November 6-7, 2008, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington Delaware
The appearance of Ford’s Model T automobile in 1908 ushered in a century during which motorized vehicles spread across the American landscape. Their impact was immense, visible in structures such as roads, bridges, garages and parking lots, in businesses including service stations and fast food restaurants, and in altered residential patterns. In addition to cars, other conveyances – such as buses, trucks, mobile homes, fire engines, and motorcycles — as well as vehicles produced for construction and military purposes reshaped business and commerce, created new industries, and generated endless technological innovations. For a conference that marks the Model T’s 100th anniversary, the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society at the Hagley Museum and Library invites papers that reflect broadly on the impact of motor vehicles in America since 1908. As the automobile has been the subject of considerable scholarly work, papers concerning passenger cars should break new ground and address heretofore under-explored questions. Scholarship on other vehicles powered by internal combustion engines is far less developed. We therefore especially encourage papers that consider their business, technological and commercial dimensions. All papers should be empirically based and historically informed.
Proposals should be no more than 500 words and accompanied by a short cv. Deadline for submissions is March 31, 2008. Travel support is available for those presenting papers at the conference. To submit a proposal or to obtain more information, contact Carol Lockman, Hagley Museum and Library, PO Box 3630, Wilmington DE 19807, 302-658-2400, ext. 243; 302-655-3188 (fax); clockman[at]Hagley.org.