These sessions explore books and objects as material sources for the history of science. Co-organised across the Whipple Library and Whipple Museum, each session will be led by expert guides and provide the opportunity for handling and round-table discussion.
Sessions focussed on print will explore some bibliographical techniques to identify and describe the structure and production of textual sources from the manuscript era through to the hand press period (16th–18th centuries), and then to the mechanisation of book production in the 19th and 20th centuries. Material culture sessions will consider objects and collections, providing opportunities to venture outside of the HPS Department to explore some of Cambridge's extraordinary scientific holdings.
All sessions will run 3.00–4.30pm on a Tuesday, avoiding the weeks immediately preceding essay deadlines. The term card can be found below. Places are strictly limited based on the venues' capacities, and signup will be first come, first served.
Organised by Jack Dixon and Joshua Nall.
Michaelmas Term 2024
15 October
Treasures of the Whipple Museum, led by Joshua Nall and Hannah Price
in the Whipple Museum
22 October
Treasures of the Whipple Library, led by Jack Dixon, Joshua Nall and Edwin Rose
in the Whipple Library
29 October
Treasures of the Churchill Archive Centre, led by Alan Packwood
in Churchill Archive Centre, Churchill College
5 November
Middle Eastern Manuscripts, led by Yasin Faghihi
in Cambridge University Library Manuscripts Room
12 November
Herbaria and Natural History Collecting, led by Edwin Rose and Mika Hyman
in the University Herbarium
26 November
Hands-on History of Book Production, led by David Macfarlane
in the University Library Historical Printing Room
NB this session will repeat in Lent Term
Lent Term 2025
21 January
Book Production in the Industrial Era, led by Jim Secord and Edwin Rose
in the Whipple Library
28 January
Forgery and Sophistication, led by Joshua Nall and Hannah Price
in the Whipple Museum
4 February
Book Production in East Asia, led by Lewis Bremner and John Moffett
in the Needham Research Institute
18 February
Vigani's Cabinet, led by Simon Schaffer
in Queens' College
25 February
Hands-on History of Book Production, led by David Macfarlane
in the University Library Historical Printing Room