Public database

About

Drawing on the interdisciplinary research of the Science at the Fair (SciFair) project at the University of Antwerp, this curated online archive assembles information on the role of itinerant showpeople in the circulation of science, knowledge, and visual culture across Western Europe between 1850 and 1914. 

The SciFair team has developed a custom database structure to organize and store archival data. The database is now publicly accessible and structured around five main categories: Sources, Events, Attractions, People, and Keywords. 

Our goal was to build an open-access archive that consolidates materials from diverse archival collections  – both public and private. These materials include ephemera such as posters, broadsides, engravings, postcards as well as photographs, administrative records, correspondence, journals, newspapers, and objects like anatomical wax models. 

Disclaimers

This public platform aims to open up and preserve the cultural heritage of the funfair, contributing to its recognition and preservation as intangible cultural heritage. Please be aware that historical images or texts included in this archive may be considered offensive or disturbing by today’s standards. They are presented in their original form for scholarly and historical purposes. Our intention is never to cause harm or offense. 

Please note: the selection and nature of the entries reflect ongoing research and do not aim to be comprehensive or representative. We hope to encourage future researchers to engage and to jointly enlarge our knowledge. If you notice any errors or have relevant information, we encourage you to get in touch. 

Credits and copyright

This archive is built using the Nodegoat CMS developed by LAB1100. The interface was designed by Marie Wynants and programmed by LAB1100. 

Unless otherwise stated, the textual data in this database is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. Please credit the SciFair project when using this material for non-commercial purposes. 

⚠️ Please note: Copyright restrictions apply to the images. All efforts have been made to identify rights holders and provide appropriate credits. If you believe your copyright has been infringed, please contact us so we can rectify the issue. 

We thank the public and private institutions who granted us access to their collections and shared their expertise. 

Contact

Did you spot an error? Do you have additional information about an object or event? We are eager to hear from you. Contact us at scifair@uantwerpen.be.