Initial call for papers

Conference on the history of the lightning rod

This is a first announcement for a conference on the history of lightning
rods to be held November 4-6, 2002 at The Bakken Library and Museum in
Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA). (The conference is timed to precede the
History of Science Society conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, November
7-10, 2002, for the convenience of scholars trvaling from outside the USA).

Although in general it is difficult to give the exact date of a scientific
discovery or the invention of a technical device, it is sometimes possible
to name an event that ­ at least in retrospect ­ is inseparably connected
with such an achievement. One such event is certainly the demonstration of
the electrical nature of lightning that took place in Marly near Paris on
May 10, 1752, an event which is linked both to the development of the
lightning rod as well as to Benjamin Franklin. This event provides the
occasion to propose a conference on the history of the lightning rod. Our
intent is not simply to commemorate the anniversary of a major technological
achievement, but also to fill one of the desiderata in the history of
science and technology. From our point of view, this device, its development
and implications still await the comprehensive scholarly attention it
deserves. With this in mind we intend to approach the subject matter from a
wide variety of perspectives: namely history of science and technology,
mentality and literature.

What were the symbolic and metaphorical uses of the lightning rod, e.g., in
enlightened politics? The discussions on the prospective value (and danger)
of this artificial device as well as its moral implications are paradigmatic
for the discourse of the enlightenment. The commodification of the lightning
rod, related economic aspects, its appearance in fire insurance policies as
well as its use by the military are also of relevance.

We are further interested in different protection mechanisms against
lightning, for example more traditional ones. We do not intend to solely
focus on the second half of the eighteenth century, but would like to follow
the developments in the 19th century and beyond. Of equal importance is a
comparative element, which we hope to achieve by contrasting the
introduction and uses of lightning rods in different countries and cultures.

We ask scholars from all fields interested in the topic to mail a brief
description of their intended talk to

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and

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The description should be mailed to us by July 31, 2001.

We hope that this conference topic will appeal to many scholars and we are
looking forward to getting your responses.

Peter Heering (University of Oldenburg)
Oliver Hochadel (University of Vienna)
David Rhees (Bakken Library and Museum)