Program Available: Hagley Conference on Disability History

On October 28, 2016, Hagley Museum and Library will host a conference, "Making Modern Disability: Histories of Disability, Design, and Technology," which will explore the history of modern design and technology with regard to disability. The organizers note, "While devices adapted to the needs of people with disabilities can be found throughout human history, industrialization created distinctive circumstances for the material lives of the disabled." The program is available here.
    Advance registration for the conference is required, but there is no fee. Lunch on site can be purchased in advance for $15. To register, visit www.hagley.org/hagleyconference2016. For more information, contact Carol Lockman at (302)-658-2400, ext. 243, or clockman@hagley.org.

Reminder: BHC 2017 Deadline Approaching

The deadline for proposals for the 2017 Business History Conference meeting, which will be held on March 30-April 1, 2017, in Denver, Colorado, is Monday, October 3, 2016.
    The theme of the meeting is "Civilizations." According to the program committee (Susie Pak [chair], Eric Hilt, Caitlin Rosenthal, Lars Heide, Jessica Burch, and Walter Friedman), the theme is "meant to suggest broad connections between business and the way of life that characterizes particular regions or countries."
    Papers addressing all other topics will receive equal consideration by the program committee in accordance with BHC policy. The program committee will consider both individual papers and entire panels. Individual paper proposals should include a one-page (300 word) abstract and one-page curriculum vitae (CV). Panel proposals should include a cover letter stating the rationale for the panel and the name of its contact person; one-page (300 word) abstract and author’s CV for each paper; and a list of preferred panel chairs and commentators with contact information. To submit a proposal go to http://thebhc.org/2017meeting and click on the link Submit a Paper/Panel Proposal.
    For a fuller discussion of the meeting theme and other details, please see the full call for papers.

CFP: “Transforming Public History from Charleston to the Atlantic World”

In partnership with various local, national, and international cultural heritage organizations, academic institutions, and historic sites, the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, the Carolina Lowcountry and the Atlantic World Program (CLAW), and the Addlestone Library are hosting a conference on "Transforming Public History Practices from Charleston to the Atlantic World," to be held at the College of Charleston and other partner sites in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 15-17, 2017, with a pre-conference day of workshops on June 14. According to the call for papers,

The conference organizers welcome proposals for workshops, roundtables, panels, and individual papers from public history professionals, scholars, educators, librarians, archivists, and artists that address issues surrounding the interpretation, preservation, memorialization, and commemoration of, as well as public engagement with, underrepresented topics in major themes of local, regional, and Atlantic World history, including but not limited to: slavery and coerced labor; empire and resistance; economic, trade, and labor networks; race, class, and gender identities; cultural interchange; religious influences; social and political activism; music, performance, film, and visual art; art history and architecture; foodways; and rural and urban development.

For a larger discussion of the conference theme and organization, please consult the full call for papers. Proposals with session title, presentation title(s), contact information, and institutional affiliations for all participants in PDF or Word format should be submitted to Mary Battle at averyconferences@gmail.com. The deadline for proposals is November 1, 2016.

New “Teaching and Resources” Area on the BHC Website

In 2015 the BHC Trustees appointed Michael Aldous (Queen's University, Belfast) to serve as the inaugural Teaching and Research Resources Web Editor. He has now written an introductory essay to launch a new section of the Teaching and Resources portion of the BHC website, one that will "promote the excellent teaching resources, whilst providing context, particularly for those not immersed in Business History, and offering insights and inspiration regarding their use." In his essay, "Rethinking Business History in the Classroom," Aldous writes, "I would like to invite members of the BHC community to contribute short pieces that discuss the many and varied ways in which business history [is] being used across disciplines in classrooms, and through these entries foster a wider discussion on these opportunities."
     Further essays will be published throughout the year; upcoming is a discussion with Paolo Quattrone about visualization and history in his teaching of accounting. Anyone interested in contributing to the discussion is encouraged to contact Michael at m.aldous@qub.ac.uk.

Cornell “Histories of Capitalism 2.0” Conference Final Program Available

The conference "Histories of Capitalism 2.0" will meet at Cornell University on September 29-October 1, 2016. The final program has now been posted. In addition to dozens of sessions, the meeting will also feature a number of plenaries:

William Darity and Kirsten Mullen, "The ARC of Justice: Reparations for African Americans"
Juliet E. K. Walker, "Black Economic Lives Matter: Racial Capitalism and African American Entrepreneurship"
Marcus Rediker, "The Blood-Red Atlantic: The Violent Origins of Capitalism"
Victoria DeGrazia, "Hyper-Consumerism: Capitalism's Latest Forward Lurch, 1990-2010"
Jedidiah Purdy, "Capitalism's Natures"

     For information about registration, lodging, and other issues, please see the conference website and FAQ.

CFP: “Material Culture and Consumption in Ireland”

The Economic and Social History Society of Ireland will hold its next conference at Maynooth University on November 25-26, 2016. The theme will be "Material Culture and Consumption in Ireland." According to the call for papers,

. . . proposals are sought for papers that address any aspect of the study of material culture and the consumption of goods from an Irish perspective. Potential papers might address the retail, ownership, use and display of goods of any type. Equally, they might address archaeology and material history, construct object biographies or reflect on interior design and art, the material culture of politics or the retail and consumption of the book.

