SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY (SHOT) RECORDS, 1956-1998, #400

(95 cubic feet;  285 DB)

by: Robert S. Harding, 1999

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

II. TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE RECORDS, 1958-1995 comprise one hundred and seventy-three container boxes of documents relating to the Society's journal, Technology and Culture.   T&C is a quarterly publication containing articles of interest to and written by professional historians of technology. The Container List that follows these series descriptions identifies box numbers for each series and (in parentheses) box numbers for all series in sequential order. The records consist of material generated by Melvin Kranzberg in his role as editor-in-chief, 1959-1981 and by succeeding T&C editors.

The papers are grouped into series according to the editorial and other activities involved in producing the publication. In addition to the Organizational Records, 1958-1962, the Technology and Culture Records include book reviews, editorial review of articles, indexes and tables of contents, printing (by the University of Chicago Press), costs, promotions, and special projects.

SERIES 1: ORGANIZATIONAL RECORDS, 1958-1962 (Box 1)

Correspondence, minutes of meetings and memoranda relating to the creation of the quarterly journal, T&C and its first issue. Includes records of a membership poll to choose the journal's name. A speech by Melvin Kranzberg in 1981 entitled "Quirks and Jerks of Editing Technology and Culture" outlines the early considerations in publication and later editorial problems.

SERIES 2: CORRESPONDENCE, 1965-1988 [RESTRICTED] 
(Boxes 2-23)

This series contains correspondence that has been restricted by the Archives Center in agreement with the Society for the History of Technology. For years, Kranzberg served as editor of T&C, the journal of the Society of History and Technology. During this time many articles were sent to Kranzberg to be considered for publication. All articles went through a refereeing process, in which expert judges wrote recommendations, either for or against publication. These judges wrote their recommendations with the understanding that their identities and their evaluations, would remain confidential. In order to maintain the confidentiality of all parties, this separate correspondence series and the confidential referee reviews have been restricted for thirty years from the most recent date of the correspondence. Exceptions will be made if written permission is obtained from SHOT's Editorial Board.

This material is arranged alphabetically by correspondent. The folder dates represent the dates of all the correspondence in the folder. The older date usually represents the date when the correspondence was initiated regarding the submission of an article to T&C. However, the latest date does not always represent correspondence regarding a submission to T&C, since Kranzberg sometimes included general correspondence in the folders.

The actual text of very few papers are included in the series. The majority of folders contain correspondence between Kranzberg and the judges about articles, but not the articles themselves. From these letters, however, it is possible to learn about the subject. The judges' recommendations contain a great deal of information. Some papers were revised two or three times in preparation for publication and referees' reports follow each revision.

SERIES 3: BOOK REVIEWS, 1969-1995 (Boxes 24-27)

Drafts of reviews which appeared in the quarterly editions of T&C, together with correspondence, critical and otherwise relating to those reviews, are grouped chronologically according to the T&C issue in which they appeared.

SERIES 4: EDITORIAL REVIEW OF ARTICLES, 1960-1993 [RESTRICTED] (Boxes 28-53)

Drafts of articles considered for publication and other editorial material, e.g., exhibit reviews, communications, and notes and announcements, are listed by name of author and arranged chronologically. Also included are the editor's correspondence with authors and reviewers; the latter included comments on the draft articles.

SERIES 5: INDEXES (CUMULATIVE) AND TABLES OF CONTENTS, 1965-1987 (Boxes 54-56)

Tables of contents of each quarterly edition of T&C, 1965-1981, together with cumulative indexes through 1987.

SERIES 6: TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE PRINTING AND COSTS, 1959-1994 (Boxes 57-65)

Correspondence with printers of the T&C quarterly journal (primarily the University of Chicago Press), including instructions for printing and negotiation of costs. Also includes arrangements for reprints, cover designs and membership lists. Correspondence relating to campaigns to promote sales of T&C and annual reports of revenues and costs is arranged chronologically.

SERIES 7: SPECIAL PROJECTS, 1962-1986 (Box 66)

This miscellany of projects related to T&C and its editing and publication is arranged chronologically.

SERIES 8: EDITORS' CORRESPONDENCE (ROBERT POST), 1982-1995 (Boxes 67-134)

These are records of the editorial function of soliciting, reviewing, refereeing and giving final approval for articles, correspondence and book reviews appearing in T&C. Correspondence with members of SHOT and others is arranged alphabetically. Letters relate to proposed articles and comments on them, as well as other subjects. Also included is correspondence relating to Post's own publications, exhibits, and public presentations, assessments of grant applications, records of his involvement in the affairs of the National Museum of American History and other museums, and correspondence with other periodicals with which he was editorially involved, such as Invention and Technology and Railroad History.

SERIES 9: PUBLISHED FILES, 1982-1994 (Boxes 135-173)

Arranged chronologically by year, one year to a box. Each box contains edited typescript (as submitted to publisher) for articles, research notes, conference reports, organizational notes, reviews, obituaries, and all other material published in T&C for one calendar year. Correspondence with authors, advisory editors, referees (between two and five for each article), and editorial and production staff of the University of Chicago Press is also included. These files are closed for thirty years from the date of the last correspondence in the individual folder.   They may be opened, on a case-by-case basis, through appeal to the SHOT Editorial Committee.

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