Chapter 9 The Outbreak of Fire: Inventions, Materials, and Combustion Knowledge in the Eighteenth Century

In: Early Modern Fire
Author:
Marie Thébaud-Sorger
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Type:
Chapter
Pages:
257–281
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004521766_011

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Abstract

The growth of urban density in the eighteenth century went in parallel with the development of artisanal and manufacturing activities, entailing a widespread use of fireplaces, boilers, but also new furnaces working with high temperatures – e.g., in glasswork – that increased the hazards caused by fire. The necessity of managing fire on a daily basis fostered the emergence of new methods and new technical processes. By focusing on the nature, the degrees of fire, and the types of materials, a great number of inventions were proposed to act on the outbreak of fire, drawing upon new knowledge of combustion and chemistry. In this paper, I will explore the inventors’ attention towards this specific temporality of fire, namely the crucial moment when a fire started, which stimulated research on prevention strategies, fireproof materials, and fire suppression systems.

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Early Modern Fire

Science, Technology, and the Urban Space

Series:  Intersections, Volume: 95
Cover Early Modern Fire
E-Book ISBN:
9789004521766
Publisher:
Brill
Print Publication Date:
05 Nov 2024
Front Matter
Introduction: the Early Modern Fire
Part 1 Fire in Early Modern Science
Part 2 Early Modern Fire Technologies
Part 3 Fire in the Urban Space
Back Matter

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