Investigating and communicating the historical significance of Matthew Boulton (1728-1809)

调查和传播马修·博尔顿（1728-1809）的历史意义

• 批准号: AH/F001274/1
• 负责人: Paul Spencer-Longhurst
• 金额: $ 1.62万
• 依托单位: University of Birmingham
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2007 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FF001274%2F1
• 关键词: Investigating; communicating; historical; significance; Matthew

In 2009 the city of Birmingham will mark the bicentenary of the death of one of its most historically important inhabitants, Matthew Boulton (1728-1809). Two major exhibitions will be opened, new internet resources will be made available, books will be published, and an international conference will be held. In order to inform these bicentenary events and maximise their impact, a series of research workshops will be held by Boulton experts in 2007-2008, bringing together academics, curators, archivists and librarians from Britain and abroad. Knowledge and expertise will be shared as the workshops explore Boulton's historical significance and refine plans to celebrate his life in 2009.In 1762, Matthew Boulton established a manufactory at Soho in Birmingham that, by 1767, was the largest in the world. He used division of labour on a new scale to mass-produce a range of metal products. Between 1775 and 1800, Boulton and James Watt held a monopoly on the production of the first rotary steam engines that could drive machinery and power Britain's accelerating industrialisation. But, as well as playing key roles in revolutionising industry's organisation and technology, Boulton also mass produced visual art on an unprecedented scale. Aiming to satisfy demand for luxury goods, he brought together artists, artisans and engineers from across Europe to design and manufacture high quality silverware and ormolu at home and abroad. Then, in the late-1780s, Boulton established a multi-skilled international team in Birmingham that developed the world's first steam-driven minting technology, producing millions of coins and trade tokens for use across the world. Much of this new, and difficult to counterfeit, money was designed for Boulton by leading European medallists like Kuchler, Ponthon, Dumarest, and Droz. Boulton's minting project put mass-produced visual art into millions of people's pockets, but also facilitated global trade and the emergence of capitalist wage economies. As well as being a ground-breaking industrialist and entrepreneur, Boulton was a key member of British and international networks of scientists, theologians, artists, entrepreneurs, engineers, bankers, and politicians whose collaborations contributed significantly to the advancement of knowledge in diverse areas of human endeavour. His regular correspondents included the likes of John Flaxman (the leading British sculptor), Erasmus Darwin (the botanist and grandfather of Charles Darwin), Antoine Lavoisier (who discovered oxygen), and Benjamin Franklin (one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America). Boulton has become known as 'The Father of Birmingham', but his legacies are of lasting international significance to the arts, sciences, trade and industry.

2009年，伯明翰市将纪念其历史上最重要的居民之一马修·博尔顿（1728-1809）逝世二百周年。将举办两个大型展览，提供新的互联网资源，出版书籍，并举行国际会议。为了向这些二百周年纪念活动提供信息，并最大限度地发挥其影响，博尔顿专家将在2007-2008年举办一系列研究讲习班，汇集来自英国和国外的学者、策展人、档案管理员和图书馆员。知识和专业知识将分享研讨会探讨博尔顿的历史意义，并完善计划，以庆祝他的生命在2009年。1762年，马修博尔顿建立了一个制造厂在索霍在伯明翰，到1767年，是世界上最大的。他在新的规模上利用劳动分工大规模生产一系列金属产品。在1775年至1800年之间，博尔顿和詹姆斯·瓦特垄断了第一台旋转蒸汽机的生产，这种蒸汽机可以驱动机械并为英国加速的工业化提供动力。但是，除了在工业组织和技术革命中发挥关键作用外，博尔顿还以前所未有的规模大规模生产视觉艺术。为了满足人们对奢侈品的需求，他召集了来自欧洲各地的艺术家、工匠和工程师，在国内外设计和制造高品质的银器和奥尔摩鲁。然后，在18世纪80年代末，博尔顿在伯明翰建立了一个多技能的国际团队，开发了世界上第一个蒸汽驱动的铸造技术，生产了数百万枚硬币和贸易代币供世界各地使用。这种新的、难以伪造的货币大部分是由欧洲主要的奖牌获得者如库切勒、庞顿、杜马雷斯特和德罗兹为博尔顿设计的。博尔顿的铸币项目将大规模生产的视觉艺术投入了数百万人的口袋，但也促进了全球贸易和资本主义工资经济的出现。以及作为一个开创性的实业家和企业家，博尔顿是英国和国际网络的科学家，神学家，艺术家，企业家，工程师，银行家和政治家的合作，大大有助于知识的进步在不同领域的人类努力的关键成员。他的定期通讯者包括约翰·弗拉克斯曼（英国著名雕塑家）、伊拉斯谟达尔文（植物学家，查尔斯达尔文的祖父）、安托万·拉瓦锡（发现氧气的人）和本杰明·富兰克林（美国开国元勋之一）。博尔顿被称为“伯明翰之父”，但他的遗产对艺术，科学，贸易和工业具有持久的国际意义。