Bernard Finn

The academic professionalization that led to SHOT also produced a profound change in the museum world.  A number of newly-minted historians of science and technology found employment in museums, most notably in the Smithsonian’s new Museum of History and Technology.  This led to a serious consideration of the value of objects as fodder for scholarly historical study, and to the founding of journals that could handle the accompanying illustrations (including Contributions to History and Technology in 1959, and Smithsonian Journal of History in 1966).  A half century later it is fair to ask what kinds of articles were produced, and how in fact were objects used in these studies.

A survey of the literature, with special attention to the recent past, has shown that objects have been employed in several distinct ways, including the following.  The object may be a source of inspiration, a starting point for a historical study.  The mere survival of an object tells us what the written record may not: that it was actually produced and in what configuration.  The number of examples that survive, and their geographical distribution, may prove to be significant.  The skill with which an object was made may say much about the craftsman, about the technical demands, and perhaps about society’s aesthetic requirements.  The design may provide important indications of the inventor’s intent. Detailed examination of an object may provide clues to how it worked and how it was used.  Finally, the object may have achieved iconic status (a process in which the museum itself is often complicit), from which the historian can make a variety of cultural and social inferences.

This analysis indicates that even among museum professionals the extent to which an examination of objects contributes to historical studies of the history of technology remains modest.  By showing how artifaacts can be used—and used effectively—it is hoped that more historians, both inside and outside museums, will play closer attention to this underutilized resource.