Science, technology,
and culture interact and shape each other in complex
ways. By the twentieth century, the array of images
in magazines, posters, films, and other media exhibit
a fascination with science and technology that often
went beyond what was being expressed in mere words.
Historians often use these images, in combination
with documents, to study the ideological positioning
of science and technology within society. The goal of
this assignment is to show that images may reveal
important clues to how people thought about science
and technology in the past. By analyzing a series of
images created from the 1880s to the 1950s we hope to
sensitize you to the often subtle ways in which
visual forms and idioms shape our understanding of
the past.
To complete this
assignment you will observe several representations
of science and technology. Regions of each image
contain detailed explanations or comments that are
accessible by clicking the image when your mouse
pointer changes from an arrow into an icon of a hand.
You should study each image carefully, read the
background information presented, and explore some of
the links provided for each image. When you have
viewed all the images, answer the three questions
listed at the end of this exercise.