Making Scientific Instruments in the Industrial Revolution

Making Scientific Instruments in the Industrial Revolution

Author: A.D. Morrison-Low

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-03-02

Total Pages: 378

ISBN-13: 135192074X

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At the start of the Industrial Revolution, it appeared that most scientific instruments were made and sold in London, but by the time of the Great Exhibition in 1851, a number of provincial firms had the self-confidence to exhibit their products in London to an international audience. How had this change come about, and why? This book looks at the four main, and two lesser, English centres known for instrument production outside the capital: Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield, along with the older population centres in Bristol and York. Making wide use of new sources, Dr Morrison-Low, curator of history of science at the National Museums of Scotland, charts the growth of these centres and provides a characterisation of their products. New information is provided on aspects of the trade, especially marketing techniques, sources of materials, tools and customer relationships. From contemporary evidence, she argues that the principal output of the provincial trade (with some notable exceptions) must have been into the London marketplace, anonymously, and at the cheaper end of the market. She also discusses the structure and organization of the provincial trade, and looks at the impact of new technology imported from other closely-allied trades. By virtue of its approach and subject matter the book considers aspects of economic and business history, gender and the family, the history of science and technology, material culture, and patterns of migration. It contains a myriad of stories of families and firms, of entrepreneurs and customers, and of organizations and arms of government. In bringing together this wide range of interests, Dr Morrison-Low enables us to appreciate how central the making, selling and distribution of scientific instruments was for the Industrial Revolution.


Book Synopsis Making Scientific Instruments in the Industrial Revolution by : A.D. Morrison-Low

Download or read book Making Scientific Instruments in the Industrial Revolution written by A.D. Morrison-Low and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-03-02 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the start of the Industrial Revolution, it appeared that most scientific instruments were made and sold in London, but by the time of the Great Exhibition in 1851, a number of provincial firms had the self-confidence to exhibit their products in London to an international audience. How had this change come about, and why? This book looks at the four main, and two lesser, English centres known for instrument production outside the capital: Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield, along with the older population centres in Bristol and York. Making wide use of new sources, Dr Morrison-Low, curator of history of science at the National Museums of Scotland, charts the growth of these centres and provides a characterisation of their products. New information is provided on aspects of the trade, especially marketing techniques, sources of materials, tools and customer relationships. From contemporary evidence, she argues that the principal output of the provincial trade (with some notable exceptions) must have been into the London marketplace, anonymously, and at the cheaper end of the market. She also discusses the structure and organization of the provincial trade, and looks at the impact of new technology imported from other closely-allied trades. By virtue of its approach and subject matter the book considers aspects of economic and business history, gender and the family, the history of science and technology, material culture, and patterns of migration. It contains a myriad of stories of families and firms, of entrepreneurs and customers, and of organizations and arms of government. In bringing together this wide range of interests, Dr Morrison-Low enables us to appreciate how central the making, selling and distribution of scientific instruments was for the Industrial Revolution.


Failed Historical Scientific Instruments

Failed Historical Scientific Instruments

Author:

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2024-06-20

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 9004689109

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Can a scientific instrument be regarded as a failure? Why and how? By shedding light on the complexity of these questions, the volume marks a step forward in the way historical scientific instruments can be analysed and displayed. The essays show how diverse failures can be, and how the assessment of scientific devices may change over time — some surprisingly becoming more successful. In addition to studies of how technical features led to failure, the authors examine the roles played by social bias and behaviour, commercial and economic circumstances, and political factors.


Book Synopsis Failed Historical Scientific Instruments by :

Download or read book Failed Historical Scientific Instruments written by and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2024-06-20 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can a scientific instrument be regarded as a failure? Why and how? By shedding light on the complexity of these questions, the volume marks a step forward in the way historical scientific instruments can be analysed and displayed. The essays show how diverse failures can be, and how the assessment of scientific devices may change over time — some surprisingly becoming more successful. In addition to studies of how technical features led to failure, the authors examine the roles played by social bias and behaviour, commercial and economic circumstances, and political factors.


