Industrial/Military Technology

This site from NASA contains a brief biography and photograph of the physicist and "father of modern rocket propulsion," Robert Hutchings Goddard. Among the many firsts by Goddard listed, is the first liquid fuel rocket (1926), which led to the development of military missiles and the possibility of space exploration. A link on the liquid fueled rocket leads to several photographs and engineering sketches and an account of its inaugural flight. Statistics (size, employees, locations, funding, milestones) about the NASA center which is named after Goddard are also available.

This large site has two goals: to provide a history of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and the impact it had locally and globally, and to provide a forum for the discussion of anti-nuclear efforts. The section of the site devoted to the history of the topic, has an introductory essay about the Enola Gay and the bomb drop, while subsections examine the destruction of the city with graphs, scientific studies, dozens of photographs of the devastation, and, most powerfully, the recollections of five survivors. In addition, there are photographs of memorials in Hiroshima and artifacts from the local museum. The other sections of the site contain interviews with second generation Japanese who live (or lived) in Hiroshima and surveys of children to understand their views of the bomb and its aftermath. Artwork is also included. Finally, an extended (and sometimes unruly) online forum contains the observations and comments of visitors to the site.

This site has been established by the National Association of Atomic Veterans to provide an online archive of personal accounts of American veterans who served in divisions that were exposed to the effects of atomic weaponry. There are over 400 personal accounts from those who were there at Hiroshima, Nagasaki and military tests of atomic bombs from 1946 to 1962. There are also over 500 photographs from these servicemen and from declassified military archives. These images include the devastation of the Japanese cities in the immediate aftermath of the bombs and the activities of American servicemen in the testing and clean-up of atmospheric (above-ground) weapons testing. The site is also used to gather information about the subsequent medical effects of exposure to high-level radiation during these military exercises.

An online version of Vannever Bush's article "As We May Think" in The Atlantic Monthly, July 1945. The article, all text with a few links added, discusses the recent past and future of science and technology at the end of World War II. It is written for a general audience. Aghast at the horror of what science wrought in the war, Bush looks to a more peaceful and productive day when advanced technologies will offer a better life for all human beings. He envisions a machine akin to the modern fax machine as well as other beneficial consumer and industrial technologies.

This site provides a history of jet engines with an emphasis on warplanes and the development of jets during the Second World War. The site includes a "Main Story" which is a nine-part essay on the history of the development of jet engines. The site also includes numerous pages on early jet aircraft, a bibliography, short biographies of key scientists and engineers including Willy Messerschmitt and Sir Geoffrey De Haviland, images, sound and video files and a glossary explaining technical terms. Navigation is awkward, however, the site also includes an index referencing all the subjects covered here.

This site is an online catalogue for one of the most famous science museums in Europe, located in Florence. Its collections are mostly from the early modern period (roughly 1500-1800), with a particular emphasis on Galileo, his inventions and related materials from his lifetime. A room-by-room map of the museum allows visitors to view dozens of drawings, paintings and photographs of early astronomical, medical, mathematical, chemical and engineering instruments. There is also a virtual video tour of the Galileo room and accompanying photographs of his telescopes and other memorabilia. The site is written in non-technical bilingual form (English and Italian). Short biographies of important early modern Italian scientists and a multitude of links to other history of science and technology sites in many languages are included.

The Institution of Electrical Engineers Archives' website contains a number of archival catalogs, with some online content. The online catalog holds detailed lists of collections from the National Archive for Electrical Science and Technology, the Special Collection Manuscripts, the IEE Image Collection and the Rare Book and Pamphlet Collection. Additionally some general histories and biographies are provided, particularly with regard to Michael Faraday, as are links to related sites.

Website for the United Kingdom's Institution of Civil Engineers, a charity devoted to promoting civil engineering. Researchers will be interested in the documents made available in their virtual library, which archives all ICE papers to 1836. These are accessible with a subscription or on a pay per view basis. A catalog of the Institution's library holdings and is also available, as are a number of free ICE documents. The site also contains links to a number of associated societies.

This comprehensive site focuses on the history of the 1965 blackout in the Northeastern United States and the 1977 blackout in New York City. These two landmark events in the history of technology and the cultural history of America are recounted in a number of ways: through interviews, excerpts from various media, a timeline of events, recent historical writing, and, most compellingly, a growing database of first-hand recollections entered by visitors to the site. These recollections cover both the behind-the-scenes experiences of those who worked for the utility companies and the people who lived through the events. The site is therefore an excellent example of how to create an oral history archive on the Web, as well as a good source for understanding the tremendous social, cultural and technological impact the blackouts had on the people who lived through them.