Artefacts XXXI:
Trust and Objects

The 31st annual Artefacts conference will be hosted by the Science History Institute, along with the American Philosophical Society (APS) and the Mütter Museum at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

Papers will be presented on October 19 and 20, followed by optional tours of the APS and the Mütter Museum on October 21.

Artefacts Theme

The theme of the 2026 meeting is “Trust and Objects.” Today, many museums aligned with the history of science (very broadly defined) are being called upon to help build, restore, or grow “trust in science” among their audiences. As historians of science and museum professionals, the organizers share the concerns motivating such calls, yet also recognize that “trust in science” is itself an object of historical inquiry. 

The conference will explore how scientific objects can be mobilized to bring audiences into a more critical history of science, while recognizing that museums serve many different “publics,” across and within institutions. On one hand, objects are flexible; their meanings and identities come from those who study and interpret them. At the same time, for the public, objects are material, “real,” and carry an aura of authority. In the American Alliance of Museums’ Spring 2021 report, Museums and Trust, respondents identified the fact that “museums present real/original/authentic objects” as the second-most cited measure of museums’ trustworthiness. 

Papers will explore how museums and academic institutions use material culture to build “trust in the history of science” in multiple ways:

• How do we use objects to negotiate the different meanings of “science” for audiences?
• In what ways can objects be deployed programmatically and interpretively to raise critical and generative questions about science, and its relationships to politics, culture, and economy?
• How can the seemingly inert nature of material culture be used to cultivate values of care, empathy, and understanding? 

Attendance and Registration

This conference is aimed at people working on or with public-facing projects using material culture. This could include museum professionals, as well as historians who study museums, public displays, or interpretation within the history of science. 

For inquiries about registration, please email artefacts@sciencehistory.org.

About Artefacts 

Artefacts is an association of historians of science, technology, engineering, and medicine working in museums and academic institutions who use material culture in historical study and public displays. Artefacts encourages new research and collaboration through annual meetings and publications.

Featured Image: Model of Virus Structure Exhibit for the Brussels World’s Fair, 1958.