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Equipping Expeditionary Astronomers: Nevil Maskelyne and the Development of ‘Precision Exploration

Higgitt, Rebekah (2015) Equipping Expeditionary Astronomers: Nevil Maskelyne and the Development of ‘Precision Exploration. In: MacDonald, Fraser and Withers, Charles W. J., eds. Geography, Technology and Instruments of Exploration. Routledge, Basingstoke, UK, pp. 15-36. ISBN 978-1-4724-3425-8. E-ISBN 978-1-315-58450-8. (doi:10.4324/9781315584508-6) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:53944)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315584508-6

Abstract

This chapter explores how the cultural practices of exploration and explorers themselves might be considered as part of this wider definition of objects of exploration'. The addition of the Royal Observatory to the NMM in 1957 further strengthened the link between Britain's maritime history and the country's impact on the wider world through scientific and geographical exploration. Some scholars have recently suggested, we might regard ships as self-contained maritime communities, then perhaps ships on scientific voyages of exploration might be seen as floating universities or academies. Scientific academy or the Admiralty ship and into the hands of individuals who could, literally, hold the world in their hands. Exploration happens somewhere, and that somewhere always has an impact on people; people have to deal with basic human needs in order to do exploratory work. The work of scientific exploration relied on a whole assemblage of instruments' ships, oil paintings, everyday objects not immediately associated with precision technology.

Item Type: Book section
DOI/Identification number: 10.4324/9781315584508-6
Subjects: D History General and Old World
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Arts and Humanities > School of History
Depositing User: M.R.L. Hurst
Date Deposited: 02 Feb 2016 12:04 UTC
Last Modified: 17 Aug 2022 11:00 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/53944 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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