The rise of a summer field camp on Svalbard, or How technicians contribute to science

Have you ever wondered how the oldest still active scientific base on the southern shore of Kongsfjord came into existence?

In the 1960s, a growing number of foreign expeditions departed to the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in the name of science, bringing with them diverse equipment, instruments and transportable infrastructures.

As these expeditions occurred in summertime and could be renewed or extended from one year to another, most such objects would be left on site and serve several research groups before being removed or abandoned in the field.

Although the French expeditions of the second half of XX century have so far never caught the attention of historians, they led to the construction of a field camp in 1963 and facilitated the pursuit of French (and other) polar research in Kongsfjord up to the present date.

Given by the anthropologist and historian of science Sophie Duveau, this talk will take you to the past to explore how researchers, students and technicians in particular succeeded in setting up the wooden structure now known as the French base.

Drawing on both archival and contemporary visual material, it will shed light on the contribution of non-academics to science, not only at the logistical level but also in conducting research itself.

Questions and discussion. The meeting is open to all.

Free entrance

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