Working Groups

Introductions, Inspirations, and the Environmental History forum on housing

We'll start the new year with a round of introductions--please plan to say hello and share either what you're working on or what brings you to this group. 

In our next meeting on Friday, September 5, 2025 11:00 am to 12:30 pm EST, we will read two readings on color changes in the 18th century:

Sarah Lowengrad's book, The Creation of Color in 18th-Century Europe (Introduction and section entitled 'Cultures of Science, Cultures of Technology') paired with Julie Bellemare's article, 'A New Palette: the development of enamel colours in early 18th century China' (16 pages) total around 70 pages). Please join us if you can.

Welcome Back Discussion! We will chat about our plans for year three - and hear from you about what you would like to see/hear/read/do. 

Q&A with Karissa Patton about her show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival: You & Your Cervix. You can watch the recording of her show using the link below (please do not share the link beyond the working group). The link should work, but might take some time to load - thanks for you patience! 

Approaches to Color

Or, more on the multivalency of color.

How do the combination of disciplinary expectations, research materials, and personal preferences shape approaches to (regard for, use of) color? 

In this meeting, we will  look at the different frameworks for color in arts, humanities, social sciences, and color science. Plan on an open discussion with opportunities to share your outlook as a researcher and consumer of color. 

Romuald Tchibozo (Université d'Abomey-Calavi): Plants in Contemporary Art: The Case of Meschac Gaba in Benin

Dominik Wujastyk (University of Alberta)

The Compendium of Suśruta in Time and Space: Mapping a Medical Tradition

Kamil Ahsan, Yale University, "The Reef in the Oilfield: Petroleum Geology, and Oil Fetishism in Post-War British Honduras (1950-1990)"

Suzanne Moon, University of Oklahoma, "History of Technology: the rebirth of a journal and publishing in our rapidly changing field."

Shane Morrissy,  "Art, Authority, and the Phantasmagorias of Color at the Panama Pacific International Exposition (San Francisco, CA), 1915"

Commentator: TBA

Nuance:

Organizer: Sarah

Edwin Coomasaru (London): Plantation Ecologies in Sri Lankan Art: Gender, Sexuality and Environmental Aesthetics

Mannat Johal (Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG))

Attributes of continuity: Maintaining a house at Maski (12th-15th centuries CE)

Scott Erich, Washington College, "The Subterranean Sea"

Henry Noltie (RBGE), ‘Flora Indica: Recovering lost stories from Kew’s Indian drawings’

In the talk I’ll discuss the retrieval of 5, 500 drawings from Kew’s worldwide illustrations collection, their rearrangement into their original collections and subsequent cataloguing. This work lies behind the exhibition of the same title, co-curated with Dr Sita Reddy, on show at Kew from October 2025 to April 2026, which will also be discussed.

SHOT Debrief! Tuesday, October 28, 1-2:30 EST

Join us for a debrief of the recent SHOT meeting, just held in Luxembourg (Oct. 8-12). Learn what went on if you were not there, and fill us in on what you found interesting if you were (or if you joined virtually). What are people talking about these days in HOT?

Philippa Barr, "The Divided Sky: Regulating Atmospheric Crisis in Early Modern Milan"

Kilian Laclavetine, on color analyses in tarot cards

Nuance: Lejie Zheng on synthetic indigo in China

Organizer: Elizabeth

Christèle Barois (CESAH)

Embryogenesis narratives and the history of ancient Indian medicine

Sonya Schoenberger, Stanford University

Geoff Bil (University of Victoria)

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