How Scientific Instruments Have Changed Hands

How Scientific Instruments Have Changed Hands

Author:

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2016-09-12

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13: 9004324933

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This collection of essays discusses the marketing of scientific and medical instruments from the eighteenth century to the First World War. It features case-studies from the United Kingdom, the Americas and Europe.


Book Synopsis How Scientific Instruments Have Changed Hands by :

Download or read book How Scientific Instruments Have Changed Hands written by and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2016-09-12 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of essays discusses the marketing of scientific and medical instruments from the eighteenth century to the First World War. It features case-studies from the United Kingdom, the Americas and Europe.


European Collections of Scientific Instruments, 1550-1750

European Collections of Scientific Instruments, 1550-1750

Author: Giorgio Strano

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2009-01-26

Total Pages: 263

ISBN-13: 900417270X

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These selected studies on sixteenth and eighteenth centuries European collections of scientific instruments, which were part of the princely ‘wunderkammern’, delineate an up-to-date-panorama about the formation of the most important museums of the history of science.


Book Synopsis European Collections of Scientific Instruments, 1550-1750 by : Giorgio Strano

Download or read book European Collections of Scientific Instruments, 1550-1750 written by Giorgio Strano and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2009-01-26 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These selected studies on sixteenth and eighteenth centuries European collections of scientific instruments, which were part of the princely ‘wunderkammern’, delineate an up-to-date-panorama about the formation of the most important museums of the history of science.


James Watt

James Watt

Author: Ben Russell

Publisher: Reaktion Books

Published: 2014-08-15

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 1780234023

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Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer James Watt (1736–1819) is best known for his pioneering work on the steam engine that became fundamental to the incredible changes and developments wrought by the Industrial Revolution. But in this new biography, Ben Russell tells a much bigger, richer story, peering over Watt’s shoulder to more fully explore the processes he used and how his ephemeral ideas were transformed into tangible artifacts. Over the course of the book, Russell reveals as much about the life of James Watt as he does a history of Britain’s early industrial transformation and the birth of professional engineering. To record this fascinating narrative, Russell draws on a wide range of resources—from archival material to three-dimensional objects to scholarship in a diversity of fields from ceramics to antique machine-making. He explores Watt’s early years and interest in chemistry and examines Watt’s partnership with Matthew Boulton, with whom he would become a successful and wealthy man. In addition to discussing Watt’s work and incredible contributions that changed societies around the world, Russell looks at Britain’s early industrial transformation. Published in association with the Science Museum London, and with seventy illustrations, James Watt is not only an intriguing exploration of the engineer’s life, but also an illuminating journey into the broader practices of invention in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Published in association with the Science Museum, London


Book Synopsis James Watt by : Ben Russell

Download or read book James Watt written by Ben Russell and published by Reaktion Books. This book was released on 2014-08-15 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer James Watt (1736–1819) is best known for his pioneering work on the steam engine that became fundamental to the incredible changes and developments wrought by the Industrial Revolution. But in this new biography, Ben Russell tells a much bigger, richer story, peering over Watt’s shoulder to more fully explore the processes he used and how his ephemeral ideas were transformed into tangible artifacts. Over the course of the book, Russell reveals as much about the life of James Watt as he does a history of Britain’s early industrial transformation and the birth of professional engineering. To record this fascinating narrative, Russell draws on a wide range of resources—from archival material to three-dimensional objects to scholarship in a diversity of fields from ceramics to antique machine-making. He explores Watt’s early years and interest in chemistry and examines Watt’s partnership with Matthew Boulton, with whom he would become a successful and wealthy man. In addition to discussing Watt’s work and incredible contributions that changed societies around the world, Russell looks at Britain’s early industrial transformation. Published in association with the Science Museum London, and with seventy illustrations, James Watt is not only an intriguing exploration of the engineer’s life, but also an illuminating journey into the broader practices of invention in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Published in association with the Science Museum, London


