be Stockholm, the dates are 15-19 October 2001, which is later than usual but this was dictated by local circumstances. The chairman of the local organizing committee, Karl Grandin, presented the plans for the symposium and a first circular was handed out by other members of the committee, Inga Elmqvist and Christina Halldén. There will be no central symposium theme. A link will be created from the SIC Website to the Symposium site at http://www.cfvh.kva.se/sic2001.htm As decided in the plenary session in Sorø, the 21st SIC Symposium will be held in Athens. The representative of the local organizing committee, Eftymios Nicolaïdis, presented the preliminary programme, which will include a visit to the new technological museum on the island of Syros. The dates will be 9-15 September 2002. Possible themes are: instruments in the Mediterranean and the Ottoman worlds, and antique scientific instruments. An invitation was received to hold the 22nd SIC Symposium in the Mariners' Museum, Newport News, Virginia, USA. Possible excursions to nearby institutions holding scientific instruments would include Colonial Williamsburg, the National Museum of American History in Washington DC and Thomas Jefferson's mansion, Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. In view of the Virginian summers, the invitation suggests early October 2003. The Mariners' Museum's Honorary Curator, Willem Mörzer Bruyns, characterized the museum's collections and expressed the hope that the meeting would accept the invitation. Allen Simpson drew attention to the difficulty which many will have to attend SIC meetings held outside the customary time-frame of early September, like those scheduled for Sweden and Virginia. The chairman pointed out that the Commission is dependent on possibilities and experiences of local organizers. Charles Mollan suggested to include a weekend in such late meetings, as that would enable more academics to participate, also in view of the weekend reductions on air-ticket prices. The invitation was put to the vote and accepted by a clear majority. Robert Anderson advocated to have a session in Washington. The secretary was asked to write to Newport News to accept the invitation, conveying the comments made during the meeting. It was suggested to hold the 23th SIC Symposium in 2004 in Dresden, Germany. Peter Plassmeyer, curator at the Mathematisch-Physikalische Salon, announced that a new auditorium near the museum will become availabe in 2003. Part of the symposium could be held in Jena at the Optisches Museum of the Ernst Abbe Foundation, and there could be excursions to Freiburg and Waldenburg. While no formal decision was taken on the German invitation, the proposal was registered and a decision will be taken at a future plenary session, closer to the year in question. As there will be no SIC Symposium during the XXth IUHPS Conference in Mexico, 8-14 July 2001, the need was felt for a presence of the Commission, considering its subject of study is already in danger of being overlooked by mainstream historians and philosophers of science. The chairman announced that he would offer a half-day or one-day session to the IUHPS secretary and called for papers. Anne van Helden suggested that a central theme would raise the profile of the session, but the chairman considered that impracticable as it would reduce the number of potential contributors. Klaus Staubermann announced the workshop 'Making of the Spectroscope', which he organizes under SIC-auspices in Munich on 1 and 2 September 2001. The number of speakers is limited to 15 to 20. The possibility of presenting posters will be discussed. 7. Online Register of Scientific Instruments This international database of scientific instruments and related objects is running at http://www.isin.org. It was developed and is being maintained by the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford in association with the Museum Boerhaave in Leiden. The chairman referred delegates to an Introduction cum Contributor's Manual in the symposium folder. 8. Any other business One of the symposium sessions, convened by SIC Vice-President Paolo Brenni, had been devoted to instruments in the 20th century. Dieter Hoffmann urged the Commission to continue giving proper attention to this problematic and neglected topic. Robert Anderson wondered whether the demise of Derek Howse (1919-1998) had been mentioned in a plenary session. A brief obituary appeared in Newsletter No. 20, but it was indeed appropriate to be reminded how much the Scientific Instrument Commission owes to Lieutenant Commander Howse, its first President from 1977 to 1982. After the meeting had been informed of two forthcoming symposiums in Russia, the chairman closed the plenary session. Forthcoming Events 20th International Scientific Instrument Symposium, Stockholm, 15-19 October 2001 The symposium will take place at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, at the invitation of the Center for History of Science. There is no specified theme for the symposium. Papers will be read during four days, for one of which the venue will be the Museum of Science and Technology, and a poster