ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

Tar and Pitch Kilns of the Real Fábrica da Madeira (1790-1825): Circulation of Knowledge, Adaptions and Innovation

• In Event: Spaces of Science in the Enlightenment

English Abstract

The Royal Wood Factory, established in 1790 and located near the Leiria Pine Forest, was an industrial facility dedicated to the production of tar and other resinous products. This factory employed three different models of tar kilns, each with its own technical and intellectual dynamics. Through the various kiln models constructed, it is possible to observe a progression in technical updates, not only through the adoption of new techniques from other regions but also through their adaptation within the factory to make these methods more efficient and to achieve a higher-quality product. Academics from the University of Coimbra contributed to rethinking the factory’s production methods, particularly through their interactions with the factory director. In this paper, we have followed "the money trail" methodology, which has allowed us to see when the appropriations and adaptations to the kilns began, as well as allowed us to identify important "invisible technicians" such as the tar master inside the factory, who had a higher salary than the factory director.

Author

• Diogo Moreno, IHC - UÉ/IN2PAST