ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

Tokens from 1876: digital methods for tracing the 1876 Special Loan Collection of Scientific Apparatus

• In Event: Spirit of 1876: The Special Loan Collection of Scientific Apparatus: International Science Museum Links. 2

English Abstract

This paper explores how digital methods can support the rediscovery and analysis of objects from the 1876 Special Loan Collection of Scientific Apparatus. It asks: how far can computational approaches help track down dispersed objects, and where do the limits of these approaches lie? Drawing on experiments with digitised catalogues, images, and collection databases, the paper demonstrates ways of transforming unstructured historical text into structured, searchable data and reflections on the interpretive challenges this entails. It then discusses techniques for extracting and querying information from digitised documents and for linking references to the same object across different records and datasets. A focused case study on astronomical instruments illustrates how data modelling, text analysis, and human expertise intersect in practice. Ultimately, the paper argues that while digital tools can enhance the discoverability and contextualisation of objects from the 1876 Special Loan Collection of Scientific Apparatus, the insight and judgment of researchers remain an essential part the design of digital processes and the interpretation of the outputs of computational approaches.

Author

• Daniel Belteki, Science Museum, London