session. There will be a one-day tour by coach and boat to Uppsala and Skokloster, and evening visits to the Observatory Museum and the Nobel Centennial exhibition. The deadline for registration and for submitting abstracts and titles is 1 August. For details and application forms, contact the Conference Office, 20th International Scientific Instrument Symposium, Center for History of Science, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Box 5005, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel: + 46-(0)8-673 95 00 / Fax: +46-(0)8-673 95 98. E-mail: sic2001@kva.se Web: http://www.cfvh.kva.se/sic2001.htm Workshop 'The Making of the Spectroscope' - Munich, 1-2 September 2001 A workshop on the history and sociology of spectroscopy will take place at the Deutsches Museum, Munich, on 1-2 September 2001. It is being organized by Klaus Staubermann (Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation) and Charlotte Bigg (University of Cambridge and Max Planck Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte, Berlin) in collaboration with the Scientific Instrument Commission. In their multiple and various forms, spectroscopes have, for more than a century, populated most scientific workplaces, ranging from chemical, metrological, physical and biological laboratories to astrophysical observatories. They were and are applied for research and the testing and control of processes in many industrial contexts, e.g. the optical, metallurgical and pharmaceutical industries. They were and are also an indispensable component in the teaching of optics, and as such may be found in educational institutions. This workshop will bring together scholars interested in one or more of the spectroscope's many incarnations to discuss material, historical and sociological perspectives on spectroscopy and the artifacts involved in its practice. The contexts in which spectroscopes were designed, constructed, employed and modified will be investigated; the interactions between various communities connected to the instrument in different locations will be considered, alongside with the evolution over the past two centuries of spectroscopic devices and of their meanings and significance. On the preliminary programme are the following twelve speakers: Klaus Hentschel, Ilaria Meliconi , Charlotte Bigg, Frank James, David Aubin, Dana A. Freiburger, Andrea Loettgers, Anna M. Lombardi, Sean F. Johnston, Paolo Brenni, Jochen Hennig and Susan Gamble. There will also be a visit to the restorated Fraunhofer workshop at the Munich Stadtmuseum and a tour of the Deutsches Museum's spectroscope collection. The workshop will take place on the basis of pre-circulated papers. There is no registration fee for the attendance, but accomodation has not been arranged. Requests for information and registration by e-mail to Klaus Staubermann: Stb@AvH.de or Charlotte Bigg: bigg@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de Instruments on line Epact Online In March 2001, The Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, Florence, The British Museum, London, and Museum Boerhaave, Leiden, launched the online version of "Epact: Scientific Instruments of Medieval and Renaissance Europe", available at www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/epact Epact is an electronic catalogue of all the Medieval and Renaissance scientific instruments in the four museums. It is aimed at both the general public and the connoisseur of scientific instruments. Each instrument in the catalogue is described by an overview text and a detailed technical description as well as being illustrated by photographs. Supporting material for the catalogue includes an essay on the Medieval and Renaissance mathematical arts and sciences, articles describing the function of different instrument types, entries on makers and places represented, a glossary of technical terms, and a bibliography. Epact was first published in stand-alone form in the four museums in September 1998. The current online version reproduces the contents of the stand-alone edition with pictures of slightly lower resolution as befits an Internet resource. Corrections and additions are currently being compiled, and in the meantime any problems with the online version and suggestions for further improvements should be directed to giles.hudson@mhs.ox.ac.uk The cooperating museums believe that Epact is one of the highest quality resources of its kind and hope that it will prove to be of value to researchers as well as bringing the material remains of our scientific heritage to the attention of a wider public audience. Rete Most members of the scientific instrument community will be aware of the existence of 'Rete', a mailing list maintained by the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford and devoted to the history of scientific instruments. It is open to all interested parties - curators, historians, students, collectors, and dealers alike. Subscribers can use it to ask questions about particular instruments or types of instrument, to announce exhibitions, meetings and conferences, to draw attention to printed or electronic publications, and so on. The