Literary Engineering: Engineers as Authors and Readers 1750-1900

Within the vibrant field of ‘literature and science’, merging studies in the history of science and literary history, relatively little attention has been paid to the written productions, and reading habits, of professional engineers. Although engineers have been thought of as producers of works more than words, existing case studies have begun to reveal the actions of engineers as careful authors, audience-conscious editors and assiduous readers. Working within the Centre for the History and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Medicine at the University of Aberdeen, the successful candidate(s) will here be asked to explore, for all or part of the period 1750-1900, questions concerning the genres of writing adopted and created by engineers, their transformation over time, and their placing within broader literary, scientific and practical cultures. Genres to be explored may include the business letter, professional diary, formal report, textbook, epistolary outburst – and many more. Candidates may also wish to explore topics ranging widely, from the engineer as poet and literary humourist to roles of publishers, patent agents, and popularizers in fostering sub-genres of specialist engineering literature. Students should ideally have a background in the history of science and technology or literature.