The role of Theodor Gerdorf, Friedrich Krantz and Émile Deyrolle in the Collections of Mining, Metallurgy, Mineralogy and Paleontology from the School of Engineering (ISEP) of the Porto Polytechnic, Portugal

• Autores: P. Costa, Helder I. Chaminé, Pedro M. Callapez
• Localización: The Circulation of Science and Technology: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of the European Society for the History of Science. Barcelona, 18-20 November 2010 / coord. por Antoni M. Roca Rosell, 2012, ISBN 978-84-9965-108-8, págs. 420-428
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • After a period of political turbulence that marked the first half of the nineteenth century in Portugal, began in 1851 a new stage of constitutional monarchy. With the first Regeneration government was created a new ministry for infrastructural and industrial development, the so-called Ministério das Obras Públicas Comércio e Indústria, under leadership of António Maria de Fontes Pereira de Melo (1819-1887). The purposes of this effort were a reduction of the socio-economic delay of Portugal compared to other West European countries, by modernizing the administration to achieve long-term economic and social development. That resulted in a significant increase of railways and roads, together with the construction of the first telegraph lines, and the establishment of an industrial education system in 1852. Industrial education had a strong practical emphasis in its curriculum courses highlighted by numerous cabinets and laboratories, at the time known as auxiliary offices of education. During several years were purchased scientific instruments to suply these cabinets and experimental laboratories. The equipments exhibited in the Museum of ISEP (School of Engineering of the Porto Polytechnic) belonged to the ancient Cabinet of Mineralogy and Cabinet of Mine Art and Metallurgy, and had been made by the European manufacturers Friedrich Krantz, Theodor Gerdorf, and Émile Deyrolle. Currently, they still are at the Krantz House (probably one of the oldest and largest rock, mineral and fossil traders) and the Émile Deyrolle House (related specially to Paleontology). At that time these were considered the benchmarks with regard to the educational material, available on almost all prestigious scientific institutions in Europe. The international and universal exhibitions were also an excellent way of spreading the scientific and technological advances. In short, the acquisition of this type of collection indicates the degree of scientific knowledge at the time, which allowed a country like Portugal to develop the industrial education and experimental training for graduates.