Crossing Over: Art and Science at Caltech, 1920-2020

Science is as much a visual practice as a textual or quantitative one. For centuries, scientists have used microscopes, telescopes, painting, illustration, printing, and photography to perceive nature and communicate what they see in it, often in collaboration with artists. In the twentieth century, scientists also came to see creativity as an essential resource and looked to art to foster it. Crossing Over is an interdisciplinary publication that looks at one prominent university-the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena-as a site for scientific and artistic image production. Uncovering the rich pictorial record embedded in its archives and special collections, a team of visual culture scholars examines Caltech through a series of tightly focused case studies. How, the authors ask, have science and engineering institutions like Caltech used scientific representation, art, and architecture to construct themselves and produce discovery and invention? This book will reveal new facets of life and work at Caltech that will be illuminating even to those familiar with the school, showcasing views that informed-and were informed by-the vibrant visual culture of Southern California.

“For more than a century, the California Institute of Technology has been a world-leader in science and technology. Less well known is the rich visual culture―whether in the form of fine art, astrophotography, architectural drawings, or biological illustrations―that has accompanied and amplified Caltech’s research mission. With Crossing Over, Sachs Collopy and Bohn-Spector have assembled a marvelous collection of essays and artworks which showcase how the visual arts have been essential ingredients in Caltech’s accomplishments. This book is a joy to view.”―W. Patrick McCray, University of California, Santa Barbara