The Publication Strategies of Jöns Jacob Berzelius (1779–1848)

Time: 12:00pm to 1:00pm

Location: Chemical Heritage Foundation, 315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Event Type: Open to the Public

Fee: Free

RSVP Online: No Registration Required

Beckman’s talk examines the publication strategies of the Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius (1779–1848). Berzelius is a famous figure in the history of chemistry, known for, among other things, his work on atomic weights and chemical proportions, introducing a new system of chemical notation, isolating and naming several elements, and ruling the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for 30 years as its permanent secretary.

A prolific author and editor, he fundamentally reorganized the Swedish Academy publications. In the new journal Annual Survey of Progress in the Sciences (1821–1848), he summarized and evaluated scientific achievements at home and abroad, and promoted his views on what constituted a proper publication. He relied on his considerable reputation in chemistry, and his opinions—not least in the Annual Survey—carried weight. At the same time, he wrote in an insignificant language geographically far from the main thoroughfares of science and relied on translations, letters, and publications to communicate with his colleagues. Beckman suggests that Berzelius’s views on scientific publication are particularly revealing, speaking as he was from a position that is both central and peripheral.

Jenny Beckman is a senior lecturer in the history of ideas and science at the Department of History of Ideas and Science, Uppsala University. Her research focuses mainly on the history of biology, science education, and civic science. Her publications include articles on natural history museums, school science, amateur botanists, and biodiversity recording projects. Her current research focuses on scientific publication practices in the first half of the 19th century.

About Brown Bag Lectures

Brown Bag Lectures (BBLs) are a series of weekly informal talks on the history of chemistry or related subjects, including the history and social studies of science, technology, and medicine. Based on original research (sometimes still in progress), these talks are given by local scholars for an audience of CHF staff and fellows and interested members of the public.

For more information, please call 215.873.8289 or e-mail bbl@chemheritage.org.