During this reporting period, the team initiated mapping, inventorying and digitizing primary sources, alongside collecting and processing secondary literature.
Digitization of Key Sources:
The SciFair project drove efforts to digitize precarious fairground-related materials across Europe, safeguarding significant collections including anatomical wax models, posters, postcards, flyers and historic letters sourced from private collections and institutions. Noteworthy collections digitized include anatomical wax models and posters from a private Antwerp collection, historic fairground flyers and posters from a Brussels antique shop, and graphic and postcard troves from Essen's former Markt-und Schaustellermuseum.
Showpeople Unions Research:
The project significantly advanced the digitization of showpeople unions' periodicals, providing a corpus of journals from France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands, totaling over 25,000 pages. Analyses of these sources informed publications on showpeople unions’ impact on international funfair networks and the roles of women in the business.
Archival Research Projects:
Comprehensive archival research projects were undertaken in different collections over 5 countries by PhD students and Postdocs, examining the circulation of knowledge, media and visual culture. Investigation into anatomical wax models, X-ray photography and early visual media and objects led to numerous conference presentations and publications. These projects facilitated comparative analysis to identify trends in fairground technology and explore European fairground culture. The development of a theoretical framework for analysing performing science and objects at 18th- and 19th-century fairgrounds will result in two edited book volume publications.
Database
A tailored database allows the team to manage significant amounts of data from different sources, geographical regions and families. The database will make accessible a multitude of unique and hard-to-find resources, thus contributing to the preservation of this unique European heritage. The project also contributed to the UNESCO application on funfair culture as intangible cultural heritage, an international application submitted by Belgium and France in March 2023 in close cooperation with the fairground communities in France and Belgium.
Collaboration with Museums:
Collaborations with museums and heritage institutions, particularly Teylers Museum and GUM Museum, enriched research opportunities and facilitated science communication initiatives. These collaborations resulted in presentations at Science Festivals, temporary exhibitions, and ongoing talks for future exhibitions.
Communication and Dissemination:
Research findings were communicated through the SciFair project website, newsletters, blog articles and social media, reaching a wide audience. We launched a citizen science project ‘Snapshots of the Fairground’ citizen science project online and distributed postcards during the opening weekend of Belgium's largest funfair (Sinksenfoor). Additionally, the project was introduced at numerous international conferences and participated in public events, ensuring broad outreach and engagement.
