Location
National Army Museum
Call for papers for ‘Science, Technology and the Military’
National Army Museum, London | 29 September- 1 October 2024
Submission deadline: 1 July 2024
As warfare has progressed from small-scale tribal conflicts to the mass mobilisation of entire societies, the reach and impact of military innovations has been profound.
Science and technology have been at the heart of the military experience through arms and armour, clothing and uniform, equipment, and other forms of material culture. Although new developments have often been driven by conflict, their impact has been felt throughout civilian societies.
Museums and collections of arms and military heritage are primary sites through which public audiences engage with these rich and complex stories.
The organisers of ICOMAM’s 2024 conference accordingly invite proposals for papers on the theme of ‘Science, Technology and the Military’.
Potential topics for papers include, but are not limited to, the following:
- How military science and technology can be displayed and interpreted to museum audiences, including through galleries, public engagement and learning programmes.
- The challenges of reflecting current scientific and technological developments in museums, particularly in contemporary collecting.
- National, international and transnational perspectives on military science and technology, including the relations between commercial manufacturers, defence contractors, and the military.
- The role of military science and technology in political, economic, social, and cultural change.
- Updates on projects, galleries and activities at ICOMAM-affiliated institutions or individuals relating to the overall themes of the conference.
Proposals for panel discussions as well as individual presentations will be considered. We particularly welcome papers examining the adoption or adaptation of military technology among colonial or pre-colonial populations as well as by formalised militaries, and those covering topics in European and extra-European contexts.
The proceedings of the conference will be published, and all those selected to present will be expected to provide a written version of their presentation following the event. Papers should therefore be written to a standard suitable for academic publication, with appropriate referencing.
To submit a proposal, please send an abstract (maximum 220 words) and a biography (maximum 110 words) via https://forms.gle/BCSD2mq7u6HAdL8C8.
- Papers should last no more than twenty minutes.
- Papers may be delivered in English or French, with simultaneous translation provided.
- For more details about the conference, go to https://icomam.mini.icom.museum/icomam-2018-conference/call-for-papers/
- For any further questions relating to the conference or abstract submission, contact research@nam.ac.uk
- Bursaries for participation are available through ICOM
- The deadline for submissions is 1 July 2024.
Image: Japanese Warships Fire on the Enemy near Haiyangtao (Kaiyōtō fukin teikoku gunkan happō no zu), 1894, Mizuno Toshikata (1866–1908), Philadelphia Museum of Art (philamuseum.org/collection/object/261035)