The Sidney Edelstein Prize, previously known as the Dexter Prize, is an award presented by the Society for the History of Technology (SHOT) to the author of an outstanding scholarly book in the field of the history of technology. The book must have been published during the preceding three years.[1]
The award was established in 1968 through the generosity of Sidney Edelstein, a historian of dyes and the founder of the Dexter Chemical Corporation.[1] It was renamed the Sidney Edelstein Prize to honor his commitment to scholarship in the history of technology and is currently donated by his family.[1] The prize consists of a plaque and a monetary award, which is currently $3,500.[1]
History and design
The award was originally known as the Dexter Prize and was funded by the Dexter Chemical Corporation of New York City.[2] When established, the prize carried a cash award of $1,000.[2] It is awarded annually to outstanding books and monographs in the history of technology.[3]
The design of the award plaque was created by the silver sculptor Edward Widstrom.[2] The imagery on the plaque is derived from the Plictho of Gioanventura Rosetti (1548), which is considered the first basic printed book on the subject of dyeing.[2] Sidney Edelstein, a noted expert on the history of dye processes, had co-translated and edited an English edition of the Plictho published by MIT Press in 1969.[2]
Recipients
Notable recipients of the prize include:
| Year | Recipient | Book Title | Publisher | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Edwin T. Layton, Jr. | The Revolt of the Engineers: Social Responsibility and the American Engineering Profession | Case Western Reserve University Press | [4] |
| 1972 | Thomas P. Hughes | Elmer Sperry: Engineer and Inventor | Johns Hopkins Press | [4] |
| 1974 | Daniel Boorstin | The Americans: The Democratic Experience (Co-winner) | Random House | [5] |
| 1974 | Bruce Sinclair | Philadelphia's Philosopher Mechanics: A History of the Franklin Institute, 1824–1865 | Johns Hopkins University Press | [6] |
| 1975 | Reese Jenkins | Images and Enterprise: Technology and the American Photographic Industry | Johns Hopkins University Press | [6] |
| 1979 | David P. Billington | Robert Maillart's Bridges | Princeton University Press | [7] |
| 1981 | Edward W. Constant II | The Origins of the Turbojet Revolution | Johns Hopkins University Press | [8] |
| 1983 | Thomas P. Hughes | Networks of Power: Electrification in Western Society, 1880–1930 | Johns Hopkins University Press | [6] |
| 1984 | Ruth Schwartz Cowan | More Work for Mother: The Ironies of Household Technology from the Open Hearth to the Microwave | Basic Books | [5] |
| 1985 | David A. Hounshell | From the American System to Mass Production 1800–1932 | Johns Hopkins University Press | [5] |
| 1986 | Walter A. McDougall | The Heavens and the Earth: A Political History of the Space Age | Basic Books | [5] |
| 1987 | Hugh G.J. Aitken | The Continuous Wave: Technology and American Radio, 1900–1932 | Princeton University Press | [9] |
| 2019 | Pamela O. Long | Engineering the Eternal City: Infrastructure, Topography, and the Culture of Knowledge in Late Sixteenth-Century Rome | University of Chicago Press | [1] |
| 2021 | Gijs Mom | Globalizing Automobilism: Exuberance and the Emergence of Layered Mobility, 1900-1980 | Berghahn Books | [1] |
| 2022 | Sarah A. Seo | Policing the Open Road: How Cars Transformed American Freedom | Harvard University Press | [1] |
| 2023 | Stephan F. Miescher | A Dam for Africa: Akosombo Stories from Ghana | Indiana University Press | [1] |
| 2024 | Francesca Bray, Barbara Hahn, John Bosco Lourdusamy, and Tiago Saraiva | Moving Crops and the Scales of History | Yale University Press | [1] |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i SHOT 2017.
- ^ a b c d e TC 1980, p. 436.
- ^ Lewis 1989, p. 10.
- ^ a b Lewis 1989, p. 11.
- ^ a b c d Lewis 1989, p. 14.
- ^ a b c Lewis 1989, p. 12.
- ^ TC 1980, pp. 436–437.
- ^ Lewis 1989, p. 13.
- ^ Lewis 1989, p. 15.
Sources
- Lewis, W. David (Spring 1989). "A History of Technology: A Young and Vibrant Discipline". OAH Magazine of History. 4 (2). Oxford University Press: 10–15. JSTOR 25162653.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - "The Dexter Prize". Technology and Culture. 21 (3). The Johns Hopkins University Press: 436–437. July 1980. JSTOR 3103158.
- "Sidney Edelstein Prize". Society for the History of Technology. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- Awards, Honors, and Prizes. Gale Research Company. 2010. ISBN 978-1-4144-3893-1. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
