The Virtual Laboratory

Essays and Resources on the Experimentalization of Life

The Virtual Laboratory is a digitalization project devoted to the history of the experimentalization of life. Its main focus is the interaction between the life sciences, arts and architecture, media and technology. It consists of two related parts, an archive and the laboratory.

As an archive, the VL offers numerous scans of texts and images concerning experiments, instruments, buildings, scientists and artists between 1830 and 1930 as well as categorized datasheets derived from this holdings.

Frogs

Explore VLP Collections

stagelibrary

The digital library of the VL contains scans of historical books, journals, laboratory notebooks and instrument catalogues.
stageexperiments

Experimental set-ups used for the production of knowledge and experience in the life sciences, art and technology throughout the nineteenth century.
stagetechnology

This section primarily presents visual representations of instruments and general technical equipment used in life sciences, art and engineering.
stageobjects

This section focuses on the living objects used to carry out experiments such as frogs, rabbits, dogs, and human beings.
stagesites

This section focuses on sites of experimental knowledge production. Scientific and art research activities were carried out in institutes, laboratories, field stations, museums and hospitals, sometimes closely interrelated. All sites in this section are presented by plans, drawings and photographs.
stagepeople

This section contains short biographies of individuals involved in the experimental discourses and practices: scientists, instrument-makers, publishers, novelists, engineers, artists and philosophers.
stageconcepts

This section documents concepts and theoretical frameworks that were connected to experimental set-ups like 'reflex', 'function', 'organ', 'life', or 'conscience'.
stagessays

VL Essays

This section features contributions to the history of experimental physiology and psychology in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

What are the new features?

The VLP data were transferred to a new system to facilitate access and research for users and institutions.

The most important new features are:

  • Upload for new VLP research data like literature, images, etc.
  • Fulltext search capabilities.
  • Extensive REST-Api support.
  • Scripts for automated uploading of larger datasets.

Licensing

The data of the VLP are freely accessible under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

cc-by-nc