Thrifty Science

Thrifty Science

Author: Simon Werrett

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2019-01-09

Total Pages: 327

ISBN-13: 022661025X

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If the twentieth century saw the rise of “Big Science,” then the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were surely an age of thrift. As Simon Werrett’s new history shows, frugal early modern experimenters transformed their homes into laboratories as they recycled, repurposed, repaired, and reused their material possessions to learn about the natural world. Thrifty Science explores this distinctive culture of experiment and demonstrates how the values of the household helped to shape an array of experimental inquiries, ranging from esoteric investigations of glowworms and sour beer to famous experiments such as Benjamin Franklin’s use of a kite to show lightning was electrical and Isaac Newton’s investigations of color using prisms. Tracing the diverse ways that men and women put their material possessions into the service of experiment, Werrett offers a history of practices of recycling and repurposing that are often assumed to be more recent in origin. This thriving domestic culture of inquiry was eclipsed by new forms of experimental culture in the nineteenth century, however, culminating in the resource-hungry science of the twentieth. Could thrifty science be making a comeback today, as scientists grapple with the need to make their research more environmentally sustainable?


Book Synopsis Thrifty Science by : Simon Werrett

Download or read book Thrifty Science written by Simon Werrett and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2019-01-09 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If the twentieth century saw the rise of “Big Science,” then the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were surely an age of thrift. As Simon Werrett’s new history shows, frugal early modern experimenters transformed their homes into laboratories as they recycled, repurposed, repaired, and reused their material possessions to learn about the natural world. Thrifty Science explores this distinctive culture of experiment and demonstrates how the values of the household helped to shape an array of experimental inquiries, ranging from esoteric investigations of glowworms and sour beer to famous experiments such as Benjamin Franklin’s use of a kite to show lightning was electrical and Isaac Newton’s investigations of color using prisms. Tracing the diverse ways that men and women put their material possessions into the service of experiment, Werrett offers a history of practices of recycling and repurposing that are often assumed to be more recent in origin. This thriving domestic culture of inquiry was eclipsed by new forms of experimental culture in the nineteenth century, however, culminating in the resource-hungry science of the twentieth. Could thrifty science be making a comeback today, as scientists grapple with the need to make their research more environmentally sustainable?


Science and Technology in the Industrial Revolution

Science and Technology in the Industrial Revolution

Author: Albert Edward Musson

Publisher: Manchester University Press

Published: 1969

Total Pages: 552

ISBN-13: 9780719003707

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Book Synopsis Science and Technology in the Industrial Revolution by : Albert Edward Musson

Download or read book Science and Technology in the Industrial Revolution written by Albert Edward Musson and published by Manchester University Press. This book was released on 1969 with total page 552 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Selling Science in the Age of Newton

Selling Science in the Age of Newton

Author: Jeffrey R. Wigelsworth

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-04-01

Total Pages: 235

ISBN-13: 1317057333

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Selling Science in the Age of Newton explores an often ignored avenue in the popularization of science. It is an investigation of how advertisements in London newspapers (from approximately 1687 to 1727) enticed consumers to purchase products relating to science: books, lecture series, and instruments. London's readers were among the first in Europe to be exposed to regular newspapers and the advertisements contained in them. This occurred just as science began to captivate the nation's imagination due, in part, to Isaac Newton's rising popularity following the publication of his Principia (1687). This unique moment allows us to see how advertising helped shape the initial public reception of science. This book fills a substantial gap in our understanding of science and the culture in which it developed by examining the medium of advertising and its function in the discourse of both early-modern science and commerce. It answers questions such as: what happens to science once it is a commodity; how are consumers tempted to purchase science amidst a sea of other commodities; how is the reading public encouraged to give social acceptance to facts of nature; and how did marketing campaigns craft newspapers readers into a source of validation for the items of science advertised? In an age where the production of scientific knowledge increasingly relied upon sales to many rather than the endorsement of a single wealthy patron, marketing was the key to success.


