Mundi Subterranei
SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT COLLECTIONS IN THE UNIVERSITY

An International Symposium at Dartmouth College
24-27 June 2004
Co-Sponsored by the Scientific Instrument Commission
and
Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire (USA)

More info on the symposium official webpages:

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sicu/

On these pages you will find :

  Second Circular (Call for papers) : http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sicu/circ1.html
  Meeting information : http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sicu/MundiLinks1.html
  and many more useful information

First circular
May 2002

The Dartmouth collection of historic scientific instruments, one of the oldest and largest at a North American university, is currently being reorganized and catalogued. Other universities and colleges around the world have begun similar projects, seeking to formalize collections that, until now, have been virtually unknown even within their institutions. Taken individually, such collections present unique windows into the role of instruments in higher education and in transmitting scientific knowledge to public audiences. Taken collectively, they represent a vast scholarly resource that is still largely hidden from view and under-appreciated. With this in mind, Dartmouth will host a conference in June of 2004, focussing on the theme of instrument collections in academic institutions. We hope: 1.To encourage the development of a network among these collections. 2. To provide a forum to discuss practical problems that pertain to such collections, including cataloguing, web exhibits, storage and exhibition space, safety issues such as potentially toxic substances, and the profile of such collections on campus and their use in teaching and research. 3. To facilitate presentation of scholarly papers and posters relating to scientific instruments, their histories and the collections in which they reside.

Gurley interferometer at Darmouth College

Parts of the Dartmouth Collection will be on display and the Shattuck Observatory (1853) will be open. In addition, excursions are planned to the Precision Museum in Windsor, Vermont, and to turret telescopes in Springfield, Vermont. For those who wish to explore other nearby instrument collections, the Harvard collection in Cambridge and the University of Vermont collection in Burlington are each about 2 hours away by auto.

Lodging will be made available in a Dartmouth College dormitory for a nominal amount (c. USD45 per night). The Hanover Inn will provide discounted rooms (c. USD85 per night).

Dartmouth is situated in semi-rural New Hampshire, readily accessible by air or surface from Boston. For those who might wish to extend their stay, the region provides many cultural, historic and outdoor activities. Early summer weather can be very pleasant in New England!

In order to help us judge the level of interest, please contact us if you think you might be interested in participating. In the fall of 2002, a second circular, with a call for papers, will be sent to all respondents.

The Mundi Subterranei Planning Committee
Frank Manasek (Chair), Richard Kremer, David Pantalony, Sara Schechner

mundi@mac.dartmouth.edu

More info on the symposium official webpages:

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sicu/

Contains the followings :

Second Circular (Call for papers) : http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sicu/circ1.html   Meeting information : http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sicu/MundiLinks1.html   and many more useful information

Summary