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Amateur Science and Innovation in Fireworks in Nineteenth-Century Europe

Amateur Science and Innovation in Fireworks in Nineteenth-Century Europe The categories of “amateur” and “professional” remain central in studies on the sociology of nineteenth-century science. This article joins a growing body of literature that points out the complicated and intersecting connections between these two groups and how blurred the boundaries could be. This study focuses on pyrotechny, the art of fireworks, a field of far more obvious importance in the nineteenth century than it is today. Firework displays were mounted by artisan firework makers, who by the end of the century had become industrialists, and by military specialists, usually artillerymen. They had also become a common amateur pursuit. Across the nineteenth century, the art was transformed by the introduction of new materials, and the key discoveries were the work of enthusiasts who did not seek to profit financially from their discoveries. In this sense, they too were amateurs, although some had a scientific education. This article asks how they were able to make such major contributions to the field, and it situates them within networks that often crossed the boundaries between those who made fireworks for a living, or who studied them in military contexts, and those who were simple enthusiasts. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Ambix Taylor & Francis

Amateur Science and Innovation in Fireworks in Nineteenth-Century Europe

Sturman, Barry; Garrioch, David
Ambix , Volume 70 (2): 22 – Apr 3, 2023
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References (38)

Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
ISSN
1745-8234
eISSN
0002-6980
DOI
10.1080/00026980.2023.2201743
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The categories of “amateur” and “professional” remain central in studies on the sociology of nineteenth-century science. This article joins a growing body of literature that points out the complicated and intersecting connections between these two groups and how blurred the boundaries could be. This study focuses on pyrotechny, the art of fireworks, a field of far more obvious importance in the nineteenth century than it is today. Firework displays were mounted by artisan firework makers, who by the end of the century had become industrialists, and by military specialists, usually artillerymen. They had also become a common amateur pursuit. Across the nineteenth century, the art was transformed by the introduction of new materials, and the key discoveries were the work of enthusiasts who did not seek to profit financially from their discoveries. In this sense, they too were amateurs, although some had a scientific education. This article asks how they were able to make such major contributions to the field, and it situates them within networks that often crossed the boundaries between those who made fireworks for a living, or who studied them in military contexts, and those who were simple enthusiasts.

Journal

Ambix – Taylor & Francis

Published: Apr 3, 2023

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