Wetenschap op de kermis: De verspreiding van technologie, kennis en spektakel in Belgische provinciesteden tijdens het fin-de-siècle

This article discusses the role of itinerant show people in the popularization of science and technology in the history of the Belgian fairground. Through a number of case studies at the fair in Ghent of 1892, I will demonstrate how fairground artists were key in the introduction of new technology, the popularization of knowledge about the human body and the dissemination of a visual culture amongst ordinary people across the social spectrum. The article will first provide a brief history of the fair and then focus on three specific areas: spectacular technology in mechanical theatres, the bod... Mehr ...