Microscopic Records

The New Interdisciplinarity of Early Modern Studies, c. 1400–1800

Microscopic Records: The New Interdisciplinarity of Early Modern Studies, c. 1400–1800 is made possible thanks to the generous support of the British Academy (grant number BARSEA19\190084, PI Dr Stefan Hanß), and will take place at The University of Manchester on 29 September – 1 October 2020.

The ways people experienced the world relied on the ability of things and materiality to elicit emotions and behaviour. This recent interest of historians forms the basis to build new conversations that aim at revealing information embedded in the early modern microscopic record. Microscopic records are defined as the world of small-scale materiality: a material world which is hardly seen and often surprisingly active. This British Academy event explores microscopic records in and from the early modern period. Following these two lines of enquiries, this event will explore early modern notions, activities, and explorations in small-scale material worlds as well as information embedded in small-scale material records of early modern material culture.

This event’s goal is to question and broaden the kind of knowledge historians of early modern material culture may acquire about the past. Objects’ microscopic records reshape our understanding of the role of things in past societies, wherefore archaeologists pioneered the use of technology and historians explored the value of remaking experiments in laboratories and beyond. By asking how such methods can advance our knowledge about the early modern past, this event establishes pathbreaking interdisciplinary cultures that make science a crucial element of a historian’s toolbox. By testing the use of scientific methods for broadening our understanding of the early modern period and its material cultures, this British Academy Rising Star event will establish new interdisciplinary collaborations linking the humanities with the sciences.

This British Academy event comprises several masterclasses and a symposium that will link Early Career Researchers with key leaders of the field (registration required, see CfP on this webpage). Invited participants and speakers are:

This event has been designed in close collaboration with several laboratories. I am grateful for the support of the research and laboratory teams working at:

  • The Body Scanning Facilities of The University of Manchester’s Apparel Design Engineering research group
  • The Center for Science and Society, Columbia University, New York
  • The Electron Microscopy Centre of The University of Manchester’s Department of Materials
  • The Imaging Laboratory of The John Rylands Library Manchester
  • The Laboratory for Archaeological Research of The University of Manchester
  • The Mass Spectrometry and Optical Facilities of The University of Manchester’s Department of Chemistry
  • The Organic Residue Analysis facilities, Department of Archaeology, University of York
  • The Proteomics and ZooMS facilities, Department of Archaeology, University of York
  • The Wolfson Archaeological Science Laboratories, UCL Institute of Archaeology

 

About


Microscopic Records: The New Interdisciplinarity of Early Modern Studies, c. 1400–1800 is funded by the British Academy and led by Dr Stefan Hanß.


Masterclass


This British Academy Rising Star Engagement Event will explore the significance of scientific technologies and laboratories for the study of early modern material culture.

Symposium


The programme of this British Academy event.

Blog


Read the British Academy Microscopic Records Blog.

Contact


How to get in touch with Dr Stefan Hanß.

Credits


Information and credits for the images.