Browse results
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Festschrift: At the Boundary between Science and Industrial Practices: Applied Science, Arts, and Technique in France
In response to Robert Bud’s historical inquiry of applied science, this paper discusses whether it has been adopted in France. I argue that although the term was occasionally used in France it has never been successful because of the prestige of arts in the encyclopaedic movement.
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Festschrift: experimenting with research: Kenneth Mees, Eastman Kodak and the challenges of diversification
Pioneering principles of research laid down before the First World War served Kodak well for several decades. But ultimately the company evolved a conservative management culture which failed to adapt to market realities, with disastrous consequences.
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Festschrift: how do we value artefacts in museum research?
How have museums of science and technology responded to the growing academic interest in their collections, and how have museum professionals contributed to the formation of new research agendas both inside and outside the walls of their respective institutions?
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Festschrift: of mice and myths: challenges and opportunities of capturing contemporary science in museums
This essay considers some challenges of collecting contemporary artefacts, and questions whether such artefacts actually offer any greater challenges for museum storytelling than those from earlier periods. The article also discusses some opportunities of contemporary collecting, many of which have yet to be fully harnessed by science and technology museums.
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Festschrift: Ways of curating: introduction to a mini-festschrift in honour of Robert Bud
Introduction to a mini-festschrift in honour of Robert Bud
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Flying Scotsman: modernity, nostalgia and Britain’s ‘cult of the past’
This article explores the rescue and restoration of the world famous steam locomotive Flying Scotsman in 1963 and explores wider questions about what it means to preserve cultural objects and how, if at all, their authenticity can be preserved.
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From 2D to 3D: the story of graphene in objects
This paper examines presentation of the material culture of graphene in the Wonder Materials exhibition by looking at ten of the objects on display, exploring the role they play in making the challenging nanoscience topic of the exhibition engaging for visitors.
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From Renaissance medals to the Jaguar E-Type car bonnet: mechanised production and the making of luxury goods
This article challenges assumptions about relationships between the development of mechanised production technology and the making of luxury goods, showing how early development of stamping and pressing technology was driven by the manufacture of luxury metalware, not high volume commodities.
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From the White Man’s Grave to the White Man’s Home? Experiencing ‘Tropical Africa’ at the 1924–25 British Empire Exhibition
This article analyses the exhibition and reception of Tropical Africa at the 1924–25 British Empire Exhibition, drawing attention to affect, the senses, and spatiality. It emphasises the need to look beyond curatorial intent and consider the multiplicity of potential experiences within World’s Fairs.
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Functionless
Displays of instruments in science museums are closer to those of decorative arts artefacts than to the presentation of real functional and practical objects. This article offers a critique and suggests a path forward to go beyond functionless objects.