International Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies Quadrennial Congress, Los Angeles, 3-10 August 2003 Call for papers for session "The Objects of Enlightenment: The Material Culture of Knowledge" This interdisciplinary session explores the role of

International Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies
Quadrennial Congress, Los Angeles, 3-10 August 2003
Call for papers for session "The Objects of Enlightenment: The Material Culture of Knowledge"

This interdisciplinary session explores the role of objects in the production of knowledge during the 18th century. How did the design and usage of material things shape perception, thought, and the dissemination of ideas? Were objects simply vehicles for the pursuit of intellectual projects, or did they also embody epistemological concerns and define the
very terms in which knowledge was framed? How can the study of objects enrich or problematize our understanding of what 'enlightenment' was?
Papers may focus on any cultural context, and might consider such topics as reading or writing furniture and accessories, optical devices, scientific instruments, artists' tools, timepieces, the accoutrements of travel, or
the furnishings of spaces such as studies, libraries, collectors' cabinets, laboratories, or coffeehouses.

Please send inquiries or abstracts for 20-minutes papers to:

Mimi Hellman, NEH Fellow
16 Fifth Avenue
Northampton, MA 01060
U.S.A.
hellmanm1@attbi.com

Deadline: 15 September 2002
Congress website: www.isecs.ucla.edu