Visual Histories of Geological Sciences and Technology. Mining Imagery across Europe and Japan in the Long Nineteenth Century

Objective

VHisGeo offers the first comparative study of the visual culture of geological sciences in Europe and Japan (late 18th–early 20th century). It will address a fragmented field, where European studies are local and usually end before 1850, while Japanese studies on the visual culture of mining remain little known abroad. By analysing Japanese emaki—illustrated scrolls often showing underground labour—together with European images, from French illustrated geological treatises to exhibition displays, the project explores contrasts and parallels in the visualisation of geological sciences. International and Meiji-era industrial exhibitions provide a key arena for these exchanges. Methodologically, VHisGeo combines history of science, geosciences and art history in a transdisciplinary framework. It will define and digitise a corpus of sources, reconstruct their contexts of production and reception, and trace patterns of circulation. This dual innovation—comparative and methodological—fills a significant historiographical gap. Results include an open-access digital corpus, peer-reviewed publications, conferences and seminars. Outreach will involve a virtual exhibition, two onsite exhibitions co-created with art-school students, and participation in cultural events. In doing so, VHisGeo explores how images shaped scientific knowledge and public perceptions of the Earth, while offering a historical perspective to current European debates on sustainability and geological heritage. Hosted by Hitotsubashi University (Prof. N. Ariga) and Università dell’Insubria (Prof. E. Vaccari), it aims to take a first step towards a global visual history of geology linking Europe and Japan.