International Society for the History of Technology

International Society for the History of Technology
Name	International Society for the History of Technology
Founded	1971
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	Rotterdam
Leader title	President

International Society for the History of Technology is an international learned society dedicated to the scholarly study of technological change, innovation, and material culture. Founded in 1971, the organization connects historians, curators, engineers, archivists, and policy scholars across continents to promote comparative, interdisciplinary research on machines, infrastructures, and industrial artefacts. It fosters connections among scholars associated with institutions such as Smithsonian Institution, British Museum, Technische Universität Berlin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and École des Ponts ParisTech.

History

The society emerged from meetings of historians linked to International Committee for the History of Technology, Society for the History of Technology, and conferences held at Delft University of Technology, University of Manchester, and TU Delft in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Early founders included scholars who had worked with collections at Science Museum, London, Deutsches Museum, Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago), and archives at Harvard University, University of Cambridge, and Universität Zürich. The society expanded through ties to disciplinary networks such as International Federation for Public History, American Historical Association, and Royal Society. Key historical moments involved collaborations with institutions like UNESCO, joint symposia with International Council on Archives, and thematic sessions referencing events like the Industrial Revolution and projects on the Trans-Siberian Railway and Suez Canal.

Mission and Objectives

The society’s mission emphasizes comparative histories of technology and material culture, promoting research linked to repositories such as Bibliothèque nationale de France, Library of Congress, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, and museums including Victoria and Albert Museum and Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History. Objectives include facilitating publications with presses like Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and Routledge, supporting early-career scholars affiliated with University of Oxford, Columbia University, University of Tokyo, and organizing events in partnership with bodies such as European Society for Environmental History and International Council on Monuments and Sites.

Membership and Organization

Membership comprises academics, museum professionals, archivists, and engineers from universities and organizations including Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley, Technical University of Munich, Indian Institute of Technology, and Peking University. The governance structure uses an executive board with officers who have held posts at institutions like Leeds University, University of Sydney, McGill University, and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. National and regional chapters coordinate with partners such as Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geschichte der Medizin, Naturwissenschaft und Technik, Società Italiana di Storia della Tecnologia, and Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science, while advisory roles draw on experts affiliated with Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and Centre national de la recherche scientifique.

Conferences and Events

The society convenes biennial and interim conferences hosted at venues like Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, University of Barcelona, Kyoto University, University of Cape Town, and National University of Singapore. Conference themes have intersected with scholarship on the Second Industrial Revolution, Green Revolution, Space Race, Digital Revolution, and case studies involving Panama Canal and Berlin Wall infrastructures. Collaborative events have been organized with European Association for the Study of Science and Technology, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and museums such as Science Museum, London and Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin.

Publications and Awards

The society supports peer-reviewed outlets produced in collaboration with publishers including Springer, Brill, Palgrave Macmillan, and learned journals like Technology and Culture, History and Technology, and regional periodicals connected to Asian Studies Association, Latin American Studies Association, and African Studies Association. It recognizes scholarly achievement through prizes named in honor of figures associated with collections and scholarship at Royal Society, Académie des Sciences, Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft, and awards celebrating research on projects like the Transatlantic Cable and Aswan High Dam. Monograph series, edited volumes, and conference proceedings feature contributions from scholars linked to Yale University, University of Chicago, University of Leiden, and Seoul National University.

Regional and Special Interest Activities

Regional activities encompass workshops and seminars in collaboration with institutions such as Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia, National Museum of Korea, Australian National University, and Universidad de São Paulo, addressing topics ranging from colonial-era engineering in British Empire contexts to postwar reconstruction in Japan and Germany. Special interest groups focus on themes like maritime technology related to HMS Victory and Clipper ships, energy histories tied to North Sea oil and Texas oil boom, transport studies involving Trans-Siberian Railway and California High-Speed Rail, and digital histories linked to ENIAC, ARPANET, and Internet Engineering Task Force. Collaborative projects often bring together experts from International Energy Agency, European Space Agency, World Heritage Committee, and regional archives including Archivo General de Indias.

Category:Learned societies Category:History of technology