Sebastian James Rose

En-route to #shot2025 in Luxembourg. Let me know if you want to meet! See you all soon 🇱🇺

Come and join our workshop on colonialism and infrastructure from the 25th to 26th september online or in person if you are in London. Sign up www.eventbrite.com/e/colonialis...

🚨In print now, new co-authored publication with some great scholars! This article grew out of a manifesto developed by participants in of the June 2023 summer school Socio-Economic Diplomatic History organised by Leiden University’s Institute for History, the Global Diplomacy Network

Love seeing this at the top of Colonial Office documents

Instead, they relied on tactics to disrupt state and company communications like wire cutting and the occupation of telegraph stations. During the Tobacco protests and bread riots in Iran in the early 1890s, telegraph lines were cut and British stations occupied by protestors.

The telegraph was an exclusive technology owned by large companies and states. Constructing and operating a covert network, similar to the network depicted in Andor, was not feasible for protest and revolutionary movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This reminds me of the image from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper of John Ammon, a union leader and supposed leader of the 1877 US Railroad Strikes. In fact, there is no evidence that Ammon directed or coordinated the national strike through the telegraph as depicted.

In the final episodes of season 2, Kleya, in hiding from imperials, resorts to a more rudimentary form of communication similar to a Morse Key. This device can receive and send a code resembling Morse. Unsure of the senders identity, the rebels on Yavin discuss a response.

Much of season 2 revolves around Luthen's and Kleya's Fractal radio, clearly inspired by a telephone operator's switchboard and WW2 listening and broadcasting devices.

Cassian relies on safe channels to coordinate cells across the galaxy. Season 1’s hidden relay stations showcase the need for one-time devices and rotating frequencies for the rebels in coordinating revolution across vast distances.

Having recently finished #Andor , I was reminded of the shows emphasis on communication technology and networks for both the rebels and the empire. In contrast to so much sci-fi, it presents communication networks as contested and vulnerable to cooption by weaker actors 🧵

I would also recommend Aditya Ramesy's work on Indian rivers and 'productive works'. Lipokmar Dzüvichü coolies article, Rohan Deb Roy white ants article and Deep Kanta Choudhury on Indian Telegraph come to mind!

The Telegraph from Below: Race, Labour and the Indo-European Telegraph Department 1862–1927 In describing the landing of the Indo-European telegraph cable at Faw in 1862, the future British Director of the Indo-European Telegraph Department (IETD)

Shamelessly plugging my article on the Indo-European Telegraph Department, race and labour in Iran and the Gulf. The Department was run by the British government of India and involved lots of Indian labour. academic.oup.com/hwj/advance-...

Fantastic research trip to PK Porthcurno's archive this week. Fascinating story of how a small hamlet in Cornwall was transformed into a communication hub for the Eastern Telegraph Company. Well worth the trip to the museum, archive and coast for any telecommunications enthusiasts 📻🛜🌊🏖

PhD on offer at Kew: Plants and their Products: Biocultural collections at Kew Gardens & the South Kensington Museum during the long nineteenth century

If only I could apply! Fascinating mutual interests of Kew and the V&A in plants. Closes 16 May

www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studying-her...

This Day in Labor History: March 6, 1886. The Great Southwest Strike began, marking the start of a year of worker revolt against the exploitation of Gilded Age capitalism. Over 200,000 railroad workers went on strike, but the failure to win helped usher in the decline of the Knights of Labor.

New book review:
Rose on Ding, Jeffrey: _Technology and the Rise of Great Powers: How Diffusion Shapes Economic Competition_. Princeton University Press, 2024. Published by H-Sci-Med-Tech.
Read here: networks.h-net.org/node/20061633

New on H-Sci-Med-Tech:

Check out @sebjrose.bsky.social (@lborouniversity.bsky.social)’s review of @jeffreyding.bsky.social (@gwu1821.bsky.social)’s book _Technology & the Rise of Great Powers: How Diffusion Shapes Economic Competition_ 2024 @princetonupress.bsky.social

@hnetreviews.bsky.social

A map produced by the RAF in the early 1920s on the military division of troops across Palestine

It's changing things, but I think it's too early to tell how and to what extent. Lots of hype pushed by promoters and futurists that needs challenging as well. People like @leev.bsky.social putting in the work

Graduated!

This looks great, can't wait to read

This looks fantastic. We need more work like this that focuses on labourers and their role in maintaining colonial infrastructures!

Bluesky historians, can anyone point me towards a cultural history of railway trade journals in the US? 🛤

Welcome to my Substack Things to come

I've started a Substack, focused on the history of technology, empire and contemporary tech and culture. Subscribe for the weekly newsletter.

sebastianjamesrose.substack.com/p/welcome-to...

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