list should not, however, be used for commercial purposes, such as announcing instruments for sale. The e-mail address of rete is rete@mhs.ox.ac.uk Messages sent to this address will be distributed to everyone on the mailing list. A web interface is also available for reading and submitting rete messages as well as for subscribing to and unsubscribing from rete and for changing one's personal rete settings. Personal settings that can be changed include: whether you wish to see a copy of your own messages sent to rete; whether you wish to receive an acknowledgement of messages you send to rete; and whether you wish to receive messages as they are submitted to rete, once a day, or not at all (allowing you to submit messages without receiving any). The web interface also provides a searchable archive of rete messages. The rete web interface can be found at: http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/rete/ Queries regarding rete may be e-mailed to: owner-rete@mhs.ox.ac.uk Sextants A lesser known group 'Sextants', which specializes in navigating instruments, is hosted on a free (advertising-supported) group service operated by the American Web index Yahoo. The group is not restricted to sextants. It also deals with other instruments for measuring visual dihedral angles at sea, aloft, or in the field; the use of such instruments for navigation, surveying, and like purposes; and other related matters including marine and air navigation, surveying, and the industry and technology that produced these instruments. Everyone is welcome to post information and questions regarding history, specific instruments, sales, wants, etc. Most of the present members are collectors or enthusiasts, but some have serious interests in these instruments. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to Sextants-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or click on the following URL or cut and paste it into the address window of your Web browser: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sextants One of the benefits of the Yahoo! Groups format is that storage is provided, open to access by group members. Advantage has been taken of this to post a variety of information, including a bibliography, scanned copies of hard-to-find basic articles, and some analyses and data bases. Complete details on how to access this are provided in the welcome message automatically sent to joining group members. Questions regarding 'Sextants ' may be e-mailed to w.d.oneil@pobox.com Varia Jim Bennett awarded Paul Bunge Prize for History of Scientific Instruments 2001 The Paul Bunge Prize of the Hans R. Jenemann Foundation is awarded each year for special achievements in the history of scientific instruments. This year the prize is awarded to SIC President Jim Bennett, Keeper of the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, who will receive the prize for his complete historical works on scientific instruments. The prize will be presented on 25 September 2001 in Würzburg on the occasion of the Annual Meeting Chemistry 2001 of the German Chemical Society (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker). The Paul Bunge Prize is offered by the Hans R. Jenemann Foundation which is jointly administered by the German Chemical Society (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker) and the German Bunsen Society for Physical Chemistry (Deutschen Bunsen-Gesellschaft für Physikalische Chemie). Hans R. Jenemann (1920 - 1996), a chemist at the Schott Glaswerken in Mainz, became known for his work on the history of the balance (weighing scale). Paul Bunge (1839 - 1888) set new standards as a precision mechanic and engineer in the construction of balances. The aim of the foundation is to support research in the field of historical scientific instruments as well as to sponsor talented young scientists in this area. Previous laureates were: 1993 Klaus Hentschel, Göttingen / Mara Miniati, Florence Paolo Brenni holder of the Sarton Memorial Chair 2000-2001 The University of Gent in Belgium is the Alma Mater of George Sarton, well known for his outstanding pioneering work in the history of sciences. Since 1986, the Sarton Committee of that University each year bestows the great honour of the "Sarton Memorial Chair" upon a scholar, for distinguished services rendered to the study of the history or philosophy of sciences. Besides that, four Sarton medals are awarded each year in different disciplines, for contributions to the study of the history of sciences. Each year another faculty or service can propose a candidate for the chair. For more information and a list of chairholders, including Gerard L'E Turner for the year 1994-95, see http://www.webtec.be/sarton For the academic year 2000-2001 the honour of the Sarton chair has been awarded to the SIC Vice-President Paolo Brenni. On 9 November 2000, he held his inaugural lecture "Un siècle d'Instruments: La transformation des appareils scientifiques et de leur utilisation pendant le XXe siècle". On 10 November, he gave a public lecture "Le cabinet de physique d'Alessandro Volta à Pavie". |
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