The Science and Engineering of Machines: An Exhibition of Machine Books, 1472 to 1800
Curator: Mark E. Andrews
Dates: 2 September 2026 to 31 March 2027
The subject of this exhibition, machine books in the early modern era, is the quintessential example of illustrated technical books, tracing the evolution of technology and illustration techniques from 1472 to 1800. These machine books are defined by their comprehensive illustrated presentation of machines that supported the growth of science and technology. Making their public debut, the 60 items in the exhibition are on loan to the University of Alberta's Bruce Peel Special Collections from the private collection of the author and curator, Mark E. Andrews, for the duration of the exhibition. The featured books showcase a progression from early military focus (as seen in Roberto Valturio’s De re militari, 1472) to purely civil applications (like the windmills in Groot volkomen moolenboek, 1734). Ultimately, the exhibition highlights the lasting historical and aesthetic significance of these technical illustrations in the early development of engineering. Many of the rare books shown in this exhibition can also be viewed online through the Internet Archive. The book/catalogue that accompanies this exhibition can be purchased in person in the Peel library for $50 (cash only, no dealers) or through University of Alberta Press, Indigo, or Amazon.
The exhibition is open to the university community and the public from 1-4pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Class/group exhibition visits on Monday afternoons will be hosted by Jeff Papineau and Nicole Bueckert (request a group exhibition visit by writing to bpsc@ualberta.ca).
