The Constitution of the Scientific Observation Site (15th–18th Century)

Abstract In this special issue, we aim to study the places where observations, experiments, studies and instruments were practised, in France, between the fifteenth century and the end of the eighteenth century. We want here to react to previous existing studies on scientific observation, by focusing on the new and fundamental aspect of places and material conditions of observation and, complementary to the literature, by using especially images. While the prevailing literature has described places of observational practice (called observatories, laboratories, ateliers …) isolating them from their political, social and cultural context, these places were not created as a defined and complete category but they were imagined by the actors, cared for over time and adapted to all kinds of material needs.