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Laurence Guignard - The Société Astronomique de France: A Global Popular Astronomy Network in the Belle Époque

April 15, 2025
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
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Online

Event Description

This event offers a social and cultural history of the French Astronomical Society (SAF), founded in Paris in 1887 by Camille Flammarion, the renowned author of bestsellers such as La Pluralité des mondes habités (1862) and L’Astronomie populaire (1880). Through a detailed analysis of the society’s membership rolls and archives, it analyzes how Flammarion appropriated the concept of popular science. The paper examines the SAF as an amateur global network that operated in parallel with state-run observatories while furthering an alternative agenda. A detailed analysis illuminates the scholarly practices promoted by the SAF, including visual production, and demonstrates the society’s interest in fostering a naturalist approach, particularly with regard to the question of extraterrestrial life.

Event Speaker

Laurence Guignard, Professor of Contemporary History at Paris-East Créteil University

Event Information

Free and open to the public; registration required. For more information, please visit the series webpage. Hosted by the Center for European and Mediterranean Studies at New York University.