Book Synopsis Selling Science in the Age of Newton by : Jeffrey R. Wigelsworth

Download or read book Selling Science in the Age of Newton written by Jeffrey R. Wigelsworth and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-04-01 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Selling Science in the Age of Newton explores an often ignored avenue in the popularization of science. It is an investigation of how advertisements in London newspapers (from approximately 1687 to 1727) enticed consumers to purchase products relating to science: books, lecture series, and instruments. London's readers were among the first in Europe to be exposed to regular newspapers and the advertisements contained in them. This occurred just as science began to captivate the nation's imagination due, in part, to Isaac Newton's rising popularity following the publication of his Principia (1687). This unique moment allows us to see how advertising helped shape the initial public reception of science. This book fills a substantial gap in our understanding of science and the culture in which it developed by examining the medium of advertising and its function in the discourse of both early-modern science and commerce. It answers questions such as: what happens to science once it is a commodity; how are consumers tempted to purchase science amidst a sea of other commodities; how is the reading public encouraged to give social acceptance to facts of nature; and how did marketing campaigns craft newspapers readers into a source of validation for the items of science advertised? In an age where the production of scientific knowledge increasingly relied upon sales to many rather than the endorsement of a single wealthy patron, marketing was the key to success.


Spectacles and the Victorians

Spectacles and the Victorians

Author: Gemma Almond-Brown

Publisher: Manchester University Press

Published: 2023-09-05

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 1526161362

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This is the first full-length study of spectacles in the Victorian period. It examines how the Victorians shaped our understanding of functional visual capacity and the concept of 20:20 vision. Demonstrating how this unique assistive device can connect the histories of medicine, technology and disability, it charts how technology has influenced our understanding of sensory perception, both through the diagnostic methods used to measure visual impairment and the utility of spectacles to ameliorate its effects. Taking a material culture approach, the book assesses how the design of spectacles thwarted ophthalmologists’ attempts to medicalise their distribution and use, as well as creating a mainstream marketable device on the high street.


Book Synopsis Spectacles and the Victorians by : Gemma Almond-Brown

Download or read book Spectacles and the Victorians written by Gemma Almond-Brown and published by Manchester University Press. This book was released on 2023-09-05 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first full-length study of spectacles in the Victorian period. It examines how the Victorians shaped our understanding of functional visual capacity and the concept of 20:20 vision. Demonstrating how this unique assistive device can connect the histories of medicine, technology and disability, it charts how technology has influenced our understanding of sensory perception, both through the diagnostic methods used to measure visual impairment and the utility of spectacles to ameliorate its effects. Taking a material culture approach, the book assesses how the design of spectacles thwarted ophthalmologists’ attempts to medicalise their distribution and use, as well as creating a mainstream marketable device on the high street.


Cities and Solidarities

Cities and Solidarities

Author: Justin Colson

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2017-01-06

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 1351983628

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Cities and Solidarities charts the ways in which the study of individuals and places can revitalise our understanding of urban communities as dynamic interconnections of solidarities in medieval and early modern Europe. This volume sheds new light on the socio-economic conditions, the formal and informal institutions, and the strategies of individual town dwellers that explain the similarities and differences in the organisation and functioning of urban communities in pre-modern Europe. It considers how communities within cities and towns are constructed and reconstructed, how interactions amongst members of differing groups created social and economic institutions, and how urban communities reflected a sense of social cohesion. In answering these questions, the contributions combine theoretical frameworks with new digital methodologies in order to provoke further discussion into the fundamental nature of urban society in this key period of change. The essays in this collection demonstrate the complexities of urban societies in pre-modern Europe, and will make fascinating reading for students and scholars of medieval and early modern urban history.


Book Synopsis Cities and Solidarities by : Justin Colson

Download or read book Cities and Solidarities written by Justin Colson and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2017-01-06 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cities and Solidarities charts the ways in which the study of individuals and places can revitalise our understanding of urban communities as dynamic interconnections of solidarities in medieval and early modern Europe. This volume sheds new light on the socio-economic conditions, the formal and informal institutions, and the strategies of individual town dwellers that explain the similarities and differences in the organisation and functioning of urban communities in pre-modern Europe. It considers how communities within cities and towns are constructed and reconstructed, how interactions amongst members of differing groups created social and economic institutions, and how urban communities reflected a sense of social cohesion. In answering these questions, the contributions combine theoretical frameworks with new digital methodologies in order to provoke further discussion into the fundamental nature of urban society in this key period of change. The essays in this collection demonstrate the complexities of urban societies in pre-modern Europe, and will make fascinating reading for students and scholars of medieval and early modern urban history.