CfP: “The Applied Arts of Alchemy”. Virtual Symposium, 20–21 May 2021
The historiography of alchemy has significantly expanded over the last decade, demonstrating that its theoretical and practical applications underpinned diverse medical and scientific advances in the early modern period. Alchemy was more than a scholarly, hermetic art: it was a dynamic, entrepreneurial pursuit that supported the rise of the early chemical and medical industries. While attempts to discover the philosophers’ stone were certainly a part of philosophical knowledge, alchemy and its outputs were embedded into European society, from dye-making and distilling to the development of new drugs. This virtual symposium will explore alchemy’s practical and applied uses and their lasting impact on chemistry, technology, medicine, experimentation, and the marketplace. Through explorations of entrepreneurship, patronage, and commerce, we will examine the place of alchemical knowledge, ingredients, and products in a proto-industrial developing global market.
Virtual
panels and workshops will be held on 20–21 May 2021, 11am–3pm EST. We
encourage proposals from scholars at all stages of their careers.
We invite 150–250
word proposals for short, 10-minute virtual presentations related to
practical applications of early modern alchemical knowledge. These may include:
-
An overview of a new project that is in development
-
A shortened version of a traditional conference paper
-
A showcase for a digital product that has recently
launched
Deadline
5pm EST on Tuesday, December 15, 2020. Proposals and all questions should be
sent to
AppliedAlchemy2021@sciencehistory.org.
Successful applicants will be notified in early January 2021.
Keynote Speaker
Bruce Moran, University
Foundation Professor of History, Emeritus, and editor of Ambix
Organizers
Michelle DiMeo, Arnold
Thackray Director of the Othmer Library, Science History Institute
Lisa
Berry Drago, Research Curator, Science
History Institute