Abstracts of papers and proposals for panels should be sent to Jonathan Wright (jonathan.wright@nuim.ie) and Alison FitzGerald (alison.fitzgerald@nuim.ie) by September 30,  2016. Abstracts should be between 250 and 300 words, and panel proposals should include a title, contact details for all speakers, and abstracts for all papers to be included in the session.
    Please consult the full call for papers for additional information.

Yale Conference: “Institutions and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean”

The Program in Economic History at Yale University is holding a conference on "Institutions and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean: Historical and Contemporary Issues," meeting at the university on October 14-15, 2016. The program has now been finalized and is posted on the conference website. Password-protected papers will be available in advance of the meeting. All are welcome to attend, but registration, which can be accomplished on-line, is required. Questions may be directed to Noel Sardella at noel.sardalla@yale.edu.

New NEH-Hagley Fellowship Opportunity Announced

The NEH-Hagley Postdoctoral Fellowship on Business, Culture, and Society will support residencies at the Hagley’s Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society by scholars who have received their doctoral degrees by the application deadline. In accordance with NEH requirements, these postdoctoral fellowships are restricted to United States citizens or to foreign nationals who have been living in the United States for at least three years.
     Two postdoctoral fellowships are available, one of four months and one of eight months. The eight-month fellowship must be taken during the September through May academic year. The fellowships provide a monthly stipend of $4,200. Fellows receive complimentary lodging in the scholar’s housing on Hagley’s property for the duration of their residency, as well as office space and the full privileges of visiting scholars, including special access to Hagley’s research collections. They are expected to be in regular and continuous residence and to participate in the Center’s scholarly programs. They must devote full time to their study and may not accept teaching assignments or undertake any other major activities during their residency. Fellows may hold other major fellowships or grants during fellowship tenure, in addition to sabbaticals and supplemental grants from their own institutions, but only those that do not interfere with their residency at Hagley. Other NEH-funded grants may be held serially, but not concurrently.
     Applications are due December 1 and should be sent as a .pdf file. All application materials, including recommendation letters, should be sent to Carol Lockman, clockman@Hagley.org, and must be received by the deadline for the application to be considered by the selection committee. Questions regarding this fellowship may be sent to Carol Lockman as well.
    For more details about application procedures, please see the Fellowship page on the Hagley website.

Schedules: Fall 2016 Ongoing Seminars and Workshops

As the new academic year begins, we again offer a round-up of ongoing workshops, forums, and discussion groups in business and economic history. Please check each website for more detailed information. Some groups, particularly those in non-US universities, may not yet have posted Fall 2016 information; in those cases, a link to the home site or last available listing is included.
     In addition to their value for those able to participate directly, these groups often maintain mailing lists and sometimes make speakers' papers freely available.

Business History Seminar, Harvard Business School (scroll down)
Business History @ Erasmus Seminars
Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society (Hagley) Research Seminars
Centre for Macroeconomics and the Historical Record (MEHR), University of Copenhagen
Columbia University Seminar in Economic History
Economic History Seminar, LSE
Economic History Seminar, Stern School of Business, NYU
Economic History Seminar, University of California, Berkeley
Economic History Workshop, Stanford University
Economic and Social History of the Premodern World, IHR, University of London
Economic and Social History Seminar, Utrecht University (scroll down)
Harvard Economic History Workshop [look for EC3336hf]
History and Economics Seminar, Harvard University
International and Global History Forum, Harvard University
Newberry Seminar on the History of Capitalism
Northwestern Economic History Workshop
Paris School of Economics, Economic History Seminar
PEAES Fellows Colloquium and Seminars, Library Company of Philadelphia
Penn Economic History Forum
Queen's University (Ontario) Economic History Workshop
Queen's University (Belfast) Centre for Economic History Workshop
Seminars in Economic and Social History, University of Cambridge
Vanderbilt University Economic History Workshop
Washington (D.C.) Area Economic History Seminar
Yale Economic History Workshop

In addition, a sampling of other seminars which, though not specifically focused on business or economic history, often have papers of interest:

McNeil Center for Early American Studies
Omohundro Institute Colloquium
Georgetown U.S. History Workshop

Job Opening: Business History Curator at the Computer History Museum

The Computer History Museum, located in Mountain View, California, has listed an opening for a "Curator, Exponential Center and Business History." According to the job posting,

The Computer History Museum (CHM) is seeking a domain expert to serve as inaugural Business History Curator. The Business History Curator will play an important role in overseeing the curatorial strategy and advancing the work of the new Exponential Center as a major strategic expansion to the Museum. Reporting to the Center’s Executive Director, the Business History Curator will work closely with the Museum’s curatorial and other relevant teams, to build the business and entrepreneurship-related collection and exhibits, research and insights, educational content, events, and thought leadership to supporting the mission of the Exponential Center and the Museum. The Exponential Center is capturing the legacy—and advancing the future—of entrepreneurship and innovation in Silicon Valley and around the world. The center explores the people, companies, and communities that are transforming the human experience through technology innovation, economic value creation, and social impact.

For the full job description, including duties and qualifications, please see the announcement on the Computer History Museum website. No deadline for applications is listed.