West Coast History of Science Society Meeting
University of California, San Francisco
April 11th - April 14th, 2002[Program]
Physics at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair
David Stump
University of San FranciscoAt the turn of the last century, large International Exhibitions (or World's Fairs) were a major venue for scientific discourse, with important international congresses in various fields being organized in conjunction with these monumental exhibits of national pride, international cooperation, and technological progress. One of the most ambitious and highly organized scientific congresses took place in conjunction with the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair and it included what are considered to be a very important set of papers in physics. The fact that these papers tended to be synoptic does not detract from their seriousness as scientific work, but rather presents an opportunity for the historian to see a snapshot of physics at the cusp of the revolution that Einstein represents. Nevertheless, the context in which these papers were presented is remarkable. First, with P.T. Barnum engaged as a consultant to the organizers, it is clear that for most in attendance, the fair was entertainment, not science. At the St. Louis Fair, the 'Pike' with its sideshows and entertainment was for the first time brought inside the official grounds and thus made part of the program. Second, the main scientific novelty of the 1904 Fair was anthropology. While Americans and Europeans exhibited their technological devices and their artistic objects, the peoples of their colonies were displayed as objects. This talk will explore the mix of science and popular culture that the 1904 Fair represents.