History of Science & Technology

The Yale Peabody Museum’s Division of History of Science & Technology stewards and researches a collection of approximately 15,000 items from over 500 years of history. The collection includes a wide range of scientific instruments and technological devices related to radiotelegraphy, transportation, entertainment, warfare, and the textile industry, among many other fields. It also includes awards and personal belongings associated with specific scientists, historical images and publications, and various specimens.

The History of Science & Technology collection tells inspiring and meaningful stories about centuries of research and teaching in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It also sheds light on the history of everyday life, business and industry, entertainment and fashion, the visual and performing arts, and global conflicts and oppression. These stories include how people and communities have been involved in, excluded from, and affected by science and technology.

Research in the History of Science & Technology Collections

The Division of History of Science & Technology is committed to providing access to and engagement with the collection for people at Yale and beyond. The Division supports teaching at Yale by assisting students in course research, offering object sessions and collection visits for classes, and producing multimedia and other creative components for asynchronous learning. Collection-based support is also available to researchers and students beyond Yale.

The Division organizes collection-based events and tours open to everyone and responds to public questions whenever possible. It works with Peabody staff to fulfill requests for digital assets, facilitate exhibition loans, and collaborate with other institutions. The data encoded in the objects in the History of Science & Technology collection is used in scientific research today. Thanks to the range of its holdings, the Division has also provided support and inspiration to scientists, historians, filmmakers, photographers, artists, poets, architects, and engineers.

The Peabody’s curatorial divisions are governed by the Museum’s collections policies and best practices document. Collections are available to researchers for scholarly use and loans are issued to individuals at established institutions. Loans and access can be arranged through the curatorial division’s collections manager.

For general information on objects in this collection, including identifications, contact the Yale Peabody Museum Department of Education at peabody.education@yale.edu.

Department Contact

Curators & Divisional Staff